J. Suk – Suite, Op. 21 (Štěpán)

0:00 – 1. Adagio - Allegro vivace 6:13 – 2. Menuetto 10:08 – 3. Dumka 15:21 – 4. Allegro ma non troppo In his symphonic works Josef Suk is best known for the incredibly impactful large scale pieces, such as the Asrael symphony or symphonic poems like Ripening. His piano work is, however, almost exclusively dedicated to cycles of smaller forms. The Suite op. 21 is a rare exception, because it is actually a sonata cycle (the first movement is in sonata form with a little hint of rondo before the development section, followed by a dance movement and slow movement, the finale is a rondo). Pianists are sometimes discouraged by Suk’s piano cycles either because of inconsistency in quality (op. 7), high expressive demands and little virtuosity which is the case of About Mother op. 28, or large proportions (Things Lived and Dreamed op. 30). The Suite is a joy to play for its witfully handled structure and brillance, but continues being undeservedly underplayed. Composer – Josef Suk (1874-1935) Piano – Pavel Štěpán Year of recording – 1975 Upload authorized by Supraphon, sheet music is public domain. Czech piano music playlist –