BBC Music Magazine Review – September 2010 Landor Records LAN 290 Libor Novacek already has a reputation as a fine and sensitive artist. He makes a lovely sound – rounded, mellow, powerful where needed, and never for a moment ugly. This recording of the first book of Années de pèlerinage begins with a superb account [...]
Libor Novacek’s play is distinguished by constant qualities; poeticism, transparency, a high culture of touches and light technique. From this point of view the first volume of Lizst’s Annees de Pelerinage and Consolations seem “tailor-made” for him. In the first volume of his Annees de Pelerinage Liszt placed pieces inspired by his travels in Switzerland. [...]
“Herausragende Liszt-interpretation. Spätestens mit dieser zweiten Liszt-CD von Libor Novacek wird sehr deutlich, dass die Zukunft des jungen Tschechen im großen romantischen Virtuosenrepertoire liegt…Eine exzellente Balance zwischen pianistischem Finish und intensiver Expression”
by Patrick Rucker ….One very significant clue to Novacek’s particular success is discernible in the first piece of the set, Chapelle de Guillaume Tell. …As one listens to ‘Chapelle de Guillaume Tell’ played by Berman, Brendel or Ciccolini, the mind wanders and the rhetorical gesture, inaccurately rendered, sounds vapid. As Novacek delivers it, we understand, [...]
Liszt: Années de Pèlerinage – Suisse; Consolations Thursday 11 March 2010 by Tim Ashley The young Czech pianist Libor Novacek’s recording of the second, Italian book of Liszt’s Années de Pèlerinage brought him to everyone’s attention when it appeared four years ago, and the release of his version of its earlier, more introverted Swiss companion [...]
Liszt Suisse (Landor) **** Liszt is red meat for the big beasts of the piano. What makes this recital so arresting is the low-key approach that Libor Novacek takes to the Swiss episodes of Liszt’s travel diaries, as well the later, lesser known Consolations. The meditative, priestly aspect of Liszt is often eclipsed by virtuosic [...]
06/ 2009 by Robert Nemecek Libor Novacek recorded the Italian part of Liszt’s Années de Pèlerinage a year ago and his rendering was so splendid that his listeners have secretly been wishing for the Années project to be continued ever since. Now that wish has come true and the result confirms, once again, Novacek’s status [...]
03/01/ 2009 by Kevin Harley ‘If Brahms himself had been recorded playing his own music, this, I believe, is how it might have sounded: the young Czech pianist Libor Novacek gives these majestic pieces a dazzling sweep and splendour. His formidable technique gives him the assurance he needs to let the music sing, while the [...]
Musicweb International ‘Novacek captures the thunderous power of the opening very well and also has a lovely way of coaxing the second movement into existence. Novacek has something to say about each work and is obviously drawn to this repertoire. Altogether this is a disc worth investigating.’ Le Monde de la Musique ‘Libor Novacek fait [...]
19/12/2008 by Gary Higginson Brahms – LAN275 ‘Novacek captures the thunderous power of the opening very well and also has a lovely way of coaxing the second movement into existence. I have enjoyed this disc very much. It is not a conveniently planned programme and throws up the unfamiliar with the better known. Novacek has [...]
