On 26 September 2025, the Victoria Concert Hall resonated as Czech pianist Matyáš Novák gave a debut recital that was as much a tribute to his culture and heritage as it was a musical journey. Presented as part of the European Sound Concert Series on the Petrof Monsoon concert grand, the programme offered Singapore audiences a vivid encounter with the Czech music tradition through the works of Smetana, Suk, Dvořák, and Janáček.
Novák opened with a selection from Bedřich Smetana’s Czech Dances, setting the tone with a bold, vibrant Furiant that gave way to moments of quaint charm. The Petrof’s resonance added weight and richness even in the upper registers, enhancing the rustic character of the music. In The Little Hen, Novák captured the whimsical scenery of chickens darting about the farmyard before lifting the piece into the exuberant joy of country life. The Lancer followed with lilting elegance, its dappled, sunlit atmosphere handled with balance and poise, like a musical journey through the Czech countryside.
Josef Suk’s Love Song offered a lyrical pause before Dvořák’s Poetic Tone Pictures. Here, Novák’s artistry shone not through elaborate technical display, but through sonic storytelling: Twilight Way unfolded like a time-lapse of the night sky, Spring Song charmed with its sweet, waltz-like character, and The Goblin’s Dance shifted between mischief and shadow. It was music that invited listeners to enter Dvořák’s imaginative world, rather than focus on the pianist himself offering a refreshing concert experience.
The programme deepened with Janáček’s On an Overgrown Path (From the Street), where Presentiment and Death conveyed pensive intensity, with their distinct speech-like inflections. The concert culminated in Novák’s fantasia on themes from Dvořák’s Rusalka and his transcription of Smetana’s Vltava, reimagining two Czech masterpieces for solo piano – a definite highlight of the evening. His encores — Dvořák’s beloved Humoresque No. 7 and a sparkling Furiant — sealed the night with wit and national colour.
The seamless marriage of performance, repertoire, and instrument coming together made the evening a truly unique experience. The Petrof Monsoon grand, with its warm, earthy resonance, became an authentic voice of Czech heritage. In the hands of devoted Czech pianist Matyáš Novák, it transformed the evening into a true cultural tribute. For one night in Singapore, Petrof’s 160-year tradition and Novák’s artistry united to bring the living spirit of Czech music to life.
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