Twilight Way
Toying
In the Old Castle
Spring Song
Peasant's Ballad
Sorrowful Reverie
Furiant
Goblins' Dance
Serenade
Bacchanalia
Tittle-Tattle
At a Hero's Grave
On the Holy Mountain

Had I known that Antonin Dvorák (1841-1904) had written such picturesque music for the piano I would have paid attention much sooner. But with my listening focused on so many other things and the fact that recordings of his piano music are few and far between, it just flew under my radar. "I have to say I think this is the great forgotten cycle of the 19th century piano music" states Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes. These miniature tone poems readily bring to mind Edvard Grieg's Lyric Pieces and/or Schumann's Kinderszenen.

Leif Ove Andsnes masterfully brings out each one's expressive character and descriptive narrative. In the Old Castle's mysteriously stoic nature, or the Bohemian flavor of Peasant's Ballad, or the whimsical spirit of the Goblins' Dance. Andsnes very well captures and imparts the essence at the heart of each piece, which makes for a highly cohesive cycle and a pleasurable listening experience from start to finish. Some, like the Bacchanalia even impress by the technical demands they impose on the pianist.

As far as I'm concerned, I much prefer to see musicians and record labels focusing more effort on neglected and rarely heard material like this, than releasing yet another recording of Debussy's Clair de Lune or another set of Mozart's Piano Sonatas. I'm sure there is still an abundance of great music out there yet to be rescued from the jaws of oblivion, or at least salvaged and given its day in a recording studio. Now I actually feel like acquiring the printed score so I can play some of these myself.