Kabelác, Miloslav - Little Suite for Piano Duet Op. 42

Miloslav Kabelác (1908-1979), one of the most important Czech composers of the 20th century, repeatedly devoted himself to works for children and young people. He wrote a series of vocal and piano pieces for them, which gave him great pleasure. As a small relief from the work on his Fifth Symphony (“Drammatica”) op. 41, he composed the five-movement “Little Suite” for piano four hands op. 42 and completed it in 1960.

In contrast to Kabelác's “Easy Preludes” for piano beginners op. 26, the “Little Suite” for four hands requires somewhat more advanced players. Karel Šrom, a great authority on Kabelác's oeuvre, wrote about the approximately 10-minute work: “… Kabelác created an intriguing and jocular gem of a work that will please players and listeners alike. Kabelác’s expression here is lucid, buoyant, unburdened yet inventive in all aspects. … The balance of form and mood is ideal throughout the work (of the five movements, the odd ones are fast, the even ones slow). The suite is quite simply a delightful miniature of a true master.”

The printed edition was issued in 1962 by the pianist and wife of the composer, Berta Kabelácová-Rixová, and is now reprinted here (2024).