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Analekta5
Things Lived and Dreamt
Francine Kay, piano
Analekta, January 2023
Francine Kay is a Canadian pianist, often praised for her nuanced and profound interpretive skills. Her newest album, Things Lived and Dreamt, features the music of late 19th- and 20th-century Czech composers. Kay explores the evocative rhythms and melodies characteristic of Czech music, introducing the listener to more obscure pieces, paired with familiar favourites.
The album opens with Leoš Janáček’s Sonata 1.X.1905. The work is an earnest tribute to František Pavlík, a carpenter who was bayonetted to death in 1905 during a demonstration in support of a Czech university in Brno. Kay’s interpretation combines an ease of movement with solemnity, and the result is undoubtedly enticing. Her mastery of the melodic line keeps the listener engaged through both the rhythmic peaks and silences. Kay’s addition of three movements of Dvořák’s Op. 101 Humoresques provides a lighthearted contrast to the preceding works, offering listeners juvenilia and simplicity.
The album’s namesake is Josef Suk’s Thing Lived and Dreamt. The 10-movement work has been described as the “diary of an artist.” Contrary to the fluidity evoked by the title, and cultural Bohemia in which Suk lived and worked, the piece contains rather strict performance instructions. Kay adheres to these, while managing to draw a vast array of colours out of the harmonies, emphasizing the abundance of stacked thirds, and stark, rhythmic chords. Despite the piece’s seeming rigidity, Kay maintains a sense of freedom in the right-hand melodies. This work at once stands out as the star of the album, and expertly pairs with the other pieces. This album captures the rhythmic and melodic characteristics unique to Czech music while also showcasing the identities and breadth of multiple composers. Kay offers an exceptional performance of stunning compositions that is well worth listening to.
This page is also available in / Cette page est également disponible en:
Francais (French)
