Thu, 11. 10. 2018, 7.00 p.m.

A1 TEACHERS AND THEIR PUPILS

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

The opening concert of Subscription Series A showcases the work of Czech composers. Antonín Dvořák wrote a cycle of three concert overtures from 1891–92 originally entitled Nature, Life and Love, but not long after he recast them as independent works in their own right and with their own name. In Othello, the final piece of the original trilogy, Dvořák drew his inspiration from Shakespeare's tragedy, but in no way can it be called a literal musical re-enactment of that literary work. .

Among Dvořák's pupils was Josef Suk, a native of Křečovice, who made no secret of his admiration for the musical narrative of his teacher (and subsequently also father-in-law) and faithfully emulated it. In fact Suk's critics would often call him Dvořák's mere epigone. It was in 1898 that Suk was asked by Julius Zeyer to write incidental music for his dramatic tale Radúz a Mahulena, which Suk reworked two years later into a four-movement orchestral suite.

For a short period of one year Josef Suka taught the young Bohuslav Martinů, who moved to Paris soon after. The Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra was composed during Martinů's time in America, where he emigrated from France in March 1941.

The concerto solo parts are performed tonight by two leading Czech pianists Miroslav Sekera and Daniel Wiesner under the baton of the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic Orchestra's new Chief Conductor Tomáš Brauner.