Dvořák & Martinů: Piano Concertos

This unusual pairing is a rewarding one. Dvořák’s magical Piano Concerto in G Minor, not heard nearly as frequently as it should be, is played here with a perfect, idiomatic feel and some very stylish orchestral work. The haunting central movement is quite exquisite—with the Bamberg’s bassoonist in top form—while the outer movements sparkle with Dvořák’s irrepressible melodiousness. Martinů’s two-movement Piano Concerto No. 4, “Incantation,” from 1956, written in a language that’s almost cinematic in its graphic quality, is played with terrific verve. Ivo Kahánek, with a big musical personality and much to say, establishes himself as a young player to watch.