Important Announcement
Mood:  celebratory
Now Playing: Janacek

"All thoughts, all passions, all delights Whatever stirs this mortal frame All are but ministers of Love And feed His sacred flame." (Samuel Taylor Coleridge)

 

Duo Skarka-Pohl proudly announces: 

With the main purpose to contribute to the cultural exchange between the Czech Republic and Mexico, and in order to help to the international promotion of Czech and Mexican young high quality musicians, it was created the “Composition award Janacek Revueltas” as the result of the addition of the efforts of the Centro de Investigación y Estudios de la Música CIEM (Mexico City), the Duo Skarka – Pohl (Czech Republic), and the CIEM’s Ex alumni Network.

On its first edition 2008, the competition is open to all the student community of the Centro de Investigación y Estudios de la Música who would be cursing the undergraduate level of the Licentiate in Music Composition.

An event of this importance could not miss the presence of high quality and professionally experienced performers as the Duo Skarka – Pohl, which will be proudly representing to the Czech Republic in the Latin American musical scene.

The addition of the young musical talent of our nations, and a production management integrated by experienced personalities of the artistic media of both countries, plus the fresh music - management vision of the young people working in this competition, are turning to the “First composition award Janacek - Revueltas 2008” in an excellent chance to show off the high quality of the performing arts existing in Mexico and the Czech Republic.

Exciting News
Mood:  energetic
Now Playing: Janacek: On an Overgrown Path

"Sex is one of the nine reasons for reincarnation. The other eight are unimportant." (Henry Miller)

Dear friends and fans,

I  would like to let you know how much I appreciate your interests and I hope I didn´t forget to reply on any message you sent me, either via e-mail, guestbook, MySpace or Facebook. I am really glad that you are supporting my artistic work for you all are the reason why I am devoting my days to the services of the musical art.

There was a lot happening around me recently. First, we had a wonderful concert in Klimkovice, with Jana and Mario. To see pictures from the event, please, visit the following link (you shall need to have Adobe Flash installed first).

http://www1.osu.cz/~mholesi1/Fotodokument/2008-02-10_Klimkovice/

Just some samples for those who couldn't access the page:

 

 

 

 

 

I also had appeared on stage with a superb Czech soprano Lenka Zaricka and was invited to record with Ondrej Koplik, experienced Czech tenor. We will do couple of projects together with Jan Stava as well, hopefully soon. My list of collaborators will include also very gifted mezzo Petra Hlavackova.

Well, and what more? The most important thing is of course the Mexico Project. We had a gathering of the production staff in Prague and everything seems developing very nicely, so I start to believe we can do it as we planned.

We also finally recorded our profile CD with Josef. Hope that it is going to be released soon. Please, for information about project and CD, visit our official pages at www.skarka-pohl.com

Wish you a nice weekend and see you soon,

Sincerely yours Richard. 

Richard Pohl in Concert
Mood:  lazy
Now Playing: Resting before a flood of work

"What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from." (Thomas Stearns Eliott)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Richard Pohl is going to step on concert road with a couple of singers soon. Here is a list of his musical partners for upcoming touring:

Josef Skarka, bass (www.josefskarka.com)

(Duo Skarka-Pohl shall record their first CD next month, more info soon) 

Mario Zhang, tenor (http://www.last.fm/music/Mario+Zhang)

Jana Dolezilkova, soprano (www.janadolezilkova.com)

Eliska Weissova, mezzo-soprano (http://www.last.fm/music/Eliska+Weissova)

Lenka Zaricka, soprano (http://www.last.fm/music/Lenka+Zaricka)

Marta Reichelova, soprano

Jan Stava, bass (http://www.last.fm/music/Jan+Stava)

Jaroslav Dvorsky, tenor (http://www.last.fm/music/Jaroslav+Dvorsky)

Petr Volny, tenor

There are also other ongoing projects, all the information should be post here soon.

Christmas Reflections
Mood:  rushed
Now Playing: Plenty and plenty of music

"Love is a friendship set to music." (E. Joseph Kossman)

Recent tour was very succesful, according to press and audience responses. Highlights included performances in Jesenik and Prague featuring excellent soprano Jana Dolezilkova and world-class tenor Mario Zhang. Richard also appeared in Mozart´s Concerto accompanied by Sinfonia Chamber Orchestra. The performed pieces included also world premiere of medley-arrangement of Czech carols by Mexican composer Omar Rojas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Listen to Mozart on Last.fm:

 

http://www.last.fm/music/Richard+Pohl/Mozart%3A+Concerto+in+E+flat+major+KV449+-+Andantino

There was also performance of Duo Skarka-Pohl in Prague' s festival Trideni plus. Listen to the piece by Kopecky on Last.fm:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.last.fm/music/Duo+Skarka-Pohl/Dream+%28live+in+Prague%29

 

 

 

 

 

Richard also performed with magnificient mezzo-soprano Eliska Weissova, soloist in National Theatres of Prague and Pilsen. The recital consisted of demanding repertoire and was greatly received.

Buy a new recording by Duo Skarka-Pohl - Jubilee Recital
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Opera and JanacekA's Our Evenings

"Sex without love is a meaningless experience, but as far as meaningless experiences go its pretty damn good." (Woody Allen)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Duo Skarka-Pohl has performed a succesful recital in Modrice´s Town Hall. The recording from that concert was just released and now is available for a bargain price on one of the most known music-download´s service, 7digital. 

Follow the link to get all the charming songs by Dvorak, Janacek or Tchaikovsky:

http://indiestore.7digital.com/skarkapohl

You can also listen to the selected pieces on the Last.fm Broadcast:

http://www.last.fm/music/Duo+Skarka-Pohl/The+Jubilee+Recital

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Duo Skarka-Pohl now prepare more performances, including Prague (23th January) and Jesenik (to be anounced). Of course we will inform you soon about the international project with co-operation of CIEM (Mexican Music University).

Pohl, Reichelova and Volny joined on the stage
Mood:  chillin'
Now Playing: Janacek and Carols
"Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired."

Wish you a Merry Christmas
Mood:  lyrical
Now Playing: Christmas Music

Dear friends,

let me wish you a Merry Christmas, celebrated in peace in the circle of your relatives, your families, partners and all the others, which are particularly close to you; with all those people we often do not take as much care as we want. Some of you may spend your time far away from your home, some of you even in foreing countries, studying, working or on a concert tours - I wish at least you weren´t lonely and hope your path will take you home once again.

And for the upcoming New Year I wish it was full of pleasant, beautiful and inspiring experiences. The most I wish you is a strong health and also enough of enthusiasm, optimism and a sheer joy of life. And if you perhaps experienced some troubles recently, I wish the New Year would bring you more hapiness in return. Well, all of us sometimes feel like being born in an unlucky star... In such moment we should remember there is a plenty of those, who suffer more. Some of them fortunately knows the cure for that. They know we should be able to find beauties in the little things and so we should give it a try as well.

For those, who devote their lives to the service of beautiful music I wish it brought you still more pleasure and fulfillment and I hope you are going to be succesful in the field of art. Just please, don´t be academic, even when you are future Bachelors, Masters or even Doctors ;)

I´d like to finish with a petite quotation by a great artist and a passionated lover of life:

"Love the life and life will love you back." (Arthur Rubinstein)

So let´s try to believe it´s true.

All the best, Merry XMas and Happy New Year :)

Richard Pohl.

Duo Skarka-Pohl to roam the world
Mood:  mischievious
Now Playing: Accompaniments...

"Sir, I admit your general rule,
That every poet is a fool,
But you yourself may serve to show it,
That every fool is not a poet." (Samuel Taylor Coleridge)

Duo Skarka-Pohl was invited to perform at more abroad festivals, highlights included Italy and Mexico. Wish it is going to be fulfilled according to our expectation (last invitation to the Monte Negro failed due to lack of country´s financial support for the event).

We would like to invite all music lovers to our jubilee recital in Brno-Modrice. The program will include our staple horses (Dvorak, Janacek, Cajkovsky) so you can expect enjoyable experience.

Richard Pohl is also going to play few gigs with Jakub Pustina, whom he accompanied at the Antonin Dvorak Competition in Karlsbad last week. Receiving second prize in the Opera level, artist seemed more than satisfied with the result. Next concert is going to take place on Tuesday, 20th Novemeber in Konice.

We all hope to see you in our concerts and wish you all the best.

The Dream comes true
Mood:  lucky
Now Playing: Bach Well-tempered on something well-distuned

"Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies."
(Aristotle)

And in the musical world there is equal relationship between two artists  whose opinions and attitude are like mirror to each other; they both are inspiring each other and thus creates performances which are always better then before.

This is what I allways fell whenever any event with Josef comes out.  As he influenced me, I influenced him, and we both find that beneficial. And now we are more matured, too; maybe the opportunities to perform with other artists made us more sensitive to the way we do things - we already created our specific performing style.

In Prague, 24th September we again gave a recital of songs. This time quite special one - it was based upon an invitation of the Dvorak Society. See the original poster:

So there was Tchaikovsky, Haas, Kopecky and Dvorak. It was real pleasure to be praised by members of the society as a performers overcoming even the legendary reading by Ivan Kusnjer. And Mr. Kopecky, composer of the song Dream, which was performed at his presence was more than satisfied, too. He invited us to show it again during Prague festival Trideni, dedicated to the contemporary music solely.

 

And Mrs. Penkavova from the Essential Club kindly invited us to perform recital of Czech music for them during the next season. For information about the club, see www.essentialclub.cz

I hope our next recital in Brno will be as fulfilling and satisfying performance as this one. Ah, viva la musica!

 

Duo Skarka-Pohl in concert
Mood:  lyrical
Now Playing: Nothing, still...

"The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed." (Carl Gustav Jung)

Well, me and Josef were definitely transformed during the time we were working toghether. Benefities of our mutual enrichment were highly appreciated by both Vlastimil Lejsek (Czech pianist and composer on the picture below) and Antonin Dvorak Society for which we performed our recent Art Song recitals. About the latter I will provide more detailed information later, as well as the pictures from that satisfying Prague performance. Pleased Maestro also asked for some performance of his own ouevre in the future.

Last Pustina Tour unexpectedly succesful and pleasant experience
Mood:  celebratory
Now Playing: Tired of music at least for one evening...

"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.

Duo Skarka-Pohl to Celebrate Lejsek Anniversary
Mood:  energetic
Now Playing: Everything from Beethoven to Lehar

"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.

Pustina Tour Hits The Road Again
Mood:  loud
Now Playing: Don Pasquale

"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.

Richard Pohl joins the MySpace!
Mood:  cheeky
Now Playing: Opera and Musical

"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 ! 

Over and over again
Mood:  caffeinated
Now Playing: Mozart's Concerto in E flat major KV 449

"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.

Some news
Mood:  lucky
Now Playing: Beethoven Moonlight Sonata

"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 

Just to explain the long silence
Mood:  celebratory
Now Playing: Lot of music, as always...

"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.

 

"The average Ph.D. thesis is nothing but a transference of bones from one graveyard to another." (James Frank Dobie)

Bronze Medal from Slovakian Singer Contest !
Mood:  celebratory
Now Playing: Writing diploma thesis

"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. 

Strike on Slovakia starting tommorow!
Mood:  on fire
Now Playing: Janacek and Opera

"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.

It was not just the First of April...
Mood:  happy
Now Playing: Rachmaninov and Opera

"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.