Czech Philharmonic: Leoš Janáček and Antonín Dvořák
A Czech Philharmonic program prepared exclusively for its residence at Carnegie Hall in New York. This will be the philharmonic’s only Czech performance of Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass and Dvořák’s Violin Concerto in A minor, Semyon Bychkov conducting.
Program:
Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904): Violin Concerto in A minor, Op. 53
Allegro ma non troppo (att.), Adagio ma non troppo, Finale. Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo
Leoš Janáček (1854–1928): Glagolitic Mass, cantata for soloists, choir, orchestra and organ
Úvod – Introduction, Gospodi pomiluj – Kyrie, Slava – Gloria, Věruju – Credo, Svet – Sanctus, Agneče Božij – Agnus Dei, Postludium (organ solo), Intrada – Exodus
Performed by:
Czech Philharmonic:
violin – Jan Mráček
soprano – Lyubov Petrova
mezzosoprano – Lucie Hilscherová
tenor – Aleš Briscein
bass – David Leigh
organ – Daniela Valtová Kosinová
Prague Philharmonic Choir:
choirmaster – Lukáš Vasilek
CONDUCTOR:
Semyon Bychkov
About program
Today, Dvořák’s Violin Concerto in A minor is one of the most popular works in the violin repertoire. Nevertheless, it took several years for the work to find its way to the concert hall. Dvořák’s concerto was written at a time when composers were abandoning a purely virtuosic conception for concerto solo parts with the orchestra playing a merely accompanimental role. Now they were seeking how to combine the solo part and orchestra in the thematic and expressive discourse. In November 1882, the concerto was given a private performance with the orchestra of the Royal Academy of Music in Berlin. The soloist at the official premiere on 14 October 1883 in Prague with the orchestra of the National Theatre and the conductor Mořic Anger was František Ondříček, who became an avid proponent and defender of the work. Among great creative figures, Leoš Janáček is remarkable in that the older he got, the more “youthful,” original, and modern the music that he wrote became. This was perhaps because he had lost everything. Released by the cruelty of fate from his ties and concerns for his parents and his children, he was truly able to find himself. He cast aside conventions and tried to get to the heart of things. Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass is one of the most powerful sacred compositions in music history. The 72-year-old composer wrote the music to the text in Old Church Slavonic in 1926 at his favorite spa, Luhačovice. He sketched out the entire Mass in just three weeks! By October 1926, he had finished it. He made additional, quite substantial changes after the premiere, which took place on 5 December 1927 in Brno.
Semyon Bychkov
Semyon Bychkov is the Chief Conductor and Music Director of the Czech Philharmonic. In addition to conducting at Prague’s Rudolfinum, Semyon Bychkov and the Czech Philharmonic in the 2023/2024 season, took the all Dvořák programmes to Korea and across Japan. In spring, took the programmes to Spain, Austria, Germany, Belgium, and France and, at the end of year, the Year of Czech Music 2024 will culminate with three concerts at Carnegie Hall in New York. Among the significant joint achievements of Semyon Bychkov and the Czech Philharmonic is the release of a 7-CD box set devoted to Tchaikovsky’s symphonic repertoire and a series of international residencies. In addition to guest engagements with the world’s major orchestras and opera houses, Bychkov holds honorary titles with the BBC Symphony Orchestra – with whom he appears annually at the BBC Proms – and the Royal Academy of Music, who recently awarded him an Honorary Doctorate. Bychkov was named “Conductor of the Year” by the International Opera Awards in 2015 and, by Musical America in 2022.
Semyon Bychkov is the Chief Conductor and Music Director of the Czech Philharmonic. In addition to conducting at Prague’s Rudolfinum, Semyon Bychkov and the Czech Philharmonic in the 2023/2024 season, took the all Dvořák programmes to Korea and across Japan. In spring, took the programmes to Spain, Austria, Germany, Belgium, and France and, at the end of year, the Year of Czech Music 2024 will culminate with three concerts at Carnegie Hall in New York.
Among the significant joint achievements of Semyon Bychkov and the Czech Philharmonic is the release of a 7-CD box set devoted to Tchaikovsky’s symphonic repertoire and a series of international residencies.
In addition to guest engagements with the world’s major orchestras and opera houses, Bychkov holds honorary titles with the BBC Symphony Orchestra – with whom he appears annually at the BBC Proms – and the Royal Academy of Music, who recently awarded him an Honorary Doctorate. Bychkov was named “Conductor of the Year” by the International Opera Awards in 2015 and, by Musical America in 2022.
Semyon Bychkov is the Chief Conductor and Music Director of the Czech Philharmonic. In addition to conducting at Prague’s Rudolfinum, Semyon Bychkov and the Czech Philharmonic in the 2023/2024 season, took the all Dvořák programmes to Korea and across Japan. In spring, took the programmes to Spain, Austria, Germany, Belgium, and France and, at the end of year, the Year of Czech Music 2024 will culminate with three concerts at Carnegie Hall in New York. Among the significant joint achievements of Semyon Bychkov and the Czech Philharmonic is the release of a 7-CD box set devoted to Tchaikovsky’s symphonic repertoire and a series of international residencies. In addition to guest engagements with the world’s major orchestras and opera houses, Bychkov holds honorary titles with the BBC Symphony Orchestra – with whom he appears annually at the BBC Proms – and the Royal Academy of Music, who recently awarded him an Honorary Doctorate. Bychkov was named “Conductor of the Year” by the International Opera Awards in 2015 and, by Musical America in 2022.