András Schiff plays Janáček's Piano Sonata 1.X.1905

On 1 October 1905, during protests in support of a Czech-language university in Brno, Moravia, a worker named František Pavlík was fatally struck by a bayonet. In a country where German culture was imposed by the House of Habsburg, Leoš Janáček—a composer who saw himself as a defender of Czech national culture—was deeply affected by this incident and composed the sonata 1. X. 1905, originally subtitled “From the Street, 1 October 1905”, in honor of the worker.

Originally written in three movements, the sonata’s full form was lost when the composer destroyed the manuscript in a fit of anger. The preservation of the first two movements, “Le Pressentiment” and “La Mort”, was made possible only by the transcription of pianist Ludmila Tučková before their disappearance. Despite the loss of the final movement, the sonata retains its hauntingly evocative power, brought vividly to life here by the masterful touch of virtuoso pianist András Schiff.