Following his series of four CDs featuring Smetana piano works (Supraphon SU 3841-44), the ebullient pianist and buttress of the highly acclaimed Smetana Trio, Jitka Čechová, decided to “take up the gauntlet” with a live concert recording, which deprives the performer of the comfort of detailed corrections in the studio.

Owing to their sheer difficulty, Brahms’ and Liszt’s compositions are a great challenge for any renowned pianist. The third (and final) sonata created by the 20-year-old Brahms and the one and only sonata by the 42-yearold Liszt originated in the very same year. Whereas the former met with a significant response, the latter had to struggle for more than half a century to gain a firm foothold in concert programmes. Today, both of the pieces are deservedly ranked among the apexes of Romantic piano music.

In Jitka Čechová’s masterful and inspired interpretation, enhanced by the splendid acoustics of Prague’s Rudolfinum, the recording is a truly fantastic experience.

Recorded live at the Dvořák Hall of the Rudolfinum, Prague, on March 31, 2001 (Brahms) and on March 22, 2008 (Liszt).