Dumka, JW VII/4 (Janáček) - from CDA67699 - Hyperion Records

Reviews

‘Shaham and Erez give an excellent performance [Dohnányi Sonata], Shaham's seductive tone and elegant phrasing being well matched by Erez's sensitive touch. The Ruralia hungarica pieces show the composer's more nationalistic side but are still farily traditional in their approach to folk material. Shaham is in his element here—the brilliant final piece carefree and dashing in style, the preceding, improvisatory Andante rubato alla zingaresca graceful and stylish’ (Gramophone)

‘The strongly Brahmsian Sonata [Dohnányi] is given a warm and affectionate reading, the central variation movement imaginatively characterised with Shaham's honeyed tone proving an ideal foil for Arnon Erez's bold and dynamic piano playing. But it's the more folksy Ruralia hungarica that draws the most compelling performance, Shaham negotiating the challenging violin pyrotechnics of the outer movements with impressive powerhouse playing as well as delivering a wonderfully atmospheric Andante rubato alla Zingaresca’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘Hagai Shaham gives a deliciously rich and eloquent account of Dohnányi's Violin Sonata … it is thrilling, captivating playing, joyous and tender … there are sumptuous moments in Janáĉek's Sonata, too, but this is darker stuff, and Shaham brings to it a gentle sensibility … the rapport between Shaham and Arnon Erez, itself a notable feature of the disc, is quite wonderful in the tricky ensemble and fractured discourse of this sonata’ (The Strad)

The Dumka is thought to date from 1880, and was apparently first performed in 1885 in a benefit concert for the Brno Organ School, though it was not published until 1929, shortly after the composer’s death. The Czech term ‘dumka’ originally meant a lament, from the Ukrainian ‘duma’, a kind of narrative ballad. In Slavonic music, the dumka has an A–B–A form, usually alternating fast and slow sections. (Dvorák’s famous ‘Dumky’ Piano Trio was not written until 1891.) The passionately melancholic opening strain of Janáček’s piece is effectively contrasted with a more pathetic middle section.

La Dumka, qui date, estime-t-on, de 1880, aurait été créée en 1885 lors d’un concert de bienfaisance donné pour l’École d’orgue de Brno; elle ne fut, cependant, publiée qu’en 1929, peu après la mort de Janácek. À l’origine, le terme tchèque «dumka»—de l’ukrainien «duma», un genre de ballade narrative—désignait une lamentation. Dans la musique slave, la dumka affecte une forme A–B–A, où alternent généralement les sections lentes et rapides.(Le célèbre Trio avec piano «Dumky» de Dvorák ne fut écrit qu’en 1891.) Les accents liminaires, passionnément mélancoliques, de la pièce de Janáček font un saisissant contraste avec une section médiane davantage pathétique.

Die Dumka entstand vermutlich 1880 und wurde offenbar erstmals 1885 in einem Wohltätigkeitskonzert an der Orgelschule von Brno aufgeführt, jedoch erst 1929 kurz nach dem Tod des Komponisten veröffentlicht. Das tschechische Wort „Dumka“ bedeutete ursprünglich „Klage“ und geht auf die ukrainische Bezeichnung „Duma“ für eine Erzählung in Balladenform zurück. In der slawischen Musik hat die Dumka die Form A–B–A mit normalerweise abwechselnden schnellen und langsamen Abschnitten. (Dvoráks berühmtes Klaviertrio „Dumky“ wurde erst 1891 komponiert.) Die leidenschaftlich-melancholische Einleitung zu Janáčeks Stück kontrastiert wirkungsvoll mit einem pathetischeren Mittelteil.

Recording details: January 2009
Jerusalem Music Centre, Israel
Produced by Eric Wen
Engineered by Zvi Hirshler
Release date: April 2010
Total duration: 5 minutes 38 seconds

Cover artwork: Three Trees (1965). Emil Parrag (1925-2019)
Private Collection / Bridgeman Images

Dumka, JW VII/4

Hagai Shaham (violin), Arnon Erez (piano)

Reviews

Introduction