Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Gordon Jacob
Eight wind instruments, three composers, and a surprisingly diverse musical world. The Kaiserbad’s Zander Hall will resound with Mozart’s elegant Serenade in E-flat Major, Beethoven’s delightful Rondino, and the sparkling Divertimento by British composer Gordon Jacob. A program full of playfulness, melodic lightness, and virtuoso performances by a wind octet composed of musicians from the Czech Philharmonic and the Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra. The ensemble is led by Ondřej Vrabec, solo horn player of the Czech Philharmonic and chief conductor of the Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra. Admission is free.
+ + Opening interview with the guest of Czech Radio Vltava’s Akcent LIVE ČRo Vltava
Program:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Serenade No. 11 in E-flat Major, K
Allegro maestoso
Menuetto
Adagio
Menuetto
Finale: Allegro
Ludwig van Beethoven: Rondino in E-flat Major, WoO 25
Gordon Jacob: Divertimento in E-flat Major
March
Sarabande on a Ground
Rondo
Performed by:
A wind octet composed of members of the Czech Philharmonic and the Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra
Ondřej Vrabec artistic director and 1st French horn
About program
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791) wrote his Serenade in E-flat Major in October 1781, shortly after his move to Vienna, to commemorate the name day of the sister-in-law of the court painter Joseph Hickel. On Mozart’s name day two weeks later, a group of musicians played it for him in the courtyard at eleven o’clock at night. In a letter to his father, he wrote that they surprised him with “the first E-flat major chord” just as he was about to get changed. The original sextet consisting of clarinets, French horns, and bassoons was later expanded to include two oboes to create an octet – an ensemble formation that was highly popular in Vienna at the time.
We find the same instrumentation and key with the Rondino composed in 1793 by a young Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827). It was written in Bonn for the wind ensemble of Elector Maximilian Francis. The ensemble performed at court banquets, and the Rondino was most likely intended to conclude Beethoven’s Octet, op. 103. The famous composer nevertheless reconsidered these plans, and the composition was ultimately not published until after his death. This charming miniature is dominated by French horns in a wide range of colors and dynamics.
More than a century later, the English composer Gordon Jacob (1895–1984) continued in the classical tradition. He began to fully concentrate on music while a prisoner of war during World War I. Later, at the Royal College of Music, he mentored a number of composers, including Malcolm Arnold. Written in 1968, his Divertimento in E-flat Major combines a brisk march, a solemn sarabande based on a recurring theme, and a sparkling rondo in which the French horns once again have a chance to shine.
+ Opening interview with the guest of Czech Radio Vltava’s Akcent LIVE
Before the concert, from 4:30 to 4:55 PM, a live broadcast of Czech Radio Vltava’s Akcent with host Saša Michailidis will take place directly on stage. Please note that once the programme has started, entry to the hall will no longer be possible.
Ondřej Vrabec and a wind octet composed of members of the Czech Philharmonic and the Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra
Conductor and horn player Ondřej Vrabec combines an exceptional versality with a profound sense for orchestral and chamber music. He was just seventeen when he became a solo horn player for the Czech Philharmonic, for which he still plays today while simultaneously developing his successful career as a conductor. He has worked with most Czech orchestras and with a number of foreign ensembles as well, including the Japan Philharmonic and the Danish National Symphony Orchestra. In his musical activities, he is focused on chamber music, recording, and teaching at HAMU in Prague. Since 2021, he has also been the chief conductor of the Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra.
The wind ensemble performing at today’s concert brings together two orchestral worlds to which Vrabec has close personal and professional ties – the Czech Philharmonic and the Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra. The intimate chamber format allows the experience and musical artistry of both orchestras’ members to truly shine through. Under Vrabec’s direction, the wind octet presents a fresh perspective on the tradition of Czech wind ensembles while demonstrating that a shared love of music can bring people together across orchestras and regardless of the musicians’ origins. The ensemble’s performances have been positively received at various concert projects of the Czech Philharmonic and the Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra.
Conductor and horn player Ondřej Vrabec combines an exceptional versality with a profound sense for orchestral and chamber music. He was just seventeen when he became a solo horn player for the Czech Philharmonic, for which he still plays today while simultaneously developing his successful career as a conductor. He has worked with most Czech orchestras and with a number of foreign ensembles as well, including the Japan Philharmonic and the Danish National Symphony Orchestra. In his musical activities, he is focused on chamber music, recording, and teaching at HAMU in Prague. Since 2021, he has also been the chief conductor of the Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra.
The wind ensemble performing at today’s concert brings together two orchestral worlds to which Vrabec has close personal and professional ties – the Czech Philharmonic and the Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra. The intimate chamber format allows the experience and musical artistry of both orchestras’ members to truly shine through. Under Vrabec’s direction, the wind octet presents a fresh perspective on the tradition of Czech wind ensembles while demonstrating that a shared love of music can bring people together across orchestras and regardless of the musicians’ origins. The ensemble’s performances have been positively received at various concert projects of the Czech Philharmonic and the Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra.
Conductor and horn player Ondřej Vrabec combines an exceptional versality with a profound sense for orchestral and chamber music. He was just seventeen when he became a solo horn player for the Czech Philharmonic, for which he still plays today while simultaneously developing his successful career as a conductor. He has worked with most Czech orchestras and with a number of foreign ensembles as well, including the Japan Philharmonic and the Danish National Symphony Orchestra. In his musical activities, he is focused on chamber music, recording, and teaching at HAMU in Prague. Since 2021, he has also been the chief conductor of the Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra.
The wind ensemble performing at today’s concert brings together two orchestral worlds to which Vrabec has close personal and professional ties – the Czech Philharmonic and the Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra. The intimate chamber format allows the experience and musical artistry of both orchestras’ members to truly shine through. Under Vrabec’s direction, the wind octet presents a fresh perspective on the tradition of Czech wind ensembles while demonstrating that a shared love of music can bring people together across orchestras and regardless of the musicians’ origins. The ensemble’s performances have been positively received at various concert projects of the Czech Philharmonic and the Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra.