SMETANA B. PIANO WORKS Vol.3 (CZECH DANCES FIRST SERIES, SECOND SERIES, BETTINA POLKA...

Bedřich Smetana - Czech Dances 1st Series

1. Set I - Polka in F sharp minor 02:53

2. Set I - Polka in A minor 02:36

3. Set I - Polka in F major 03:29

4. Set I - Polka in B flat major 03:14

Bedřich Smetana - Czech Dances - 2nd Series

5. Set II - Furiant 05:37

6. Set II - Little Hen 03:14

7. Set II - Oats 05:31

8. Set II - The Bear 03:39

9. Set II - The Little Onion 05:02

10. Set II - Stamp Dance 04:00

11. Set II - The Lancer 04:56

12. Set II - Obkročák 03:14

13. Set II - Sousedská 04:49

14. Set II - Skočná 03:37

15. Bedřich Smetana - Bettina Polka 01:47

16. Bedřich Smetana - The Peasant Woman - Polka 03:47

17. Bedřich Smetana - Andante in F minor for Piano 00:56

18. Bedřich Smetana - Romance in G minor 01:56

Jitka Čechová piano

Jitka Čechová is an energetic young pianist and member of the highly successful Smetana Trio. On her third CD of Smetana's piano works she proves how intimately familiar she is with thecomposer's style. The album includes Smetana's greatest piano cycle, the Czech Dances, written in the years 1877-79. The first part of the cycle consists of four polkas, while the second part contains Smetana's concert interpretations of specific Czech folk dances (including the Furiant, Skočná, Rejdovák a rejdovačka, Sousedská, Hulán and Medvěd). The album is rounded out with Smetana's late piano works. The Romance in G minor (1881) was the last piece he composed for piano, though at the very end of his life he revised his famous Bettina Polka (1883). Smetana's greatest piano cycle Czech Dances in an outstanding performance by Jitka Čechová.

(Supraphon 2007)