Search - Firkusny, Pesek, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra :: Tribute

This wonderful disc is another souvenir of the great Czech pianist Rudolf Firkusny's return to his homeland after the triumph of democracy in the early 1990s. We are very lucky that he lived to make this recording. Firkusny was a personal friend of the composer, and he gave the premieres of all three of these concertos. He plays them with a sovereign mastery that brooks no competition, and the music itself is marvelous. The Fourth Concerto, subtitled Incantations, is one of the century's most exciting and unusual scores for piano and orchestra, while the other two explore both the classical and Romantic heritage of the form. This is a recording that has "greatness" stamped all over it. You must hear it. --David Hurwitz