Bohuslav Martinů - The Complete Works for Cello and Piano (Vilém Vlček; Denis Linnik)

Information

Composer: Bohuslav Martinů

CD1

• Cello Sonata No. 1, H. 277
• Variations on a Theme of Rossini, H. 290
• Cello Sonata No. 2, H. 286
• Cello Sonata No. 3, H. 340
• Variations on a Slovak Folk Song, H. 378

CD2

• Seven Arabesques, H. 201
• Suite miniature, H. 192
• Pastorales, H. 190
• Romance, H. 186bis
• Nocturnes, H. 189
• Ariette, H. 188b

Vilém Vlček, cello

Denis Linnik, piano

Date: 2025

Label: Supraphon

_____________________

This recording of Bohuslav Martinů’s complete works for cello and piano, made near his final home in Switzerland, spans his entire creative life. It includes five lighter works from his Paris years (1929–1931) and more profound compositions—three sonatas and two variation pieces—written between 1939 and his death. His Variations on a Slovak Folk Song, his final chamber work, poignantly express his longing for his Czech homeland. Performed by cellist Vilém Vlček and pianist Denis Linnik, the double album showcases Martinů’s emotional and stylistic range, offering a deeply expressive and authentic interpretation of his music and legacy.

Vilém Vlček, a Czech cellist born in 1998, is acclaimed for his expressive artistry and technical mastery. He won the 2023 Jiří Bělohlávek Prize, the Krzysztof Penderecki Cello Competition, and the Markneukirchen International Instrumental Competition. A graduate of the Musik-Akademie Basel, he now assists Danjulo Ishizaka at Berlin’s Universität der Künste. Vlček has performed with top orchestras and conductors across over 30 countries and collaborated with renowned musicians like Leonidas Kavakos and Steven Isserlis. His 2024/2025 highlights include major orchestral debuts and a Supraphon debut album featuring Martinů’s complete works for cello and piano. He plays a 19th-century Ventapane cello.

Belarusian pianist Denis Linnik (b. 1995) began studying music at age six and soon moved to Minsk for advanced training, eventually attending the Belarusian State Academy of Music. In 2017, he relocated to Switzerland to study at the Hochschule für Musik in Basel with Claudio Martinez Mehner and Zoltán Fejérvári. A prizewinner at major competitions such as the Città di Cantù and Horowitz competitions, he released his debut CD with KNS Classical in 2022. Linnik performs widely across Europe, appearing at top festivals including Gstaad Menuhin and Wien Modern. He explores a wide range of styles—from classical to contemporary music, jazz, and opera.