Firm intelectual discipline coupled with the capacity for passionate feeling is the basic characteristic of Štěpán's interpretative art. Far from dazzling virtuosity, he expresses the essence of a work by means of inner meditation over its thought content. This is the source of the profound poetry of his piano interpretation which ranks him with the foremost Czech pianists of the present day. To an artist of this outlook and of these possibilities the interpretation of piano compositions by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897), is particularly close. A purely subjective character marks the Opp. 117, 118, 119, these fruits of the last creative period of this great master of the 19th century and monologues of Brahms' declining life. Typical of the majority of them is the pensive mood of a silent resignation or sadness which does not torment and frequently warms up with a lovely remembrance. Such are the three lntermezzi of Op. 117 which Brahms himself used to call “the lullabgies of my sorrows" — (Wiegenlieder meiner Schmerzen) and n° 2 and 6 of Op. 118 or n° 1 of Op. 119 — an offering to Clara Schumann for her 60th birthday — full of schumannesque reminiscences and n° 2 of Op. 119. The three remaining lntermezzi from Opp. 118 and 119 are either of a passionately excited or innocently frolicsome character (Op. 118 - n° 1 and 4, Op. 119 - n° 3). Op. 118 is complemented by a lovely pastoral romance n° 5 and a Ballade n° 3 which together with the Rhapsody Op. 119 n° 4 is imbued with the pathetic spirit of northern ballads close to Brahms's youth.
Olga Jelínková (from the Original Liner Notes)
Pavel Štěpán
Plays
Johannes Brahms
(1833-1897)
Tracks
Three Intermezzi, Op. 117
1 N° 1 in E-flat major. Andante moderato 5:35
2 N° 2 in B-flat minor. Andante non troppo e con molto espressione 3:57
3 N° 3 in C-sharp minor. Andante con moto 6:13
Six Piano Pieces, Op. 118
4 I. Intermezzo in A minor. Allegro non assai, ma molto appassionato 1:31
5 II. Intermezzo in A. Andante teneramente 5:29
6 III. Ballade in G minor. Allegro energico 3:26
7 IV. Intermezzo in F minor. Allagretto un poco agitato 3:03
8 V. Romance in F major. Andante 5:06
9 VI. Intermezzo in E flat minor. Andante, largo e mesto 5:14
Four Piano Pieces, Op. 119
10 I. Intermezzo in B minor. Adagio 2:58
11 II. Intermezzo in E minor. Andantino un poco agitato 4:19
12 III. Intermezzo in C major. Grazioso e giocoso 1:31
13 IV. Rhapsody in E-flat. Allegro risoluto 4:54
*
Pavel Štěpán - p
Recorded ca 1962