Album

The husband and wife duo made up of cellist Adam Mital and pianist Olimpia Tolan take listeners on a tour of central Europe with their selection of works by Schubert, Dvorák, Janácek, Martinu, and Bartók. Clearly, Schubert is the outlier here both stylistically and temporally. But the Viennese master's Arpeggione Sonata results in one of the strongest performances on an already well-played album. Mital's sound is clear and penetrating, particularly on the A-string. His almost electric use of vibrato does not sound out of place here; instead, it is used to great effect as an ornament and a tool to emphasize high points in phrases and changes in harmony. This same clarity of tone and vibrancy of execution is brought to Dvorák's Silent Woods and Rondo, as well as Janácek's Pohádka and Presto. In these latter two works, Mital's sound occasionally comes across as a bit nasal and diffuse lower in his instrument's range, but this is not a significant detractor. Mital and Tolan hit their stride once again with Martinu's Variations on a Slovak Theme and Bartók's Romanian Folk Dances. The rhythmic complexity employed by these two composers is brought to life with vehemence and intensity by both Mital and Tolan. The two play together as a seamless, homogenous unit. Balance appropriately favors the cello without completely subverting the piano.

© Mike D. Brownell, Rovi

CD 1
Franz Peter Schubert Composer Sonata for Arpeggione (or Cello) and Piano, D.821 Work 24:56 Olimpia Tolan Piano, Adam Mital Cello
1	1.Allegro moderato	11:27			$1.99
2	2.Adagio	4:37			$0.99
3	3.Allegretto	8:52			$1.49
Antonín (Leopold) Dvořák Composer Silent Woods, for cello and orchestra (arr. of 'From the Bohemian Forest', B.133), B.182, Op.68, No.5 Work Olimpia Tolan Piano, Adam Mital Cello
4	Silent Woods, for cello and orchestra (arr. of 'From the Bohemian Forest', B.133), B.182, Op.68, No.5 (arr. cello and piano)	5:10			$0.99
Antonín (Leopold) Dvořák Composer Rondo in G-, for cello and orchestra, Op.94 Work Olimpia Tolan Piano, Adam Mital Cello
5	Rondo in G-, for cello and orchestra, Op.94	7:01			$1.49
Leoš Janáček Composer Pohádka (Fairy Tale; 'The Story of Tsar Berendyey'), for cello and piano, JW 7/5 Work 11:46 Olimpia Tolan Piano, Adam Mital Cello
6	1.Con moto. Andante	5:23			$0.99
7	2.Con moto. Adagio	3:55			$0.99
8	3.Allegro	2:28			$0.99
Leoš Janáček Composer Presto for Cello and Piano, JW 7/6 Work Olimpia Tolan Piano, Adam Mital Cello
9	Presto for Cello and Piano, JW 7/6	2:31			$0.99
Bohuslav Martinů Composer Variations on a Slovak Folksong, for cello and piano, H.378 Work 9:07 Olimpia Tolan Piano, Adam Mital Cello
10	1.Theme. Poco andante, rubato	1:27			$0.99
11	2.Variation 1: Moderato	1:05			$0.99
12	3.Variation 2: Poco allegro	1:16			$0.99
13	4.Variation 3: Moderato	1:50			$0.99
14	5.Variation 4: Scherzo. Allegretto	2:07			$0.99
15	6.Variation 5: Allegro	1:22			$0.99
Béla Bartók Composer Román népi táncok (6 Romanian Folk Dances), BB68, Sz.56 Work 5:36 Olimpia Tolan Piano, Adam Mital Cello
16	1.Stick Dance	1:08			$0.99
17	2.Sash Dance	0:29			$0.99
18	3.In One Spot	1:05			$0.99
19	4.Dance of Buchum (Hornpipe Dance)	1:17			$0.99
20	5.Romanian Polka	0:34			$0.99
21	6.Fast Dance	1:03			$0.99