Bohuslav Martinu composed a great deal of piano music, mostly shorter works, and any prospective performer has a lot of sorting to do to come up with a suitable program. Martinu’s major works never have been in doubt, however. They are the imaginatively lyrical Sonata, and the explosive and passionate Fantasie and toccata–music of tragic intensity hidden behind generic titles. Both works were written for and recorded by the late Rudolf Firkušný, and while Eleonora Bekova might not play with quite the same lightness of touch and authority, she comes close enough to silence most criticism. The shorter works are well chosen to set off the main attractions, and Chandos offers an excellent sonic framework in which to enjoy this still too little-known music.
