Viktor Wife

Vienna 1932. One evening Sigmund Freud finds a new patient on his couch. A mysterious Count, burdened by the weight his great existential secret, haunted by the death of a lover 500 years in the past and tired of his eternally long life with his wife.

There were scads of Whispers compilations prior to the 2003 release of Anthology, but the only domestic title that was as extensive as this one at two discs was 1994's "30th Anniversary Anthology". While that one covers such an extended span of the group's career, this one narrows its scope and focuses on the '70s/'80s Solar era, while tossing in a few highlights from the early to mid-'90s. This is a good package for those who want to get a little deeper into the era of the group who produced "Rock Steady," "And the Beat Goes On," "In the Raw," "Keep on Lovin' Me," "Let's Go All the Way," and "Make It With You." Those who want to get a perspective on the group's entire career should look elsewhere.

The very first complete recording of Viktor Kalabis's piano works, as well as the album of his three sonatas (SU 4210-2, Supraphon 2018) have come to fruition upon the initiative and owing to the relentless enthusiasm of the world-renowned harpsichordist Zuzana Růžičková, the composer's wife and a keen promoter of his oeuvre. Of major importance was the selection of the pianist - one possessing superlative technical skills and having a profound understanding of the structure of Kalabis's music. As Ivo Kahánek put it: "Kalabis was one of the composers who don't restrict their ideas by the traditional laws of the piano technique, hence his music is now and then extremely difficult to perform."

The very first complete recording of Viktor Kalabis's piano works, as well as the album of his three sonatas (SU 4210-2, Supraphon 2018) have come to fruition upon the initiative and owing to the relentless enthusiasm of the world-renowned harpsichordist Zuzana Růžičková, the composer's wife and a keen promoter of his oeuvre. Of major importance was the selection of the pianist - one possessing superlative technical skills and having a profound understanding of the structure of Kalabis's music. As Ivo Kahánek put it: "Kalabis was one of the composers who don't restrict their ideas by the traditional laws of the piano technique, hence his music is now and then extremely difficult to perform." Even though Kalabis drew inspiration from the music of other 20th-century masters, he soon arrived at his own, singular and unique musical idiom, which is already palpable in his early opuses.