Dvorák’s sunny Violin Sonata is a typically lovely work of his maturity, written about the same time as the Violin Concerto, and this performance would be difficult to better. Pavel Šporcl captures the work’s lyrical effusiveness effortlessly, but always with that enlivening sense of rhythm that gives Dvorák’s innate tunefulness its strength of character. Pianist Petr Jiríkovsky accompanies with what can only be called enthusiastic discretion, yielding to his partner where necessary but never sounding inhibited or excessively modest.
Suk’s Four Pieces date from 1900, and unsurprisingly they reveal the influence of Dvorák, the composer’s teacher and father-in-law. They are delightful, and already in the Appassionato and the concluding Burleske we can hear something of the composer’s darker, moodier personality beginning to emerge. Among the shorter works, the Notturno is the same piece later arranged for strings, after originating in the early Fourth String Quartet and spending some time in the String Quintet No. 2 (with double bass). It’s lovely no matter how you hear it, and Šporcl also has a blast with the Kreisler arrangements of the Slavonic Dances. Ideal sonics complete an irresistible release. [9/19/2007]
