Lesser known Czecho-Slovak composers

[Symphonic Addict]

Inspired by your enthusiasm, Cesar, I gave this recording a spin yesterday. Will it come as a surprise to you or other members that I was also blown away by this music? This is wondrous stuff that I might have otherwise overlooked had you not mentioned it! Yes, the idiom occupies a rather similar Slavic-Romantic style to Tchaikovsky and Arensky (particularly the latter), but the music is hardly derivative of anyone. As you say, Napravnik's melodic fecundity and the brilliance with which he develops his ideas is really impressive and engaging. A particular highlight of the disc is the dramatic and memorable first movement of the second trio in D minor, Op. 62. And the performances give the music all the energy and passion that it calls for. I'm looking forward to exploring his Piano Quartet and Violin Sonata on CPO and his Concerto symphonique for piano on Hyperion. A major gap in the discography are his four symphonies, which I'd love to hear!

Good to read, Kyle! I had a hunch that these immensely tuneful pieces could be right up your street. The CPO CD that includes the Piano Quartet and Violin Sonata doesn't disappoint either. The Scherzo of the Piano Quartet is a gem unto itself. The Violin Sonata sounded to me like mildly less melodious in a couple of its movements, but the work as a whole holds rather well.

Nápravník also composed three string quartets of which the 3rd one in C major appears on YouTube, but not in a necessarily great recording.