VILÉM VLČEK

This double album of Bohuslav Martinů’s complete works for cello and piano is a special musical statement celebrating one of the most important Czech composers of the 20th century. The recording was made jointly by cellist Vilém Vlček and pianist Denis Linnik and has been awarded Recording of the Month in the August issue of the Gramophone magazine. We spoke with Vilém Vlček just before the album’s release.

Bohuslav Martinů is often seen as a composer with a deep relationship with the Czech musical tradition. How did you perceive his music while working on this recording, and what was it about his compositions that spoke to you the most?

Martinů is a composer with an unusually broad scope; his compositions are incredibly diverse, and this is beautifully reflected concretely in his music for cello and piano. Personally, I am most fascinated by how he can always find a unique perspective on an aspect that I have already seen and heard many times.

The album was made at the Academy of Music in Basel, not far from where Martinů spent the last years of his life. How did the location affect you, and could it have contributed to a more authentic interpretation when making the recording?

I couldn’t say because I spent my whole musical “adolescence” in Basel, so it is difficult for me to disconnect my musical identity from this part of Europe. Anyway, what resonates with me here, and I assume with Martinů as well, is the unique combination of stability and freedom. Time goes by, but not at a breakneck pace, and there is plenty of stimulation and inspiration, but not so much that I feel sated. From my point of view, the conditions are ideal for creative work and experimentation.

Martinů composed many works for the important cellists of his day. Do you personally take inspiration from the style or interpretations any of those musicians? Do you feel that you are continuing a particular line of musical tradition?

That’s a terribly interesting question, and I’ve given that a lot of thought in a broader context recently! The cellists I personally feel to be my “forefathers” are Boris Pergamenschikow and Saša Večtomov. From among the cellist who were in close contact with Martinů or who are associated with his music, I would highlight Pierre Fournier.

Your recording includes both the lighter pieces by Martinů from his Parisian period and more serious sonatas from later years. How did you approach interpreting these varied parts of his oeuvre? Was that a special challenge for you as a cellist?

It was a great challenge for me as a musician. What was really important to us was for each little piece, each movement of a sonata, every variation to be truly alive. For it not to be an intellectual struggle with a lengthy programme, but instead for something organic to arise from the recording. To achieve that, we first had to find out how each composition breathes, works, what its characteristics are, and what role it plays in the whole context. It really took a lot of effort, but it was worth it.

What attracts you the most to Martinů’s music, and what kind of emotional experience would you like to pass on to listeners through this recording?

Joy, curiosity, and fascination with life. Martinů managed to capture life in all of its forms, emotional states, and contexts, and I feel that through the time I have spent on this project, I have experienced more aspects of human existence I did not know about before.

How did you meet the pianist Denis Linnik? And how was it working together with him?

Wonderful! I was overjoyed when he said he would like to do this project with me. And now that it’s all behind us, I’m even happier that I was able to make the recording with him. The first time I heard Denis play was at a concert in Basel in the autumn of 2020, and it was clear to me that he is a musician I could learn a lot from and with whom it would be a joy to share music. We played our first concert together a year later, and we have been playing together regularly ever since. I feel it is easier to describe people that one does not know all that well because the moment you get to know someone more in depth, all the personal contradictions that we all have within us prevent describing anyone briefly. What is clear to me, however, is that Denis is a wonderful pianist and a musician of extraordinary warmth and sincerity. But perhaps it would be better for you to listen to him on our recording than for me to try to describe him in words.