Janáček: Piano Works

Janáček’s works for piano, written between 1900 and 1912, are his most intimate statements. Leaving aside surface virtuosity, the Czech composer instead paints miniature portraits packed with color and local flavor. Listen, for instance, for his imitation in On the Overgrown Path of the cimbalom’s chiming tones—a traditional instrument the composer heard as he traveled, collecting Moravian folk tunes. The later In the Mist possesses a melancholy stemming from Janáček’s grief at the death of his daughter, in addition to deep self-doubt. It’s clear that Jan Bartoš understands Janáček’s troubled world: His performance of the “Andantino” is unrivaled in its poignancy. But there’s also abundant joy in this music, and Bartoš revels in it.