Eduard Spáčil & GranTouch Yamaha | Classical & Jazz Piano Recital CD

Product Information

• Product Type: Audio CD
• Artist: Eduard Spáčil
• Featured Instrument: Yamaha GranTouch GT1 Digital Piano
• Genre: Classical Piano, Jazz Piano
• Total Duration: 67:08
• Release Year: 1998
• Producer: Eduard Spáčil
• Label: MIDI MUSIC STUDIO
• Mastering: Zdeněk Zdeněk
• Design: M. Ježek, R. Spáčil, reklamní agentura Křídla
• Photography: Vladimír Fyman, YAMAHA
• Recording Technology: Digital

Overview

This recording showcases the versatile Czech pianist Eduard Spáčil performing a diverse program of classical masterpieces and contemporary works on the Yamaha GranTouch GT1 digital piano. The album demonstrates both Spáčil's considerable technical skill and musical versatility as well as the capabilities of Yamaha's digital instrument technology. The repertoire spans from baroque works by Bach and Scarlatti through classical compositions by Mozart, romantic pieces by Liszt and Smetana, to 20th century works by Gershwin and contemporary Czech composer Zdeněk Zdeněk. This carefully curated selection highlights Spáčil's artistic range, from his deep understanding of baroque ornamentation to his facility with jazz idioms and modern compositional techniques.

Product Features

• Diverse Repertoire: Spans multiple musical periods from baroque to contemporary jazz-influenced compositions
• Digital Piano Technology: Recorded on the Yamaha GranTouch GT1, showcasing advanced digital piano capabilities
• Artistic Versatility: Demonstrates Spáčil's classical training and jazz sensibilities
• Technical Excellence: Features virtuosic works requiring significant pianistic skill
• Czech Musical Heritage: Includes important Czech compositions by Smetana and contemporary composer Zdeněk Zdeněk
• Sponsored Release: Produced with sponsorship from Yamaha, highlighting their digital piano technology
• Educational Value: Demonstrates the capabilities of modern digital pianos for classical repertoire

Interesting Facts

Eduard Spáčil's Multifaceted Career

Eduard Spáčil, born on July 11, 1950, in Liberec, Czech Republic, has maintained a remarkably diverse musical career. After studying at the Brno Conservatory and the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, where he won second prize in the prestigious Smetana Piano Competition, Spáčil co-founded the Baroque Jazz Quintet in 1975 with clarinetist Jiří Hlaváč. This ensemble performed over 2,000 concerts across Europe, blending classical and jazz idioms. Alongside his performance career, Spáčil taught at the Plzeň Conservatory from 1973-1982 and later returned in 2013 to establish the first electronic keyboard instruments department at a Czech conservatory, pioneering formal education in this field in the Czech Republic.

From Classical to Electronic Music Pioneer

While maintaining his classical piano skills, Spáčil developed a significant interest in electronic and electro-acoustic music during the 1980s. He pursued specialized studies in electronic music in Gera, Germany and Basel, Switzerland, working with composers like L. Voigtländer and G. Bennett. This unusual trajectory for a classically-trained pianist made him an ideal ambassador for Yamaha's digital instruments. From 1990-2000, Spáčil collaborated with Yamaha to promote their digital pianos, and authored several method books including "Hrajeme s Yamahou" (Playing with Yamaha) volumes 1-3 and "Zpíváme s Yamahou" (Singing with Yamaha).

The Yamaha GranTouch Technology

The Yamaha GranTouch GT1 used for this recording represented cutting-edge digital piano technology in the late 1990s. Unlike standard digital keyboards, the GranTouch series featured a real acoustic piano action mechanism combined with digital sound generation, providing pianists with the authentic feel of an acoustic piano while offering the benefits of digital technology such as no tuning requirements, volume control, and various sound options. This recording served as a demonstration that serious classical repertoire could be convincingly performed on high-quality digital instruments, challenging traditional perspectives on digital versus acoustic pianos in professional contexts.

Repertoire as Musical Journey

The program on this CD is carefully structured to showcase both the pianist's and the instrument's versatility, moving chronologically through musical history. Beginning with Bach's Italian Concerto (a keyboard work itself inspired by orchestral concerto forms), through the intricate keyboard writing of Scarlatti, Mozart's operatic variations, Romantic virtuosity from Liszt and Smetana, to Gershwin's jazz-influenced preludes, and finally contemporary works by Zdeněk Zdeněk. This journey illustrates how a single performer and instrument can authentically interpret vastly different musical languages and technical approaches spanning nearly three centuries of keyboard composition.

Track Listing

Johann Sebastian Bach

1. Italian Concerto: I. Allegro (3:31)
2. Italian Concerto: II. Andante (4:43)
3. Italian Concerto: III. Presto (3:28)

Domenico Scarlatti

1. Sonata in G minor (2:47)
2. Sonata in A minor (1:35)
3. Sonata in D minor (4:57)
4. Sonata in A major (2:11)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

1. Variations in G major (K. 455) on a theme by Ch. W. Gluck (13:32)

Ferenc Liszt

1. Concert Etude in D-flat major "Il sospiro" (5:08)

Bedřich Smetana

1. Polka in A minor from Czech Dances (2:35)
2. Slepička (The Little Hen) from Czech Dances (3:13)
3. Concert Etude in C major (5:36)

George Gershwin - Three Preludes

1. Allegro ben ritmato e deciso (1:29)
2. Andante con moto e poco rubato (3:25)
3. Allegro ben ritmato e deciso (1:11)

Zdeněk Zdeněk

1. Pátek v Chebu (Friday in Cheb) (2:52)
2. Introdukce ke skladbě Andén (Introduction to the composition Andén) (1:28)
3. Istrijské prázdniny (Istrian Holidays) (2:14)
4. Valenciano (1:13)

Publishers

Released in 1998 by MIDI MUSIC STUDIO with sponsorship from YAMAHA. Designed by M. Ježek, R. Spáčil, and advertising agency Křídla. Photo credits: Vladimír Fyman, YAMAHA. Mastering by Zdeněk Zdeněk.

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