Mood:  celebratory

"Clarity of mind means clarity of passion, too; this is why a great and clear mind loves ardently and sees distinctly what it loves." (Blaise Pascal)

Dear friends and fans,

I am terribly sorry for not having enough time to respond to all of your sweet  messages. However, I was more than busy recently, performing on various venues and occasions, including two recitals with Josef Skarka, one little solo performance and a new tour with Jakub Pustina, this time highlighted by special guest star appearance of Rena Fujii, a magnificient Japanese soprano.

Rena Fujii has been gifted with a tremendous voice, rich and vibrant in high register with sweet and light colour, perfectly suited for coloratura and bel canto arias. Her exceptional voice is coupled with demanding and precise sense of perfection, shape od the phrase coupled with unimitable delicacy in detail, spontaneously improvised on the spot. She is already more then experienced artist with appearances on both concert and opera stages in Germany, Austria, Poland or Slovakia, yet she is modest and warm person, and needless to say, a beautiful and charming young lady which is a pleasure to meet. For more information on that young star singer, visit following link:  http://www.last.fm/music/Rena+Fujii

Jakub chose a well-ballanced program for the tour and considering the almost dozen of the concert audiences we met on the road, we must say they responded very warmly to it (there were serious arias by Verdi or Gounod coupled with more popular programme like Lippen Schweigen and Libiamo duets or a smashing rendition of Estuans Interius from Carmina Burana by Jakub). Applause, numerous bows, "bravo" shouting, encores and even standing ovations (Nove Mesto, Humpolec, Bystrice pod Hostynem) speak for themselves.

Enthusiaistic reviews appeared also in the newspapers, including first page on Trebic News as seen on the picture.

The CD from the Tour is to be released in November - you can order it via www.pustinashop.cz It will include selected pieces from the tour as well as other tracks featuring also bass Jan Kucera. Everything, once again, accompanied by Richard Pohl.

Posted by Richard Pohl at 9:41 PM MEST

Updated: Sunday, 27 July 2008 2:19 PM MEST

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Mood:  energetic

"Revolutions are celebrated when they are no longer dangerous." (Pierre Boulez)

Duo Skarka-Pohl is going to pay its hommage to one of the greatest Czech pianists-composers Maestro Vlastimil Lejsek. They were invited to perform special concert for his 80th anniversary.

The event will take place at Lejsek´s private residence at Rejviz.  Both artists will perform the same program scheduled for their recital in Antonin Dvorak´s Museum of Prague in following week.

Posted by Richard Pohl at 5:45 PM MEST

Updated: Sunday, 27 July 2008 2:13 PM MEST

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Mood:  loud

"Music can name the unnamable and communicate the unknowable" (Leonard Bernstein)

Richard Pohl is going to step on the road with Jakub Pustina once again! This tour will be a special one, featuring a magnificient guest star Rena Fujii, a formidable Japanese soprano.

Tour is going to take road round the whole country, including major cities like Prague, Hradec Kralove or Trebic.

For more information, see www.jakubpustina.cz . Hope to see you all on the tour.

Posted by Richard Pohl at 5:30 PM MEST

Updated: Sunday, 27 July 2008 2:13 PM MEST

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Mood:  cheeky

"Now nature is not at variance with art, nor art with nature; they being both the servants of his providence. Art is the perfection of nature. Were the world now as it was the sixth day, there were yet a chaos. Nature hath made one world, and art another. In brief, all things are artificial; for nature is the art of God." (Sir Thomas Browne)

Hello, dear friends and fans! How are you doing all the time? Thank you for your messages, I am trying to reply at all of them as soon as possible and if I did not, it is quite possible I hadn't received the message. Unfortunately, such messages sometimes end up in the spam bin.

I have news for you! I've just joined MySpace, so if you have a MySpace account, don´t forget to leave a message. Would be happy to add you among my friends.

I put here direct links for my MySpace and Youtube accounts:

http://myspace.com/richardpohl

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=pohlpiano

So, see us there soon. Wish you pleasant weekend and listen to the deeps of music ! 

Posted by Richard Pohl at 6:56 AM MEST

Updated: Sunday, 27 July 2008 2:14 PM MEST

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Mood:  caffeinated

"The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age, which means never losing your enthusiasm." (Victor Hugo)

Again writing to the blog just after a whole month of absence. I ought to apologize, but as it happens, there were important duties, even more alert than my musical work. Now it´s over already and I've begun to polish my pieces again. I am going to perform charming concerto by Mozart (KV 449) what makes me the most happy, as you can obviously imagine. Already had first appointment with the conductor, which made the best impression on me.  So hope the collaboration would be a fruitful one. Next performance is scheduled on 8th of December and I am excited about it even now, couple of months before the event.

And as you should know, there is great work in prepare - the concert  tour with Jakub and a recital with Josef. See http://skarka-pohl.tripod.com and www.jakubpustina.cz to find all information.

Wishing all the best to you and thanks heartfully for your kind messages here and on Youtube. Let the music wash your soul ! 

P.S.: Here is my promotion... OK, next one just in two years. I passed through and will continue my studies at the Master degree.

Posted by Richard Pohl at 7:41 PM MEST

Updated: Sunday, 27 July 2008 2:15 PM MEST

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Mood:  lucky

"Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it". (Confucius)

Hello dear friends and fans,

just want to keep you up-to-date with the latest info. I passed to the Master Diploma degree, so I will continue studying at the Academy as I did so far.

Also started to work on new pieces, including Janacek's charming cycle On an Overgrown Path. Hope will post some recordings here soon, it's excellent music, really. And I prepare few concert gigs as well, for example with Josef in Prague (24th September) or new tour with Jakub.

In Jesenik we have wonderful weather, but incredibly hot! Records are falling down one after another rather quickly.

Hope to post some new pics from my promotion soon. Now wish you nice holidays with beatiful music and hope to see you sometimes in a concert hall.

Richard 

Posted by Richard Pohl at 6:04 PM MEST

Updated: Sunday, 27 July 2008 2:16 PM MEST

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Mood:  celebratory

"If you can imagine it,
You can achieve it.
If you can dream it,
You can become it." (William Arthur Ward)

I am sorry for that long silence - was really extremely busy finishing my bachelor studies at the Janacek Academy. Finally I did all the exams (with A marks only) and now prepare for the entry exam for the Master Degree.

It has been really tough work and I would like to rest a little now. Will inform you more also about my future plans and upcoming concert events. I wish you all the best and see you soon.

If you would like to read my bachelor thesis (which received maximum 100 points from the examination commitee), download it here:

http://richard.pohl.tripod.com/id10.html

It's only in Czech however...

Here is English abstract for those who can't enjoy it whole:

Pohl, Richard: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Concerto in D Minor KV 466 and Its Interpretation

 This thesis focuses on the interpretation and analysis of W. A. Mozart’s Piano Concerto in D minor KV 466. The first chapter provides a brief overview of all Mozart’s piano concertos describing their general outline and character. Following chapters deal with the concerto itself from two points of view. The first provides the musical analysis of the form and structure, based on recent research by Robert Levin and Daniel Leeson (Leeson-Levin model). The second is the performer’s view of the Concerto, which focuses on main issues of the interpretation and provides detailed advices on performance of each movement. This includes a detailed discussion on the ornamentation, right tempos, proper articulation, fingering and improvised embellishments. Next chapter contains information on the cadenzas available for the concerto with description of more than dozen cadenzas from various periods of time. It also gives some advice for composing stylish cadenza and reveals previously unpublished information explaining the true origin of the cadenzas by Bedrich Smetana. Concluding chapter deals with various performance topics featuring the improvisation, basso continuo realization or conducting from the keyboard and also offers a brief overview of recommended Urtext editions.

Posted by Richard Pohl at 12:02 PM MEST

Updated: Sunday, 27 July 2008 2:17 PM MEST

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Mood:  celebratory

"Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or precedessors. Try to be better than yourself." (William Faulkner)

Just to tell you the hottest new - we got Third prize at the "Iuventis Canti" - celebrated International Imrich Godin Singer Competition 2007. Competing with Slovaks, Russians or Polish maestros, we were able to obtain a pleasant award in the end.

Although the first round didn't go so well, we improved a lot in the second and was quite near to reach the second or even the first... Anyway, we are glad to receive award from a contest of such level.

Hope to put few pictures from the event soon. 

Posted by Richard Pohl at 9:54 PM MEST

Updated: Sunday, 27 July 2008 2:17 PM MEST

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Mood:  on fire

"Poetry is what gets lost in translation" (Robert Frost)

Right, we just had few nice gigs, playing in Uhersky Brod, for example. This day we will appear once again, in Vlasim and tommorow will finally go to compete in Slovakia (International Imrich Godin Competition). Wish us all the best luck!

I also attended pleasant performance of my friends from the Groovey (Simon and Garfunkel Revival Band). Seems we could play together in the future - let's see... Now I obviously have different and more important tasks.

Hope you like my Youtube videos! If you didn't see them yet, just visit profile of user "pohlpiano". Thanks a lot for your attention, allways with best wishes, Richard.

Posted by Richard Pohl at 9:30 AM MEST

Updated: Sunday, 27 July 2008 2:17 PM MEST

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Mood:  happy

"A little Madness in the spring is wholesome even for the King." (Emily Dickinson)

No, it wasn't a joke, honestly. I did record for the broadcast and it was pretty nice experience, as one could expect. I'd like to thank very much especially Mr. Reznicek for his exceptional contribution for that record as an engineer and to Mr. Hlavac, the producer for signing me. Couldn't be grateful enough, I hope my recording will serve nicely for the classical music archive of the Czech Broadcast.

I already put more pictures online, including those from the Pustina Tour. Would like to put more from recent Parkinson benefit, too. Soon there will be also interesting news about our Duo (with Josef), check about them at our official pages http://skarka-pohl.tripod.com

Also I started upload videos on Youtube. Try to find them in collection of user "pohlpiano" (me, of course).

The spring has come and I have to concentrate on my bachelor thesis... Hope after finishing it I could at least for a while open my eyes and heart to the beauty of the nature again. Wish you all the best and thanks for all your kind messages. See you, R.

Posted by Richard Pohl at 5:30 PM MEST

Updated: Wednesday, 3 October 2007 11:57 AM MEST

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Mood:  bright

"Secret of creativity is to hide your sources." (Albert Einstein)

Dear friends and fans,

I just put some recordings from my recital. Hope you will like them,I put only Chopin Sonata, Janacek Violin Sonata and Mozart Variations. If you are interested in the others, just write me. Find the MP3's in the Multimedia section at http://richard.pohl.tripod.com

Dussek was so interesting for the scouts that they asked me to record it for Czech Broadcast. Quite exciting about that now, wish me great luck. Will do all the sessions on Wednesday.

I hope to upload also more pictures to the gallery soon. I forgot to mention that I already switched to the Tripod Plus service (they finally started to offer 1GB disc space; otherwise I would switch to another host). So I can offer you more multimedia features in the future.

Wish you sunny Sunday, R.

Posted by Richard Pohl at 12:30 PM MEST

Updated: Sunday, 7 October 2007 12:49 PM MEST

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Mood:  celebratory

"Men who for truth and honor's sake
Stand fast and suffer long.
Brave men who work while others sleep,
Who dare while others fly...
They build a nation's pillars deep
And lift them to the sky."  (R. W. Emerson)

So my time came and I did my recital finally... It was just, just a pleasure of music, the feeling of giving and receiving; all that magic energy that kind of concert should cosist of. I would like to enjoy such experience more often, honestly...

Well, to be clear - the first half was a bit nervous and I even did some false notes and such; but the second one lifted everything up and escpecialy Chopin was excellent. Of course Janacek went pretty well, too - so many thanks to Jolana (as well as David, who did great job for me in Mozart). 

I put here some pictures - there shoud be also some videos, maybe I will share it via Youtube again. I hope you noticed there is already once older video clip with me playing Liszt's Etude No. 10. As you know, recordings are available in the Multimedia section.

Oh, I like that times after the concerts.. Will enjoy some rest now, but then will prepare for the concerts with my singers and so. Well, that
s our life and we should be thankful for kepeing all the things how they are.

So have a good time with the best music and see you soon. 

Posted by Richard Pohl at 12:02 PM MEST

Updated: Sunday, 7 October 2007 11:17 AM MEST

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Mood:  incredulous

http://richard.pohl.tripod.com

Everyone is warmly invited to my Bachelor Recital at the Janacek Academy of Music in Brno.

Featuring Jolana Dvorakova (violin) and David Schmied (piano) as the guest artists.

Recital programe:

Mozart: Variations in F major "Salve tu Domine" KV 398, Rondo in A major KV 386, Bach: French Suite in G major BWV 816, Dussek: The Sufferings of the Queen of France op. 23; Chopin: Sonata in b minor op. 58, Janacek: Sonata for violin and piano.

Posted by Richard Pohl at 4:19 PM MEST

Updated: Wednesday, 21 March 2007 12:11 PM MEST

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Mood:  sharp

"The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly."  (Buddha)

So finally we show up! The long-time announced festival becomes reality tommorow. So wish us good luck, attend our concerts and enjoy the music.  I am sure you will since we have great artists and the most charming repertoire.

For more information, please visit www.jakubpustina.cz

I have a good deal of hardworking these days, so I unfortunately don't have time for longer message.  Wish to write more soon, I also plan to publish here a brand-new invitation card for my upcoming recital at the Academy.

Hope to meet you all at the tour!

Posted by Richard Pohl at 12:26 AM CET

Updated: Sunday, 7 October 2007 1:18 PM MEST

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Mood:  lucky

"All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible." (T. E. Lawrence of Arabia)

Yes, dreams sometimes come true. And our dear professor Hnat's dream just became reality - his recordings are finally released. Under license of Supraphon there will be available his millstone reading of Hammerclavier Sonata (still unsurpassed among Czech performances) and more over, there is a brand-new CD with music of Schumann, Brahms and Klusak.

We got together in Prague (his former pupils) to celebrate the releases and give them "baptistic" wishes for their future. Hope they are going to be selling well since they are really ot the highest quality. I plan to make up some kind of advertisement, maybe here or somewhere on the web. If you are interested in those rare discs, just contact me and let me support your order.

I like especially the sound of the new one. It was casted in the St. Lawrence Church of Prague, which I know myself very well as I have had some pleasant playing there recently. But Hammerclavier is a classic, of course.

Now I must take care of progressing on my repertoire, so see you soon. And check out the new Interactive Last.fm Player I did put on the MP3 section. I hope it would make my playing comfortably accesible for you. Thanks for all your nice messages, I appreciate them much.

Posted by Richard Pohl at 10:14 AM CET

Updated: Tuesday, 20 February 2007 12:13 PM CET

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Mood:  rushed

"Art is a jealous mistress, and if a man has a genius for painting, poetry, music, architecture or philosophy, he makes a bad husband and an ill provider." (R. W. Emerson)

Oh, just did a little anniversary celebration and should prepare for another one. We are going to have some meeting with our dear prof. Hnat tommorow in Prague. Looking forward to that since I haven't seen him for ages. Hope he is good health and his concerts are carrying on well.

We did a couple of gigs with Jakub and Lucie performing in Velka Bites and Hranice. There was quite warm audience, I enjoyed that. Now should focus a lot on my chamber music - we received some training on Janacek recently so I hope we can improve on that a lot.

And with Pepa we were invited to perform at the celebration chamber concert at Brno-Modrice Town Hall. Hope it's going to be a highlight of our upcoming concerts.

And I was glad to hear the invitation cards for my Bachelor recitals are set up for the preview. After we discuss it and make final version, will post it here for, certainly.

Posted by Richard Pohl at 10:00 PM CET

Updated: Friday, 9 February 2007 10:14 PM CET

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Mood:  a-ok

"Music is the space between the notes."  (Claude Debussy)

Well, we did it. The sessions went very well, although we experienced few struggles with the technology (as one could expect). Nevertheless, we made up a decent deal of work, making some tracks even on one or two takes. I must honestly thank to the sound engineer which did really serious, highly ranked job with the both mastering and directing our music.

At first we were rehearsing /Sunday afternoon/. We did just a couple of pieces realizing we can go through without problems. Just a pleasure to work with real professionals. The takes themselves took place on Monday in Jamy Studio near Zdar. Then we worked on our tracks, consultation our sound and the performance direction with the engineer. He appeared as true professional suggesting often with the improvement of the strucutural or sound balance and kindly helping the singers with finding precise pitch. We worked with just few little breaks for the whole Monday, finalizing the session around midnight.

But the resulting fruit was quite satisfying. Me and Jakub went on Friday to join the mixing and mastering process (Linda was already back at home to please her Slovakian fans) and listened to the all tracks with grateful feeling of well-done job. We decide to put 16 tracks on CD (Funiculi was discarded since it didn't fit and we were not satisfied enough with that track, feeling her tender mezzo-soprano voice doesn't reach its greatest position among that piece). Anyway, some of the tracks (Valentine, Ouvre ton Coeur, Figaro...) were impressive without any doubts.

The CD will be released before 20th of February to be prepared for selling during the Tour. We will do few gigs even before that, but with different repertoire and another guest. I also will perform more solo pieces and work intensively on preparing my solo recitals.

Posted by Richard Pohl at 7:06 PM CET

Updated: Monday, 18 June 2007 12:08 PM MEST

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Mood:  lyrical

"You are the music while the music lasts." (T.S. Eliot)

Wow! We've got a second Christmas! Actually, almost the first for the first was only a bit of snow... Now we recieved a real bunch. I like it. Reminds me allways Gould and his "Idea of North". Well...

The yeasterday's Mendelssohn concert was just a pleasure. All my friends did a great job, especially I was surprised by the girls; that boys are allways precise I don't need to emphasize at all.  I have worked more on Bach this time, it needs reparations and also did couple of details on my Mozart. Now I switch back to my accompaniments. Wish me a success, we will have reahersals tomorow and all the studio takes on Monday.

And the music is flowing, amazingly blowing; my way...

Posted by Richard Pohl at 1:05 PM CET

Updated: Sunday, 7 October 2007 1:20 PM MEST

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Mood:  happy

"Music is a discipline, and a mistress of order and good manners, she makes the people milder and gentler, more moral and more reasonable." (Martin Luther)

What am I talking about? The concert of the year...? Well, I should call it like this, more over - that was one of the concerts of the lifetime. The Bach's Well-Tempered Piano, musical millstone, central piece of baroque (not only) keyboard art, our Old Testament. And being performed as beautifully as possible, with such sense of clarity and masterfull insight that I was as overwhelmed I barely could speak after the recital. Mr. Jirasky had real success, I guess the best which you could expect for Brno artist in Prague (who's from Brno should now what I mean).

We all had memorable experience and I also received another autograph into my collection from important concerts of my teachers. I guess I could once make a little page here about them to inform the world about their contribution to the world of art.

I will spend two days here in Prague without my piano, but then I should work hard with both my exams and my studio sessions (will take their place next weekend). So - wish me good luck.

Posted by Richard Pohl at 8:05 PM CET

Updated: Saturday, 27 January 2007 2:22 PM CET

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Mood:  lazy

"Early to bed and early to rise makes man healthy, wealthy and wise" (Benjamin Franklin)

I need a rest... EXaminations were EXhausting, fortunately I EXcelled and EXtended my A mark-period... But now being tired enough, I should continue with preparing my repertoire. Next week going to have some studio sessions, so wish me creative mood.

This Saturday will my new professor have a great recital in Prague (at the most important venue of Rudolfinum, in Dvorak Hall)! Whole Bach's Tempered Piano Vol. I... I admire him really, that's what I call an artist. But thank you all who sign my guestbook - you can also comment here or even discuss...

And what more? Not only pleasant things happen... Will attend second funeral in my life just after I attended the first. And such great personalities of art.

But as I believe - Ars longa, vita brevis! So - concentrate on both in order to flourish the both. But at least this day will go sleep sooner, I promise...

Posted by Richard Pohl at 5:17 PM CET

Updated: Saturday, 27 January 2007 2:23 PM CET

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