…Giorgio Koukl—with his clear commitment to the music he plays that is evident throughout (as always!)—has once again opened our ears to one more hitherto neglected composer. As a result of this disc and with more to come, Harsányi will emerge from obscurity into the light of deserved recognition; if Koukl has anything to do with it that is a forgone conclusion!
Pianist Koukl is an excellent advocate for this pleasant dalliance, and his Steinway D has been treated with respect by the engineers.
Giorgio Koukl plays it with sympathy and if anyone can help it achieve the recognition it deserves, it is he.
The intrepid Czech pianist Giorgio Koukl, who in my view is one of the five or six greatest living pianists today, has spent most of the latter years of his career playing neglected works by composers who worked in France during the 1920s and ’30s.
Diapason d’or Vif, plein de fantasie, le jeu de Koukl met en valeur toute la singularité de la musique.
His [Giorgio Koukl] technique is so pristine that a listener quickly takes it for granted, and after hearing him, what one remembers most of all is his sheer musicality! His sense of touch, articulation, phrasing, and use of tone colors and vast contrast in dynamics are remarkable.
Imagining a better advocate for the piano music of Le Flem is impossible. It brings a great benefit to listen how Giorgio Koukl captures the music of this French composer. …the pianist generates a stupendous and delicate feeling for the shimmering nuances…
Once again with Koukl, you almost feel as if the composer is communicating directly with you, that there is no middle man (or woman) playing the instrument. It’s a hard thing to put into words, but I always feel this way when listening to Koukl’s playing. He always seems to be the conduit for the composer’s thoughts and feelings, seldom the “interpreter” in the conventional sense of the term. That is a high compliment.
…blessed hands…the best possible advocate for the exciting sound travel into the inner world of piano…
An exciting composer, exciting repertoire, marvellously performed. Recording, layout and packaging are equally flawless. What can one other say than: Recommended.
Giorgio Koukl unites the meticulosity of a researcher and the prophetic fervor by his visionary and glowing interpretation
Buoyant and exuberant performances…Koukl receives splendid support [from the orchestra] under Arthur Fagen and Naxos’s sound is first rate, clear and bright with the right balance between soloist and orchestra. Warmly recommended.
Taking us through this musical journey Giorgio Koukl has demonstrated his prowess as a pianist from the most demanding pieces to the most delicately tiny fragment. He also brings with him a total commitment to the project, together with obvious love for the music and determination to propagate new audiences. I have been privileged to see this journey through from beginning to end and have learned so much including discovering Tcherepnin’s four symphonies and six piano concertos. As I said at the start I feel somewhat bereft now it is over but I shall be revisiting this wondrous music often.
Giorgio Koukl, a Czech expatriate living in Switzerland, already recorded Martinů’s solo piano music for Naxos. He’s enormously impressive here.