Given the fact that many of
Dvo¿ák
's chamber works are among his most highly prized -- one thinks of the late string quartets, the
Piano Trio in E minor, Op. 90 ("Dumky")
-- the neglect of the violin-and-piano music heard on this release by
Ji¿í Vodi¿ka
and cellist
David Mare¿ek
is a bit hard to understand. With a few exceptions, these are not innocent salon pieces but full-fledged examples of
's art. The
Sonatina in G major, Op. 100
, it's true, is written for younger players and talented amateurs, but it's a lovely example of the composer's late style, with one of his great pentatonic tunes in its Larghetto slow movement.
Vodi¿ka
and
Mare¿ek
, nicely recorded in the Rudolfinum in Prague, deliver
performances in the classic Czech vein. The finale of the
Violin Sonata in F major, Op. 57
, is a rip-roaring Czech tune, given the proper energy here. Even the unassumingly titled
Capriccio
and the
Romance, Op. 11
, are substantial pieces; the
is an interesting inflection of the violin-showpiece language in the direction of
's own style. Near the end comes a
Fritz Kreisler
transcription of the well-known
Humoresque, Op. 101, No. 7
, and one feels
Kreisler
would have enjoyed the lyricism and energy that characterizes this playing. There are no world premieres here, but this is apparently the first complete set of
's violin-and-piano music on recordings, making it an essential item for
fans. ~ James Manheim