Search - Suk, Fingerhut :: Piano Pieces

Let Margaret Fingerhut introduce you to Josef Suk...

Passionate Music Listener | 06/20/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The first time I heard Suk's "Things Lived and Dreamed" I was captivated. A local classical radio station played the entire piece, as performed by Margaret Fingerhut. I sat in my car for about 20 minutes, very late on a rainy night, in order to hear the piece's gently hypnotic reoccurring themes weave in and out of my consciousness to their ultimate resolution. I couldn't decide who the composer was--I thought I recognized Debussy's wistful melodies and jazzy harmonies, but there were wonderfully repetitive bits reminiscent of Satie, and all was punctuated by a substantial richness often lacking from my favorite French composers.



Naturally, I tried to find a recording, but I couldn't locate the one played by Margaret Fingerhut, and the others paled in comparison. None of the other recordings I found achieved the crucial balance between subtlety and freedom that Ms. Fingerhut's did, seeming like a finely woven tapestry whose bright colors had been washed out by many years in the sun.



The rest of the cd is also quite good, but I obviously bought it for Op. 30.



So, introduce yourself to this oft forgotten piece! And find this recording if you can. It will be worth the trouble!"