A finalist in the 1974 Tchaikovsky Competition, the violinist Cenek Pavlic remains an obscure figure here in the West, and one hopes that recent political developments may help to bring him before a wider audience. On listening to him, it becomes immediately evident that he is a fine player, whose ripe, vocal tone puts one in mind of his more senior countryman, Josef Suk. This recital disc of romantic virtuoso pieces also reveals that Pavlic's artistry is cultured and affable, lending a welcome human face to this well-worn repertoire!
To dispense with the only intractable reading at the outset, Pavlic and the Dvorak Chamber Orchestra are mannered and self-conscious in the Chausson Poeme. Although thoroughly efficient, the playing reveals little sympathy with the introspective character of the work, and the solo trumpet's statement of the central motif towards the end is simply artless in its contemptuous delivery. That said, the other performances are uniformly excellent, and it is good to find Sarasate's beguiling Andalusian Romance included, as well as the popular Zigeunerweisen. Both are very well played, with a strong feeling for nationalistic coloration.
Another welcome inclusion is Kreisler's arrangement of Rimsky-Korsakov's Fantasy on Two Russian Themes, seldom played, let alone recorded today. Pavlic capitalizes on Rimsky's effective solo writing, skilfully avoiding any vulgar affectation. As is often the case, Kreisler's additions to the solo part reflect his own performing style. Frequently these do not fare well in the hands of those players who strive to mimic his playing, and so it is refreshing to note that Pavlic simply gives us the music! The happy times spent by Tchaikovsky at Brailov, the country estate of Mme von Meck, are recalled in his Melodie, the Souvenir d'un lieu cher. The heart-felt account of this charming miniature admirably conveys its mood of grateful nostalgia.
Although the Havanaise is less familiar than Saint-Saens's Introduction and Rondo capriccioso it is equally effective as a vehicle for violinistic display, although some may find Pavlic a little too conservative in these works. Even so, his playing has all the requisite spontaneity and excitement that the work demands. Vladimir Valek and the Dvorak Chamber Orchestra provide sympathetic accompaniments, while the recording clearly benefits from the plushy ambience of the Dvorak Concert Hall in Prague's House of Artists. Supraphon should certainly let us hear more of Pavlic, although preferably in more substantial repertoire than this.'