JIŘÍ PAZOUR - PRESS AND MEDIA

During my many years as a teacher of musical theory and piano improvision at three university music faculties (Music Faculty and Theatre Faculty of the Janacek Academy of Performing Arts, and the Education Faculty of Masaryk University) and two leading Czech conservatories (Prague, Brno), I have taught a whole constellation of Czech musicians, including some now famous names. From both my teaching experience and especially my own extensive work in piano improvisation I can confirm that Mgr. Jiri Pazour, professor at the Prague conservatory is a real talent in the field of piano improvisation. (...) He has ready powers of musical invention, commensurate erudition and brilliance as a pianist, a capacity for creativity in different musical styles and the other necessary requirements. He is also capable of music improvisation in duet on four-handed piano or on two pianos, as he has shown in public concerts with myself, and of piano improvisations with other musical instruments. (...)

An assessment from PhDr. Arne Linka, CSc., teacher at Janacek Academy in Brno
given on 21st January 1999 for the Hlavka Foundation in Prague

Diabolical Improvisations

The fifty or so satisfied listeners who defied the bad weather and made it to the Evening of Piano Improvisations given by composer and pianist Jiri Pazour in his native town as part of a chamber music concert cycle, will definitely back me up when I say that the performance was unique and excellent. The graduate of composition from the Prague Faculty of Music convinced everyone present of the breadth of his talent. The first half of the programme consisted of prepared and previously thought-out improvisations: the folksong "Ja jsem z Kutne Hory" treated in various different period styles, improvisations on his own themes ("Zima" [Winter] was particularly impressive), and then well-known classics and evergreens in shifted styles. Although already enthusiastic before the interval, it was with a certain element of suspense that the audience greeted the second half of the evening, reserved for their suggestions. The first request was for the song "Ach, ta laska nebeska", which the composer mastered with ease. The Bugatti Step was wonderful, as was the improvisation on Bernstein's "America". Someone made a non-musical request, asking for a prelude on the theme of "Reflections on Serious Illness". Then came the really hard nuts to crack, like "Please play the Tchaikovsky B Flat Minor Concerto, but in C Major!", "Please play the national anthem but in a minor key!", or "Please give us the aria "Little Moon in the Sky" deep like a tango!". Keys flowed up and down with ease, thick chords alternated with the fine web of a translucent melodic line, a well-known melody would suddenly be backed by an unexpectedly different and refined harmony, there were flashes of wit and humour, and the audience were literally captivated by the imaginative power and technique of the pianist. Some requests could not be granted simply because the composer did not know the piece or song in question, and in these cases he apologised to the public beforehand. The climax of the evening was a combination of Mozart's Turkish March and Donkey Serenade, and the very well-known Espana by E. Chabrier. The performer's unaffected accompanying commentary was also a pleasure. This was an evening to be remembered for a long time.

Anna Urbancová
Zatecke noviny [Zatec News], 25th February 1999

Jiří Pazour - Blansko

Blansko, 18.9.2009