-
© CNSO s.r.o
Czech National Symphony Orchestra: Bach & Vivaldi
Prague, Municipal House (Obecní dum) — Smetana Hall
About the Event
Following the opening suite by renowned composer Johann Sebastian Bach, the audience will be treated to two trumpet concertos. These concertos were written for concerts given by the esteemed Leipzig ensemble Collegium musicum.
Although Vincenzo Bellini is primarily known as an opera composer, he wrote the Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra in E flat major when he was only 22 years old. The score of this concerto was discovered in 1940 in the monastery library in Naples, where it was kept by the composer's friend Francesco Florimo, the librarian and archivist. This work by Bellini, known for his mastery of melody, has inspired a number of transcriptions. On the 3rd Subscription Concert, the programme will feature its arrangement for trumpet, while a version for trombone also exists.
Antonio Vivaldi, a renowned Italian Baroque master, composed the four violin concertos known as The Four Seasons, which are still widely performed today. Vivaldi was also a music teacher at Venice's Ospedale della Pietà, one of the city's orphanages for abandoned girls. He composed a whole series of works for the institution, including the Concerto for Two Trumpets and Strings in C major, to be performed during its semipublic performances.
Giacomo Puccini, known for his famous operas such as La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot, initially faced disappointment with his first attempt, the one‐act opera Le villi. However, he reworked the opera into two acts the following year, and it became a resounding success. The opera contains two intermezzos, one of which is La tregenda (Witches' Dance), which will be performed at this concert.
Italian composer Ottorino Respighi paid tribute to the city of Rome with his trilogy of symphonic poems, Fontane di Roma (Fountains of Rome), Pini di Roma (Pines of Rome), and Feste Romane (Roman Festivals). Pines of Rome, composed in 1924, takes the listener on a journey through Rome, capturing the essence of its fragrant trees. From children playing in the shade of the pines at Villa Borghese to the dignified pines near the historical catacombs, the music evokes a sense of a bygone era. The nocturnal breezes through the crowns of the pines on Janiculum Hill create a serene ambiance. Finally, on the Appian Way, a victorious army triumphantly advances towards the Capitolium, accompanied by brass instruments, reminiscent of the past and its glorious victories.
Program
- Johann Sebastian Bach – Suite No. 3 in D major
- Vincenzo Bellini – Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra in E flat major
- Antonio Vivaldi – Concerto for Two Trumpets and Strings in C major
- Giacomo Puccini – La tregenda, Witches’ Dance from the opera Le Villi,The Fairies
- Ottorino Respighi – I pini di Roma, The Pines of Rome, symphonic poem
Cast / Production
Czech National Symphony Orchestra
Marcello Rota, conductor
Jiří Houdek, Jan Hasenöhrl, trumpets
Address
Municipal House (Obecní dum), 5 Republic Square (Namesti republiky 5), Prague, Czech Republic — Google Maps
