Despite her tragically brief life, Vítězslava Kaprálová (1915-1940) is now considered the most important female Czech composer of the 20th century, her prolific output abundant with fresh and bold ideas, passion, tenderness and youthful energy. This in-depth exploration, representing some of the very best of her music, includes early gems such as the April Preludes, the exquisite and sophisticated Variations, the remarkable Sonata appassionata and her final Dance for piano, reconstructed by Giorgio Koukl from its only surviving sketch.

Giorgio Koukl is a pianist/harpsichordist and composer. He studied in Prague at the state music school and conservatory before continuing his studies at both the conservatories of Zurich and Milan, where he took part in the masterclasses of Nikita Magalov, Jacques Février, and Stanislaus Neuhaus, and with Rudolf Firkušný, friend and advocate of Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů. It was through Firkušný that Koukl first encountered Martinů’s music, eventually becoming one of the world’s leading interpreters of Martinů’s piano music. As a logical continuation of this work, Koukl has recorded the complete solo piano works of Paul Le Flem, a Breton composer who belonged to the Parisian circle of Martinů, Tcherepnin and Tansman, of Arthur Lourié, an important member of the ‘silver age’ group of Russian composers, and of Vítězslava Kaprálová.