Jan Novák – violin
Marek Kozák – piano
Program:
Leoš Janáček
Sonata for Violin and Piano
Con moto
Ballada. Con moto
Allegretto
Adagio
Bedřich Smetana
From My Homeland, Two Duos for Violin and Piano
Moderato
Andantino
Johannes Brahms
Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 2 in A major, Op. 100
Allegro amabile
Andante tranquillo – Vivace – Andante – Vivace di più – Andante – Vivace
Allegretto grazioso (quasi Andante)
Sonata for Violin and Piano by Leoš Janáček (1854–1928) "was composed in 1914, at the start of the World War when we already expected the Russians to be in Moravia," as the composer explained. In reality, only the second movement (Ballada) was completed at that time, and it was published the following year as a standalone piece. The Sonata was preceded by two composition attempts from 1880, but these were not preserved, and even the third attempt, which ultimately became Janáček's only work of this type, was not considered by the composer as an extraordinary piece. He revised it twice and, in the final phase in 1920, replaced the original final movement (using its material in his opera The Excursions of Mr. Brouček) with a new one. The first movement opens with a short violin solo. It is written in sonata form with an almost indistinct secondary theme, and all the musical material consists of abrupt, recitative-like motifs. The development section feels improvised. The second movement, the aforementioned Ballada, is a dialogue between both instruments, with a leading melody that is unusually long for Janáček and reminiscent of the song-like melodies of romantic composers. The third movement, with scherzo elements, was completed while the composer was working on the opera Káťa Kabanová around 1920, with a clear reference to the opera in the theme at the start of this movement. The three chords at the end of the movement correspond in their explosive character to the main violin theme in the final movement. However, the overall mood of the conclusion is dominated by shadows and gloom. The Sonata was premiered by violinist František Kudláček with Jaroslav Kvapil on piano on April 24, 1922, at the Club of Moravian Composers in Brno. Its first performance abroad was given by Paul Hindemith in 1923 in Frankfurt.
The two duos From My Homeland by Bedřich Smetana (1824–1884) for violin and piano are works from the final phase of the composer’s life. The piece received three performances immediately after its creation. It was first played by Václav Juda Novotný with piano accompaniment by Karel Kovařovic on October 3, 1880, at a concert of the Bivoj association in Budyně nad Ohří. It was later performed in Prague on November 9, 1880, at Žofín by Antonín Sobotka and Josef Richard Rozkošný, and a month later, on December 16, it was played again in Prague at Konvikt Hall by Václav Kopta with the same pianist. The interest in Smetana's new work was understandable since, apart from the early Fantasy on the Song "I Sowed Millet on the Ridge", it is Smetana’s only work with a solo violin part. The composition is dedicated to Prince Alexander of Thurn and Taxis, a patron of the arts whose estate at Loučeň Castle was often visited by various artists. The prince played a role in establishing the Smetana Museum in Jabkenice, where the composer spent the remainder of his life.
In the summer of 1886, Johannes Brahms (1833–1897) stayed in southern Carinthia, where he received news of a visit from alto singer Hermine Spies (1857–1893), to whom he had dedicated two song cycles (Op. 96 and 97) and whose talent he greatly admired. "In anticipation of a dear friend," Brahms began composing the Violin Sonata in A Major, Op. 100, his second in the series. It followed his Violin Sonata in G Major, Op. 78, composed six years earlier, and three years later, he completed the Sonata in D Minor, Op. 108. In the first movement of the Sonata in A Major, the violin joins the piano for only a few measures before taking over the main theme, with the second theme first introduced by the piano. The two instruments alternate the third, rhythmically emphasized idea. The simple lyrical theme of the second movement contrasts with a livelier Vivace section. The final rondo movement is characterized by a singing quality, with an emotional climax in the middle section.
Jan Novák
began playing the violin at the age of six and is currently a student at the Prague Conservatory under the tutelage of Prof. Jiří Fišer. In 2017, he won the national finals of the competition in Liberec. In 2018, he participated in two international competitions, winning 1st prize in the 60th Kocian Violin Competition in Ústí nad Orlicí. In the autumn of 2019, he performed at the international festival Dvořákova Praha (Talent Stage), and in the same year, he played with the West Bohemian Symphony Orchestra in Mariánské Lázně, followed by a performance with the North Bohemian Philharmonic Teplice in Jihlava the next year. In 2021, he again performed at the Dvořákova Praha festival, and in 2022, he played at the "Svátky hudby v Praze" festival alongside Václav Hudeček. He achieved great success at the Conservatory Competition Showcase, where he received the award for absolute winner. In the summer of 2023, he completed the Václav Hudeček Academy in Luhačovice, securing the top prize, with the ultimate reward being a master violin. Jan Novák's most recent and greatest artistic triumph is the laureate title from the 2024 Prague Spring International Music Competition, where he won 2nd place in a highly competitive international field and received the Czech Music Fund Foundation Award for the best performance of a composition written specifically for the competition, as well as the Oleg Podgorný Prize for the most successful and youngest Czech participant. He also received the Czech Centers Award for the most successful Czech participant in the entire competition, the Gideon Klein Prize, the Mercedes Benz Award, and the Audience Prize. The final took place in the Dvořák Hall of Rudolfinum, where Jan Novák performed Ludwig van Beethoven's Violin Concerto with the Prague Philharmonic.
Marek Kozák
When Marek Kozák reached the semifinals of the 2015 International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, it became clear that further successes were soon to follow. The next year, he won 2nd place in the Prague Spring International Competition and received an award for the best performance of a piece by Adam Skoumal. In 2018, he won the European Piano Competition in Bremen, where he also earned the audience award. In 2019, he was a finalist in the Busoni Competition in Bolzano, and in June 2021, he became a laureate of the Géza Anda International Piano Competition in Zurich.
Marek Kozák regularly performs with leading Czech and international orchestras. Recently, he played Antonín Dvořák's Piano Concerto in G Minor with the Moravian Philharmonic Olomouc, which was also part of the orchestra's tour in Poland. He performed Edvard Grieg's Piano Concerto with the Prague Symphony Orchestra FOK, and in December this year, he is set to perform with the Symphony Orchestra in Friedrichshafen, followed by a March 2025 performance with the Slovak Philharmonic. He will also perform Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Hradec Králové Philharmonic. In addition, he is a sought-after chamber musician, collaborating with soprano Simona Šaturová, cellists Václav Petr and Vilém Vlček, and recently with violinist Jan Novák. Together with his chamber partners, he will perform at the Czech Chamber Music Society, the chamber series of the Prague Symphony Orchestra FOK, and the chamber cycle of the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava.
In 2018, he released his debut profile CD (ArcoDiva) featuring works by Joseph Haydn, Fryderyk Chopin, César Franck, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Adam Skoumal. His interest in discovering overlooked works led to the recording of "Forgotten Czech Piano Concertos," which includes pieces by Karel Kovařovic, Vítězslava Kaprálová, and Pavel Bořkovec (Supraphon).
