Antonin Dvorák, despite being much more comfortable writing for orchestra, did write several attractive, small works for solo piano, including the Humoresque that frequently shows up on classical greatest-hits collections. The piano compositions are not as well known partly because they were generally meant for home use. That's not to say that they are not constructed as well as Dvorák's concert music, just that they are a little less sophisticated. This short disc by
Gena Raps includes his Eight Waltzes, Op. 54, and the Theme and Variations, Op. 36. The Waltzes began as sketches to fulfill a commission for dance music, so it is much easier to imagine these being used for dancing as opposed to
Chopin's waltzes. They are still stylized dances, however, so rather than flowing along smoothly in 3/4 time, Dvorák throws in his favorite Slavonic rhythmic devices and the occasional extra beat.
Raps, even though she plays with enough energy to feel the sway of the music, emphasizes the charm in these. She uses rubato and refinement in her phrasing so that, in a way, these do sound like
Chopin. The Theme and Variations are modeled after Beethoven and would be more of a challenge to an amateur pianist in technique and in expression. Here,
Raps has the same gracefulness as in the Waltzes, even as the variations become more and more Beethoven-like in their changeable moods. She never lets the large finale become grandiose or aggressive. She allows a more gentle nature to speak for the appeal of Dvorák's piano music.