Saturday, June 12, Church of St. Barbara 6.00 p.m.

  • Gustav Mahler (1860 - 1911): Adagietto for strings and harp from Symphony No. 5
  • Jan Kubelík (1880 - 1940 ): Andante Cantabile for violin, strings and harp
    (2nd movement from Violin Concerto No. 1 in C major)
    130th anniversary of birth
  • Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 -1827): Septet in E flat major, Op. 20 for violin, viola, cello, double-bass, clarinet, French horn and bassoon
    • Adagio; Allegro con brio
    • Adagio cantabile
    • Tempo di minuetto
    • Tema con variazioni: Andante
    • Scherzo: Allegro molto e vivace
    • Andante con moto alla marcia; Presto

The Adagietto from Symphony No. 5 is arguably the most celebrated part of Gustav Mahler´s whole symphonic output. This is due in part to Luchino Visconti´s film, Death in Venice, based on the Thomas Mann novella of the same name, but also to its melodic and emotional charm. The original version of the fourth of the five movements of Mahler´s “Fifth” was written between 1901 and 1902, for harp and the string section of a large symphony orchestra. This chance to hear it in a smaller-combination chamber format for harp and six stringed instruments is quite rare.
The violin virtuoso Jan Kubelík was at the peak of his career probably the internationally best-known Czech. He toured around the globe, earning considerable merit as a propagator of Czech music, and also as a major sponsor of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra at its inception. His touring was cut short by the First World War during which he embarked on a parallel career as a composer. He wrote music for himself, for violin, and for virtuoso players of his qualities. All of his six violin concertos bear the characteristic signs of the Romantic era in their slow movements, and the predictable share of virtuoso brilliance in the fast ones. This year´s double anniversary of Jan Kubelík is offering ample opportunities to look back at the compositional legacy of this exceptional musician, which was likewise often drawn on by his son, the outstanding conductor Rafael Kubelík.
Ludwig van Beethoven produced some of chamber music´s greatest works of all time, most notably in the genres of piano trio and string quartets. As for chamber compositions for larger combinations, he wrote them only exceptionally, for special occasions. The Septet in E flat major, Op. 20 was composed in 1799, when it was performed for a close private circle of listeners. Its first public performance took place on April 2, 1800, and the work was published two years later. The Septet was chronologically close to Beethoven´s Symphony No. 1 in C major, and in fact resembles a chamber-format symphony, with four extensive movements interspersed with two witty scherzos. Soon after its completion, the six-movement composition became one of Beethoven´s most popular works, thanks notably to its suitability for small-scale and private productions.
@right@(Jindřich Bálek)