Natalia Sokolovskaya - Janáček: Piano Works (2018) [Official Digital Download 24/88]

The Sonáta 'pro klavír' „I. X. 1905, Z ulice“, JW 8/19 (Piano Sonata “1 October 1905, From the Street” in E minor, JW 8/19, 1905) was inspired by the tragic and violent death of a protester during a demonstration calling for the construction of a new Czech university. Janacek drew inspiration from this deeply traumatising event, resulting in his only piano sonata. Although not entirely pianistic, it contains strong elements of drama and originality.

Janácek’s piano cycle 'V mlhách', JW 8/22 (In the Mists, 1912) contains elements of the intimate, personal and emotionally immediate music from the borders of eastern and western Europe, coming from the fiddles and cimbalom (hammered dulcimer) of Moravian folk music, as well as its use of melodic fragments, reiterated and altered in various ways. In the composer’s use of harmonic colour, however, there is more than a hint of Debussy-like impressionism, but the context is purely Czech.

The first five pieces of the two sets 'Po zarostlém chodnícku', JW 8/17 ('On an Overgrown Path', 1901–1908) were composed around 1900, for harmonium. The first set of ten was completed in 1908. The pieces, as Janácek wrote, "contain distant reminiscences. Those reminiscences are so dear to me that I do not think they will ever vanish." Some of these memories are clearly happy, others extremely sad.

Natalia Sokolovskaya is a very refined and elegant young Russian pianist, winner of several international competitions and active as a concertist pianist and organizer.

Tracklist:
01. On The Overgrown Path, Jw VIII/17: No. 1, Our Evenings
02. On The Overgrown Path, Jw VIII/17: No. 2, A Blown-Away Leaf
03. On The Overgrown Path, Jw VIII/17: No. 3, Come Along With Us!
04. On The Overgrown Path, Jw VIII/17: No. 4, The Madonna Of Frýdek
05. On The Overgrown Path, Jw VIII/17: No. 5, They Chattered Like Swallows
06. On The Overgrown Path, Jw VIII/17: No. 6, Words Failed Me
07. On The Overgrown Path, Jw VIII/17: No. 7, Good Night!
08. On The Overgrown Path, Jw VIII/17: No. 8, So Unutterably Anxious
09. On The Overgrown Path, Jw VIII/17: No. 9, In Tears
10. On The Overgrown Path, Jw VIII/17: No. 10, The Little Owl Continues Screeching
11. On The Overgrown Path, Jw VIII/17: No. 11, Andante
12. On The Overgrown Path, Jw VIII/17: No. 12, Allegretto
13. On The Overgrown Path, Jw VIII/17: No. 13, Più Mosso
14. On The Overgrown Path, Jw VIII/17: No. 14, Vivo
15. On The Overgrown Path, Jw VIII/17: No. 15, Allegro
16. Piano Sonata 1.X.1905, Jw VIII/19: I. Foreboding
17. Piano Sonata 1.X.1905, Jw VIII/19: II. Death
18. In The Mists, Jw VIII/22: I. Andante
19. In The Mists, Jw VIII/22: II. Molto Adagio
20. In The Mists, Jw VIII/22: III. Andantino
21. In The Mists, Jw VIII/22: IV. Presto

Personnel:
Natalia Sokolovskaya, piano