About this Release
“When I started recording Voríšek's complete piano works, I was very enthusiastic about his music; now that I have finished recording all three albums, I am ebullient. His unique musical language is marked by innovative harmonic thinking and reveals a composer who was ahead of his time. Infinite longing, the hallmark of Romanticism, appears discreetly in these works, probably deriving from the Czech pastoral féerie that imbues all Voríšek's music. This second album is admirably filled with dedications, shy confessions of desire, insouciance and pleasures. But it also takes us by surprise, making us laugh. Humour in music is a characteristic of the greatest masters.” — Biljana Urban
VORÍŠEK, JAN HUGO (1791–1825)
Complete Works for Piano • 2
Theme and Variations • 2 Rondos • Le Désir • Le Plaisir • Eclogue • Impromptus in F and B Flat Major • Stammbuchblatt
- Biljana Urban, piano
This second volume devoted to the music of Bohemian-born Jan Hugo Vorišek charts his rapid compositional development from the early Stammbuchblatt and Impromptu in B flat to the tone-painting of the Rondos, Op.18. His early training with Václav Tomášek remained potent but so too did the new ethos of Beethoven. His character pieces share something of Schubert’s harmonic ideas and suggest why Vorišek should be seen as a leading Viennese composer in the first quarter of the nineteenth-century.
This recording was made on a modern instrument: Steinway, Model D
Tracklist
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1
Theme and Variations in B-Flat Major, Op. 19 (1822) (00:10:46)
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2 Rondos, Op. 18 () (00:02:32 )
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2
No. 1 in C Major (00:02:26)
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3
No. 2 in G Major (00:02:26)
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4
Le Desir, Op. 3 (1819) (00:12:50)
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5
Le Plaisir, Op. 4 (1819) (00:08:09)
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6
Eclogue in C Major (c1824) (00:08:54)
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7
Impromptu in F Major (1824) (00:07:37)
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8
Impromptu in B-Flat Major (1817) (00:03:03)
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9
Stammbuchblatt in A Major (1817) (00:01:28)
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The Artist(s)
Biljana Urban comes from a family with a rich musical tradition. Her Czechborn grandfather, Jan Urban (1875–1952), was a composer and conductor. Biljana Urban received her Ph.D. in Music (Piano Performance) summa cum laude from the Academy of Music in Zagreb, and has an international career, appearing in such venues as the Fresno Concert Hall, California, and taking part in international music festivals. As a chamber musician she has performed with soloists of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Monnaie Orchestra, Brussels, and the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. Her recitals have been broadcast by radio and television companies in France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Croatia, Slovenia and the United States. Her three recordings of Jan Hugo Vorišek’s Complete Works for Piano met critical acclaim, with Vol. 1 included in Culture Catch’s Best new classical albums of 2014. The Composer(s)
Like many before him, Jan Václav (Hugo) Voríšek, an exceptionally talented pianist and promising young composer, left his native Bohemia for Vienna in 1813 to further his musical ambitions. Under the patronage of Countess Rozina Kolowratz-Libstejnsky, owner of the Vamberk estate where he was born, Voríšek had already begun to establish his reputation in Prague as a pianist while studying philosophy, aesthetics, mathematics and later law at the Charles University. Reviews
“…Biljana Urban illuminates Voríšek’s music very effectively and the disc is extremely enjoyable.” – MusicWeb International
“…Pianist Biljana Urban immerses with devotion and love in Vorisek’s amiable pages. Due to her appropriate approach these solid piano pieces gain charm and grace…” – Klassieke Zaken
Also Available
Grand Piano has gained a reputation for producing high quality recordings of rare keyboard gems. Dedicated to the exploration of undiscovered piano repertoire, the label specialises in complete cycles of piano works by many lesser-known composers, whose output might otherwise have remained unknown and unrecorded.
- info@grandpianorecords.com
