Residency at Vienna Musikverein

Wien, Musikverein, Goldener Saal
19:30 Uhr

In an interview, our chief conductor praised our orchestra's »special ability« to »really give the maximum in every concert« – and under his baton we are particularly successful in this because we have long been perfectly in tune with each other. We are delighted to once again delve into a highly romantic work by the composer closest to his heart, Dvořák, who was once described as the »prophet of Czech art«. His refreshing musical language and colourful ingenuity were said to be as beyond dispute as the arrival of spring. This concert features one of his vocal works, which Jakub Hrůša calls a »wonderful gift« – and which even his contemporaries praised for its »sensual melodic charm«: the Stabat mater, a musical setting of the medieval poem of the same name about the Mother Mary’s pain at the sight of Jesus hanging on the cross, is an extremely evocative and emotional piece. It was inspired by some of the tragedies in Dvořák’s life, but helped him achieve international fame at the time: although it was premiered in Prague in 1880, it was not until a performance four years later at London’s Royal Albert Hall with a large orchestra and a huge audience that his name became widely known beyond the borders of his homeland. In England, they called him the »Bohemian Brahms« and in 1884 they praised him as the »lion of this year's music season« – and we’ll play the piece with the same intensity and joy that Dvořák wrote about: »From piece to piece, the general enthusiasm continued to grow.«

Jakub Hrůša Conductor
Wiener Singverein Choir
Kateřina Kněžíková Soprano
Jarmila Vantuchová Balážová Mezzo Soprano
Daniel Matoušek Tenor
Jan Hnyk Bass

Antonín Dvořák Stabat mater op. 58