JANACEK, SMETANA & PROKOFIEV: Violin Sonatas - Josef Špaček, Miroslav Sekera

Leoš Janáček - Sonata, Bedřich Smetana - From My Homeland
Sergey Prokofiev - Sonata for Solo Violin in D major, Op. 115; Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 1 in F minor, Op. 80

Josef Špaček - violin, Miroslav Sekera - piano

Still only 26, the violinist Josef Špaček has already covered an enormous amount of ground. After completing his studies at the Curtis Institut e of Music in Philadelphia, he attended Itzhak Perlman's class at the Juilliard School in New York, and he has given solo performances under the baton of outstanding conductors (Bělohlávek, Eschenbach, Honeck, Hrůša). In 2009 he won the Michael Hill International Violin Competition (New Zealand), in May 2012 he became a laureate of the closely observed Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels and in the same year led the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra as concert master at the chief conductor Jiří Bělohlávek's inauguration concerts. For his Supraphon debut, Josef Špaček has chosen works by Slavonic composers. The two duets from Smetana's From My Homeland are considered the counterpart to his cycle My Country, while Janáček's Sonata, which was introduced to the world by Paul Hindemith as a soloist, is evidently the most frequently performed Czech violin sonata. And when it comes to Prokofiev, the Russian master's music is a truly heartfelt matter for Špaček (as a soloist, he has executed both of his concertos). The pianist Miroslav Sekera is a wonderful partner to Špaček on the recording, as are the superb and inspiring acoustics of the Dvořák Hall of Prague's Rudolfinum.

Janáček, Smetana, Prokofiev - Josef Špaček's "Slavonic debut"
Reviews
“Špaček and Sekera are very much on home ground with Janacek's Sonata, taking it much less forcefully than some performers do and reaching into the music, past the typically abrupt gestures, to its lyrical centre…They relax with Smetana's two agreeable pieces.“
Gramophone, Awards Issue 2013

Leoš Janáček
Sonata for Violin and Piano
1. Con moto 05:17
2. Ballade. Con moto 04:57
3. Allegretto 02:17
4. Adagio. Un poco piu mosso 04:33
Bedřich Smetana
From the Homeland. Two Pieces for Violin and Piano
5. Moderato 04:38
6. Andantino. Moderato. Allegro vivo. Moderato asssai. Presto 06:41
Sergei Prokofiev
Sonata for Violin Solo, Op.115
7. Moderato 04:49
8. Thema con variazioni. Andante 03:36
9. Con brio - Allegro precipitato 03:50
Sergei Prokofiev
Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 1 in F minor, Op. 80
10. Andante assai 06:08
11. Allegro brusco 06:31
12. Andante 06:55
13. Allegrissimo – Andante assai, come prima 07:03