Most of the short cycles featured on the first volume in Naxos' complete Martinu piano music survey represent the composer's early style, where French effervescence, the Czech speech patterns of Janácek, and American jazz idioms delightfully collide. They're also pianistically effective and deserve more serious attention among young pianists looking to build interesting programs. Like his one-time teacher Rudolf Firkusny, pianist Giorgio Koukl always channels his considerable technique toward putting Martinu's message first. For example, a greenhorn virtuoso might easily be tempted to make the churning textures and motoric drive characterizing the Allegro vivo third movement of the Esquisses de Danses into a flashy toccata. However, Koukl's steady moderation allows the melodies to truly sing--and even dance. His supple and debonair performances of the eight jazz-inspired Preludes favorably compare to Emil Leichner's relatively drier, leaner ones on Supraphon. Perhaps Leichner imbues Window on the Garden's more lyrical moments with a little more breathing room and tender inflection, but there's much to be said for Koukl's warmer, more colorful sonority, with upgraded sonics to match. Needless to say, I look forward to further volumes.

--Jed Distler