Adam Skoumal

S. Rachmaninov: Concerto/min No. 3 D minor, op. 30
J. S. Bach/F. Busoni: Co/minncerto D minor, BWV 1052
Bach/Rachmaninov: Suite from the Partita E Major for violin, BWV 1006

Adam Skoumal – piano
Prague Symphony Orchestra FOK
Prague Symphony Chamber Orchestra
Leoš Svárovský – conductor
Jiří Štilec – producent
ArcoDiva
Prague 2002

For his new CD, Adam Skoumal has chosen a group of compositions that are remarkably interrelated. The Piano Concerto 3 is accompanied by two Bach works, both of which were transcribed later. (the piano score /minof the D minor Concerto interpreted anew by Busoni; the piano transcription of three movements of the Suite in E major for violin made by Rachmaninoff.) The opening composition is Rachmaninoff's Third Piano Concerto, one of the most demanding works in piano literature. Many a time, you get the impression that this work cannot be played with only ten fingers. However, Adam Skoumal's technique is so excellent that his utterly natural rendition of this concerto sounds as though there were no obstacles to overcome at all. Rather than noticing the technical difficulties inherent in this work, it is to the lightness, the freshness, the swift-flowing tempo, the astonishing poetry in lyrical passages and the infallible feeling for gradations in dramatic passages that our attention is drawn. In his rendering of Bach, we enjoy the vibrancy, the perfect rhythm and, most of all, the impressive combination of superb non-legato technique and romantic pedaling. Indeed, the present does not favor romantic transcriptions of Bach. However, Adam Skoumal is able to blend his baroque-romantic cocktail with such sensitivity that the individual ingredients keep their own taste, and, at the same time, as a mixture, they create a new, unexpectedly impressive quality. We should not overlook Skoumal's text in the booklet, which is scholarly – yet readable and lively, and that's, by the way, what we wish to see in all recordings. Both orchestras under the conduction of Leoš Svárovský did a superb job in the two piano concertos.
Věroslav Němec, „Harmonia”, December 2003

Petr Jiříkovský, Michal Rezek, Jana Macharáčková, Hanuš Bartoň, Adam Skoumal, Daniel Wiesner, Jaromír Klepáč, Aleš Bárta

Bedřich Smetana

Šimon Matoušek – Studio MATOUŠ
15th May 1998, Prague Spring live

Robert Schumann

Toccata C Major op. 7
Allegr/mino B flat minor op. 8
Etudes de Concert d’apr`es des Caprises de Paganini op. 10
Carnaval op. 9
Adam Skoumal – piano
Studio Matouš
Prague 1997

This recording of Schumann's Carnaval as performed by Adam Skoumal is a real find, a pure miracle. Our comparative discography from no. 55 declared the beautiful Cécile Licad's interpretation of this work (Sony) as the best. It reproduces very precisely the atmosphere of each piece in its entirety, namely through a sombre and melodious performance. In Adam Skoumal's interpretation, every note is characteristic, each one carrying some mean/mining, becoming expressive, each hiding a sigh or a smile, lament or ecstasy, lassitude or the experienced ardour. Skoumal's Chiarina is symbolic in this sense. Where Licad and Arrau are tediously enthusiastic and cautious, Skoumal is sometimes intoxicating and sensual, and then intimate and wistful again before he shifts into a feverish explosion. He squeezes an unusual variety of moods in/minto a few minutes, he dares to change the tempo madly, to slow down ecstatically. Skoumal is led by a convincing zeal and inspiration. It seems to me that he takes advantage of certain indications in Clara Schumann's editions all the way to the very edge; it is necessary to hear the fabulous Valse Noble, full of romanticism and coquetry, in whose intermezzo Skoumal demonstrates to us countersubjects never heard before him – in the pure beauty of refinement and grace! And this Chopin drunk with love, brilliantly phrased, almost sculpted, nobly sings out all the resting episodes. Toccata Op. 7, in which so many pianists show only a futile exercise of virtuosity, didactic, laboured and tedious, reveals to us another facet of Skoumal's art. His Toccata is suddenly light, fantastic, frolicsome, poetic, entertaining, carefree, dazzling. Is it possible that this keyboard poet has transformed into a transcendental virtuoso? He leaves us all the liberty to be able to admire in them the rare plastic beauty of the performance, perfection of phrases and legatos, mastery of inflexions, fullness of the rounded and warm resonance. I dare to declare that we have discovered a great pianist here.
Philippe van den Bosch, Repertoire 2000

Adam Skoumal, Prague Wind Quintet

Antonín Rejcha – Chamber Music

Adam Skoumal – piano
Prague Wind Quintet
Šimon Matoušek – Studio MATOUŠ
1995

Milada Čechalová, Stanislav Předota, Adam Skoumal

Antonín Dvořák

Milada Čechalová – soprano
Stanislav Předota – tenor
Adam Skoumal – piano
Šimon Matoušek – Studio MATOUŠ
1995

Eva Štruplová, Stanislav Předota, Adam Skoumal

Leoš Janáček

Eva Štruplová – soprano
Stanislav Předota – tenor
Adam Skoumal – piano
Šimon Matoušek – Studio MATOUŠ
1994