Jean-Philippe Rameau
Suite in G minor

Fryderyk Chopin
Andante spianato et Grande Polonaise brillante, Op. 22

Adam Skoumal
Berceuse

György Ligeti
Études (selection)

Sergei Prokofiev
Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-flat major, Op. 83

Jan Čmejla – piano

Jan Čmejla’s victory at the prestigious International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition in Leipzig in 2025 propelled the young pianist among the leading figures of his generation in Czech performance. For his recital, he has chosen a programme that opens with Jean-Philippe Rameau’s Suite in G minor, originally written for harpsichord and published in the collection Nouvelles Suites de Pièces de Clavecin (1726–1727). Its eight characterful movements captivate with wit, inventiveness, and Baroque elegance.

This is followed by Fryderyk Chopin’s Andante spianato et Grande Polonaise brillante, Op. 22, an effective combination of two originally separate works. The dreamy, lyrical Andante spianato (1834) contrasts with the virtuosic Grande Polonaise brillante (1830–1831), together forming an impressive example of Romantic piano writing.

The second half of the evening turns to music of the 20th and 21st centuries. Contemporary repertoire is represented by Adam Skoumal’s Berceuse (2020), inspired by Chopin’s work of the same name. A selection of György Ligeti’s Études will also be performed, combining modern virtuosity with original compositional thinking. The highlight of the recital is Sergei Prokofiev’s monumental Piano Sonata No. 7 (1942), a work reflecting the dramatic and restless atmosphere of the war years.