Residency at the Vienna Musikverein

Wien, Musikverein, Goldener Saal
19:30 Uhr

Our principal conductor once praised the »natural quality« of our orchestra, saying that we »never play routinely« and therefore »never sound tedious«. He particularly appreciates our great curiosity for the often unknown music of his homeland, and so we are once again immersing ourselves in the Czech repertoire, which has become truly irresistible to us, with exciting works such as the »Suita rustica« by Vítězslava Kaprálová, who was not only a hugely talented composer but also the first female conductor of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. She hailed from Brno but died in exile in France at the age of only 25. In 1938 she wrote her impressive suite, inspired by the folklore of her homeland, which we will perform with great joy and energy. This is complemented by a piece by Martinů, who was her mentor – and much more, as numerous love letters prove. He composed his Second Symphony during his exile in the USA: he wrote it in 1943, in the middle of the war, on commission from the Bohemian community in Cleveland to mark the 25th anniversary of the Czechoslovak Republic. It captivates with its brilliant play of timbres, and the melancholic slow movement in particular expresses the composer’s yearning for his homeland. We will also revel in Dvořák’s magnificent Cello Concerto, which was also written during his stay in America in 1894/95: a folklorically charged work with plenty of magnificent melodies, in which, however, wistful tones spread – and for which the composer has fortunately given us musicians a helpful tip for interpretation: »Think of a boy who is in love – that's what it’s about«.

Jakub Hrůša Conductor
Julia Hagen Violoncello

Antonín Dvořák Konzert für Violoncello h-Moll op. 104
Vítězslava Kaprálová Suita rustica op. 19
Bohuslav Martinů Symphonie Nr. 2