Thu, 1. 10. 2026, 19:00 hrs.

A1 Harold's Pilgrimage

Venue: Zlín Congress Centre  |  Organizer: Filharmonie Bohuslava Martinů, o.p.s.  | 

October begins with the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic Orchestra presenting a programme in which images of nature blend readily with the spiritual dimension of music. In this performance chief conductor Robert Kružík is joined on stage by a quartet of leading Czech vocalists, the Brno Czech Philharmonic Choir and the critically acclaimed viola player Kristina Fialová, whose plaudits highlight her technical prowess, expressive concentration and exceptionally refined tonal articulation in the way she makes her instrument sing.

We start with Hector Berlioz's Harold in Italy, a symphony with solo viola and a remarkable genesis. It was in early 1834 that the virtuoso Niccolò Paganini commissioned Berlioz to compose a new work to showcase the rare Antonio Stradivari viola he had acquired. Berlioz, enchanted by the melancholic sound of the instrument, opted not to write a schematic virtuoso concerto, despite Paganini's idea. He created a program symphony in which the viola features not as a dominant soloist, but as a commenting voice moving freely above the orchestral structure. This concept disappointed Paganini so much that he did not even attend the premiere of the work – a rebuff he was later to regret.

Berlioz was inspired by Byron's poetic epic Childe Harold, and he presents the viola in a role personifying the figure of a lonely pilgrim who travels through changing landscapes and situations. The individual movements depict scenes of mountain melancholy, encounters with pilgrims, an evening serenade, and a dramatic image of robbers. Although the piece is not a literal musical narrative, the character of Harold is often understood as Berlioz's personal alter ego, observing the world with detachment and inner sensitivity.

The theme of spiritual recollection present in the contemplative passages of the Berlioz work forms a natural transition to Franz Schubert's Mass No. 5 in A flat major written between 1819 and 1822, and deemed in its final form to be one of his most ambitious spiritual works. In his correspondence, Schubert wrote that he had considered dedicating the mass to the imperial court, such was the importance that he attached to the work. His revision of the score in 1826 reflects his effort to achieve the highest artistic level, and although this ambitious composition did not win him the position he coveted at the imperial court, it is a work of lasting value. The mass masterfully combines the tradition of Viennese church music with deep personal lyricism and rich melody. Schubert's feeling for the Latin text and his ability to impart a human dimension to the spiritual content make this mass one of the highlights of his sacred work – one whose purity and inner strength have enduring appeal.