Don Satz wrote:

>Concerning Suk, I'd appreciate some feedback on what you think of his music
>and recommended recordings.

I only know a pleasant Piano quartet, opus 1 (1891).  There's some
excellent chamber music by Suk indeed:  Four Pieces for violin and piano,
opus 17 (1900) and the incredible 2nd String quartet, opus 31 (1911), a
giant one-movement quartet (not far from Schoenberg's 1st Quartet) using a
quite modern language.  I support Richard's recommendation for the Violin
Fantasy, opus 24 (1902).  All of these, of course, performed by Josef Suk
(or the Suk quartet), grandson of the composer.  Pesek's recent recording
of the Summer Tale opus 29 (1909) and of the Epilogue opus 37 (1933) is
powerful.  If you do like Smetana and Dvorak, but with a more anxious touch
perhaps (but Smetana's last works also express often a very dark mood),
you'll enjoy Suk.

Simon Corley
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