Discography
Tomas Dratva
Pianist · 1968–2025
Between 1994 and 2021, Tomas Dratva took part – as a soloist and as a chamber musician – in seventeen releases, published by the labels Jecklin, Niklaus Verlag and Oehms Classics and, in his later years, by his own label PIANOVERSAL. His eighteenth recording, Johann Pachelbel’s “Hexachordum Apollinis”, is being released posthumously. This discography brings them all together, in chronological order of release.
Tomas Dratva cultivated a wide-ranging repertoire. Engagement with the music of our time and the search for new discoveries and rediscoveries were guiding imperatives of his artistic work. Some of the recordings are premieres – the piano concerto by János Tamás was heard for the first time after the composer’s death –, others are first recordings, and he discovered Leopold Koželuch’s piano concertos in European music archives and reconstructed them from the historical original manuscripts. The different periods called for engagement not only with the modern grand piano but also with historical instruments. For the Liszt recording of the Années de Pèlerinage, Richard Wagner’s 1876 Steinway in Bayreuth was made available.
Tomas Dratva was a soloist and a chamber musician. With the Trio Animæ, founded in Basel in 1993, he performed for seventeen years in an unchanged line-up – with Jean-Christophe Gawrysiak, violin, and Dieter Hilpert, cello. The Trio Animæ’s studio recordings from 1996 to 2006, originally released on Cascavelle, were reissued on PIANOVERSAL in 2021 as a complete edition in nine volumes and supplemented by one further, final trio recording of previously unreleased pieces.
Details of works, durations and recording dates are taken, where available, from the original booklets of the releases or from the information provided by the respective platform.
Discography as PDF ↓13 pages · 1.3 MB
Contents
The Recordings
1 · 1994 · Contemporary chamber music
Andrea Formenti — Contemporary Music for Alto Saxophone
The earliest recording in which Tomas Dratva took part. The album brings together Swiss and Italian works for saxophone, including premieres of works by Nadir Vassena, John Wolf Brennan and Andreas Pflüger.
Franco Cesarini Aubade
| 1 | I. Contrastes | 3:42 |
| 2 | II. Rêverie | 4:57 |
| 3 | III. Mouvements | 2:36 |
Nadir Vassena Nocturnes
| 4 | No. 1 | 7:15 |
| 5 | No. 2 | 6:37 |
| 6 | No. 3 | 8:08 |
John Wolf Brennan Atanos, Op. 103
| 7 | I. Volcanic Instability | 4:21 |
| 8 | II. Hysterical Waltz | 3:13 |
| 9 | III. Lyrical Cantilena | 4:22 |
Jacques Wildberger Portrait
| 10 | Portrait | 7:47 |
Andreas Pflüger Tra qua e la
| 11 | Tra qua e la | 8:53 |
2 · 2006 · CD edition 2008 · Piano concertos
Leopold Koželuch — Piano Concertos Nos. 1, 4 & 5
World premiere recording of three concertos by Leopold Koželuch, the Bohemian contemporary of Mozart, whose historical original manuscripts Tomas Dratva discovered in Vienna and Paris and reconstructed together with the musicologist Vladimír Godár.
Leopold Koželuch Piano Concerto No. 1 in F major (P IV:1)
| 1 | I. Allegro | 10:26 |
| 2 | II. Adagio | 8:31 |
| 3 | III. Rondo: Allegro | 6:30 |
Leopold Koželuch Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat major (P IV:5)
| 4 | I. Allegro | 11:40 |
| 5 | II. Andante con variazioni | 9:57 |
| 6 | III. Rondeau: Poco presto | 5:53 |
Leopold Koželuch Piano Concerto No. 4 in A major (P IV:4)
| 7 | I. Allegro | 10:59 |
| 8 | II. Andantino | 8:13 |
| 9 | III. Rondeau: Poco presto | 7:40 |
3 · 2006 · Reading with music
Erich Kästner · Pierre Sarbach — Es gibt nichts Gutes, ausser: man tut es!
Lesung mit Musik über das Leben von Erich Kästner
A reading with music about the life of Erich Kästner: prose and poems by Kästner, linked by a biographical sketch by Pierre Sarbach, who also wrote the music. Tomas Dratva plays the piano, and the Zürcher Vokalquartett sings. Recorded in October 2006 at the Radiostudio Zürich; the cover bears the logo of Swiss Radio DRS 2.
4 · 2010 · Piano concerto and solo piano
János Tamás — Piano Concerto · Early Piano Works
Posthumous premiere and first recording of the 1965 Piano Concerto by János Tamás. Also included are the early piano cycles – the fourteen miniatures of “Eisblumen”, a teaching collection distinguished by its delicacy, feeling and tone colour.
János Tamás Piano Concerto (1965)
| 1 | I. Allegro moderato | 4:29 |
| 2 | II. Adagio, molto tranquillo | 8:36 |
| 3 | III. Allegro con fuoco | 7:41 |
János Tamás Lichtspiel (1971)
| 4 | Lichtspiel | 3:54 |
János Tamás 5 Improvisationen
| 5 | No. 1, Largo | 3:16 |
| 6 | No. 2, Sanft bewegt | 2:23 |
| 7 | No. 3, Andante | 2:10 |
| 8 | No. 4, Andantino | 1:43 |
| 9 | No. 5, Allegro ma non troppo e capriccioso | 1:49 |
János Tamás Eisblumen — 14 Miniaturen
| 10 | No. 1, Elegy | 1:07 |
| 11 | No. 2, Meditation | 3:17 |
| 12 | No. 3, Question | 1:14 |
| 13 | No. 4, Lullaby | 1:19 |
| 14 | No. 5, Nocturnal reflections | 1:37 |
| 15 | No. 6, Fog | 1:17 |
| 16 | No. 7, Jangling | 0:27 |
| 17 | No. 8, Departure | 1:02 |
| 18 | No. 9, Solitude | 1:03 |
| 19 | No. 10, Dusk | 1:19 |
| 20 | No. 11, Twilight | 2:31 |
| 21 | No. 12, Foreboding | 1:41 |
| 22 | No. 13, Evening | 0:59 |
| 23 | No. 14, Frost Flowers | 1:42 |
5 · 2011 · Solo piano
Franz Liszt — Années de Pèlerinage — Première Année: Suisse
Recorded on Richard Wagner’s 1876 Steinway grand in Bayreuth. The instrument gives the recording its sound — leaner and with fewer overtones than a modern concert grand.
Franz Liszt Années de Pèlerinage, 1ère année «Suisse», S. 160
| 1 | No. 1, La chapelle de Guillaume Tell | 6:36 |
| 2 | No. 2, Au lac de Wallenstadt | 3:35 |
| 3 | No. 3, Pastorale | 1:47 |
| 4 | No. 4, Au bord d’une source | 4:13 |
| 5 | No. 5, Orage | 4:43 |
| 6 | No. 6, Vallée d’Obermann | 13:55 |
| 7 | No. 7, Eglogue | 4:07 |
| 8 | No. 8, Le mal du pays | 4:45 |
| 9 | No. 9, Les cloches de Genève | 7:01 |
Franz Liszt Années de Pèlerinage, 3ème année, S. 163
| 10 | No. 4, Les jeux d’eau à la Villa d’Este | 8:24 |
6 · 2014 · Contemporary chamber music
János Tamás — Feuerbilder — Chamber Music
Chamber music by János Tamás, recorded by Dratva with long-standing chamber music partners. Both versions of “Poema” are included — the final version and the original version.
János Tamás Chamber music
| 1 | Trio for Clarinet, Horn and Piano | 15:19 |
| 2 | Triofantasie for Clarinet, Horn and Cello | 7:48 |
| 3 | Feuerbilder | 13:06 |
| 4 | Traumquell | 17:36 |
| 5 | Im Garten von Saanen | 8:19 |
| 6 | Poema | 8:08 |
| 7 | Poema (original version) | 5:59 |
7 · 2017 · Solo piano
Leoš Janáček — Piano Music
The first release on the PIANOVERSAL label. Alongside the well-known cycles are seven miniatures from Janáček’s last years, several of them barely a minute long. The Bösendorfer concert grand was provided specially for the recording by the Viennese piano maker.
Leoš Janáček (1854–1928) V mlhách — In the Mists (1912)
| 1 | I. Andante | 3:26 |
| 2 | II. Molto Adagio | 4:22 |
| 3 | III. Andantino | 3:33 |
| 4 | IV. Presto | 4:20 |
Leoš Janáček 1.X.1905 «Sonáta» pro klavír — Sonata for piano
| 5 | I. Předtucha — The Presentiment | 6:16 |
| 6 | II. Smrt — The Death | 8:02 |
Leoš Janáček Po zarostlém chodníčku — On an Overgrown Path (1901–1911), Series I
| 7 | 1. Naše večery — Our Evenings | 3:31 |
| 8 | 2. Lístek odvanutý — A blown-away leaf | 3:14 |
| 9 | 3. Pojďte s námi! — Come with us! | 1:25 |
| 10 | 4. Frýdecká Panna Maria — The Frýdek Madonna | 3:35 |
| 11 | 5. Štěbetaly jak laštovičky — They chattered like swallows | 2:39 |
| 12 | 6. Nelze domluvit! — Words fail! | 2:10 |
| 13 | 7. Dobrou noc! — Good night! | 3:22 |
| 14 | 8. Tak neskonale úzko — Unutterable anguish | 4:16 |
| 15 | 9. V pláči — In tears | 2:02 |
| 16 | 10. Sýček neodletěl! — The barn owl has not flown away! | 4:20 |
Leoš Janáček On an Overgrown Path, Series II
| 17 | 1. Andante | 3:22 |
| 18 | 2. Allegretto | 4:22 |
Leoš Janáček Paralipomena
| 19 | 1. Più mosso | 3:24 |
| 20 | 2. Allegro | 5:51 |
| 21 | 3. Vivo | 2:08 |
Leoš Janáček Late miniatures
| 22 | Vzpomínka — Reminiscence (1928) | 1:28 |
| 23 | Malostranský palác — Palais Malostranský (1927) | 1:01 |
| 24 | Melodie (1923) | 0:44 |
| 25 | Jen slepý osud? — Only blind fate? (1927) | 1:13 |
| 26 | Bez názvu — Untitled | 0:45 |
| 27 | Zlatý kroužek — The Golden Ring (1928) | 0:23 |
| 28 | Ukolébavka — Lullaby (1920) | 1:12 |
| 29 | Narodil se Kristus Pán — Born is Lord Jesus Christ, 24.XII.1909 | 1:09 |
8 · 2019 · Contemporary chamber music
Esther Flückiger — LUMINESCENCE
Chamber and piano music by the Swiss composer Esther Flückiger with changing line-ups. Tomas Dratva plays the five “Klangsymbole” and “Desert in mood” and also takes part in “Vita A”.
Esther Flückiger (*1953) LUMINESCENCE
| 1 | Vita A (2017)Esther Flückiger, hang · Tomas Dratva, piano | 5:55 |
| 2 | Klangsymbol I (2018) – declineTomas Dratva, piano | 2:39 |
| 3 | Guarda i lumi (2017)Jiří Němeček, violin · Ludovic Van Hellemont, piano | 15:26 |
| 4 | Klangsymbol II (2018) – gyratoriumTomas Dratva, piano | 1:44 |
| 5 | In the desert it doesn’t rain (2018)Massimo Mazzoni, saxophone · Esther Flückiger, piano, prepared piano and electronics | 11:36 |
| 6 | Klangsymbol III (2018) – liquidoTomas Dratva, piano | 1:36 |
| 7 | Lume universale nell’aria cadente (2015)Trio Flair — Esther Flückiger, piano and hang · Stefan Läderach, violin · Emanuel Rütsche, cello | 12:59 |
| 8 | Klangsymbol IV (2018) – irrendTomas Dratva, piano | 2:23 |
| 9 | With Bow and Swarm (2017)Esther Flückiger, prepared piano | 4:28 |
| 10 | Klangsymbol V (2018) – contrastarTomas Dratva, piano | 1:31 |
| 11 | Drop I [Drops I–III, 2018]Rose-Marie Soncini, alto flute · Esther Flückiger, piano | 1:26 |
| 12 | Drop II | 0:42 |
| 13 | Drop III | 2:39 |
| 14 | Desert in mood (2009)Tomas Dratva, piano | 5:33 |
Original release
9 · 2021 · Piano trio
Trio Animæ — The Complete Studio Recordings, Vol. 1
Smetana & Dvořák
The opening of the complete edition: two piano trios of Bohemian Romanticism, recorded in Bulle in 1996 — the ensemble’s earliest studio recording.
Bedřich Smetana (1824–1884) Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 15
| 1 | I. Moderato assai | 10:55 |
| 2 | II. Allegro, ma non agitato | 8:22 |
| 3 | III. Finale. Presto | 9:54 |
Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904) Piano Trio No. 2 in G minor, Op. 26
| 4 | I. Allegro moderato | 12:22 |
| 5 | II. Largo | 5:37 |
| 6 | III. Scherzo. Presto | 6:44 |
| 7 | IV. Finale. Allegro non tanto | 7:07 |
Original release
10 · 2021 · Piano trio
Trio Animæ — The Complete Studio Recordings, Vol. 2
Ives & Piazzolla
Ives’s Trio, in which a student prank (“TSIAJ” stands for “This Scherzo Is A Joke”) meets hymn quotations, alongside Piazzolla’s “Four Seasons of Buenos Aires” in José Bragato’s arrangements.
Charles E. Ives (1874–1954) Trio for Violin, Violoncello and Piano (1904–1911; rev. 1915)
| 1 | 1. Moderato | 3:53 |
| 2 | 2. TSIAJ. Presto | 6:22 |
| 3 | 3. Moderato con moto | 10:43 |
Astor Piazzolla (1921–1992) Arranged for piano trio by José Bragato
| 4 | Primavera Porteña | 4:38 |
| 5 | Verano Porteño | 7:14 |
| 6 | Otoño Porteño | 5:54 |
| 7 | Invierno Porteño | 6:57 |
| 8 | Revolucionario | 5:37 |
| 9 | Oblivion (1997 Recording) | 3:56 |
Original release
11 · 2021 · Piano trio
Trio Animæ — The Complete Studio Recordings, Vol. 3
Mendelssohn & Arensky
Two trios in D minor, half a century apart. Arensky wrote his in memory of the cellist Karl Davidov.
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809–1847) Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 49
| 1 | I. Molto Allegro agitato | 8:54 |
| 2 | II. Andante con moto tranquillo | 6:00 |
| 3 | III. Scherzo. Leggiero vivace | 3:25 |
| 4 | IV. Finale. Allegro assai appassionato | 7:30 |
Anton Stepanovič Arensky (1861–1906) Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 32 «À la mémoire de Charles Davidoff»
| 5 | I. Allegro moderato | 12:50 |
| 6 | II. Scherzo. Allegro molto | 6:06 |
| 7 | III. Elegia. Adagio | 6:29 |
| 8 | IV. Finale. Allegro non troppo | 6:07 |
Original release
12 · 2021 · Piano trio
Trio Animæ — The Complete Studio Recordings, Vol. 4
3 Minutos con la Realidad
Fifteen Piazzolla arrangements by José Bragato, who for many years played cello in Piazzolla’s own ensembles. Bragato arranged them specially for the Trio Animæ.
Astor Piazzolla (1921–1992) Arranged for piano trio by José Bragato
| 1 | Esqualo | 3:25 |
| 2 | Soledad | 8:07 |
| 3 | Fugata | 2:35 |
| 4 | Tangata | 8:32 |
| 5 | Mumuki | 8:25 |
| 6 | Lunfardo | 6:13 |
| 7 | Calambre | 3:50 |
| 8 | Adiós Nonino | 9:20 |
| 9 | Tres minutos con la realidad | 2:52 |
| 10 | Milonga del Angel | 6:26 |
| 11 | La Muerte del Angel | 3:19 |
| 12 | La Resurrección del Angel | 6:40 |
| 13 | Lo que vendrà | 4:09 |
| 14 | Bandó | 3:53 |
| 15 | Oblivion (2001 Recording) | 4:10 |
13 · 2021 · Piano trio
Trio Animæ — The Complete Studio Recordings, Vol. 5
José Bragato & Saúl Cosentino
Works by Bragato himself, together with a piece by Saúl Cosentino. The trio recorded the last two tracks independently in 2003.
José Bragato (1915–2017) Works for piano trio
| 1 | Impresionista | 5:14 |
| 2 | Milontan («Sobre ritmos popolares») | 6:35 |
| 3 | Triste y zamba («En estilo popolar») | 4:27 |
| 4 | Chacarera («En estilo popolar») | 3:35 |
| 5 | Graciela y Buenos Aires | 8:45 |
Saúl Cosentino (*1940) El Nuevo Tango
| 6 | El Nuevo Tango | 4:33 |
Original release
14 · 2021 · Piano trio
Trio Animæ — The Complete Studio Recordings, Vol. 6
Souls in the Dark
The darkest album of the series: Pärt’s Adagio on the death of the violinist Oleg Kagan, Schnittke’s Trio and Vasks’s eight-part cycle.
Arvo Pärt (*1935) Mozart-Adagio (1992, rev. 1997) «In memoriam Oleg Kagan»
| 1 | Adagio | 8:22 |
Alfred Schnittke (1934–1998) Trio for Violin, Violoncello and Piano (1985/1992)
| 2 | I. Moderato | 12:54 |
| 3 | II. Adagio | 14:00 |
Pēteris Vasks (*1946) Episodi e Canto perpetuo (1985) — Hommage à O. Messiaen
| 4 | Episodio I: Crescendo | 2:32 |
| 5 | Episodio II: Misterioso – III: Unisoni | 5:20 |
| 6 | Episodio IV: Burlesca 1 | 3:19 |
| 7 | Episodio V: Monologhi – VI: Burlesca 2 – VII: Canto perpetuo – VIII: Apogeo e Coda | 16:42 |
15 · 2021 · Piano trio
Trio Animæ — The Complete Studio Recordings, Vol. 7
Short Cuts
Seventeen short pieces from Donizetti to Grainger – the trio’s encores from its past concert years. Several of the arrangements are by the Trio Animæ itself.
Gaetano Donizetti (1797–1848) Trio «In casa Betti» (1817)
| 1 | Trio «In casa Betti» (1817) | 4:21 |
Rodion Shchedrin (*1932) 3 Funny Pieces for Piano Trio (1981/1997)
| 2 | 1. Conversations | 2:08 |
| 3 | 2. Let’s play an Opera by Rossini | 2:24 |
| 4 | 3. Humoresque | 2:29 |
Gaetano Donizetti (1797–1848) Trio «In casa Baglioni» (1817)
| 5 | Trio «In casa Baglioni» (1817) | 4:25 |
Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943) 18th Variation from «Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini» — arranged by the Trio Animæ
| 6 | 18th Variation | 3:01 |
Vladimír Godár (*1956) Variazioni facili (2001)
| 7 | Variazioni facili (2001) | 8:20 |
Michail Glinka (1804–1857) Three Russian Folksongs — arranged by Eduard Herrmann
| 8 | I. Elegy – «Do no tempt me unnecessarily» | 2:58 |
| 9 | II. Lullaby – «Farewell to St. Petersburg» | 3:24 |
| 10 | III. «The Doubt» | 3:28 |
Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943) Daisies — after Jascha Heifetz, arranged by the Trio Animæ
| 11 | Daisies | 2:35 |
Pedro Maria Maffia (1899–1967) Taconeando — arranged by Dieter Hilpert
| 12 | Taconeando | 3:15 |
Osvaldo Pugliese (1905–1995) Negracha — arranged by Dieter Hilpert
| 13 | Negracha | 2:59 |
Percy Aldridge Grainger (1882–1961) Four pieces for piano trio
| 14 | Colonial Song | 6:20 |
| 15 | Shepherd’s Hey! (Morris Dance Tune) | 2:15 |
| 16 | My Robin is to the Greenwood gone | 5:56 |
| 17 | Handel in the Strand (Clog Dance) | 3:58 |
16 · 2021 · Piano trio
Trio Animæ — The Complete Studio Recordings, Vol. 8
Peter Breiner
Works by the Slovak composer Peter Breiner. The first three tracks were recorded at the premiere of the Concerto “There Must Be Something …” on 21 February 2002 in Košice, Slovakia, with the composer conducting.
Peter Breiner (*1957) «There Must Be Something …» — Concerto for Piano, Violin, Cello and Orchestra (2000)
| 1 | I. Quasi cadenza – Molto sostenuto – Allegro | 15:06 |
| 2 | II. Adagio. Calmo | 12:24 |
| 3 | III. Allegro | 10:48 |
Peter Breiner (*1957) Sonata ostinata (1984)
| 4 | I. Allegro | 6:49 |
| 5 | II. Adagio cantabile | 7:12 |
| 6 | III. Allegro | 4:12 |
Peter Breiner (*1957) To Dear Mr Bach on His Birthday (1985/2002)
| 7 | I. Preludio | 3:53 |
| 8 | II. Loure | 3:49 |
| 9 | III. Gavotte | 1:48 |
| 10 | IV. Menuet | 2:15 |
| 11 | V. Bourrée | 2:21 |
17 · 2021 · Piano trio
Trio Animæ — The Complete Studio Recordings, Vol. 9
ASTORology & Other Recycled Tangos
The only first release in the Trio Animæ Edition: the trio’s last studio session together, in October 2006, with ten further Bragato arrangements.
Astor Piazzolla (1921–1992) Arranged for piano trio by José Bragato
| 1 | Zigue-Zague | 4:35 |
| 2 | Kicho | 7:07 |
| 3 | Vardarito | 8:36 |
| 4 | Caliente | 6:24 |
| 5 | Bragatissimo | 5:26 |
| 6 | Decarissimo | 3:56 |
| 7 | Los Poseídos | 4:54 |
| 8 | Triunfal | 5:31 |
| 9 | Revirado | 4:30 |
| 10 | Oblivion (2006 Recording) | 6:51 |
18 · 2026 · forthcoming · Solo piano
Johann Pachelbel — Hexachordum Apollinis
Six Arias with Variations
A recording that Tomas Dratva was no longer able to release himself; it is being published after his death. Pachelbel left open whether the cycle should be played on the organ or the harpsichord. Dratva recorded it as the first complete recording on the modern concert grand piano.
Johann Pachelbel (1653–1706) Hexachordum Apollinis (1699)
| 1 | Aria Prima — D minor (Dorian), 6 Variations | 9:58 |
| 2 | Aria Secunda — E minor, 5 Variations | 10:36 |
| 3 | Aria Tertia — F major, 6 Variations | 8:33 |
| 4 | Aria Quarta — G minor (Dorian), 6 Variations | 10:00 |
| 5 | Aria Quinta — A minor, 6 Variations | 8:25 |
| 6 | Aria Sexta (Sebaldina) — F minor (Mixolydian), 8 Variations | 10:50 |
