Liszt & Friends chamber music festival: Duo Sica / Internullo

Artists

Sant’Agnese in Agone

Sant'Agnese in Agone is an Italian Baroque church built during the 17th-century in Rome. It faces onto the Piazza Navona, one of the most important squares in the Italian capital's histroical centre, and the location of the former Stadium of Domitian, in which the early christian Saint Agnes was martyred. The crypt, or sacellum infimum, is the only remnant of the ancient church that marked the precise spot where the Saint met her grisly end. Piazza Navona also hosts other great works of art such as Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers, situated in front of Sant'Agnese in Agone. There are many urban legends that refer to the sculpted figure of the 'Nile' by Bernini and the facade of the church, designed by his rival, Borromini. It is said that Bernini depicted 'Father Nile' covering his eyes in fear that the church in front of him would disintegrate. The story persists because of the bitter rivalry known to have existed between the two artists, despite the fact that the Bernini's fountain was built some years before the church was constructed.

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Symphony No. 6, written in 1893, is Tchaikovsky’s last symphony which he considered his finest work. Its nickname ‘Pathetique’ suggests that the work contains deep and profound contemplations about life and death. Its music is dark and solemn with the exception of the second waltz movement. Many critics saw this symphony as an authobiographical expression of the composer’s uneasy life. The 6th Symphony premiered on 28 October 1893 and was given good reviews but didn’t make a sensation. Nine days later the composer died. After his death the symphony was performed once again at the tribute concert and that time, the audience was deeply touched by the poignant music and gave proper credit to it.

Antonín Dvořák

Antonin Dvorak is considered to be one of the most well-known and prominent Czechs in the world, as his musical work gained international recognition already during his lifetime. He was born in 1841 in a small Czech village into a butcher’s family. At the age of 6, Dvorak started taking violin lessons and it immediately became obvious that the boy had exceptional talent in music. Later in life, he was learning to master piano and organ as well as simultaneously working in a slaughterhouse. After Dvorak turned 16, he was admitted to the Organ School in Prague that trained future professional composers. After graduating, he stayed in Prague, joined Karel Komzak’s orchestra and started actively composing his own music. However, he struggled to make ends meet and always had to work on the side by playing music in churches and giving private music lessons. Finally, 1874 became a turning point in his life when he won a financial grant from an Austrian Prize competition for his 15 submitted works. This allowed him to quit the orchestra and devote himself fully to composing. During this period, he wrote his Slavonic Dances, Moravian Duets and Violin Concerto, which brought him sweeping success. In 1892 he was invited to teach at the New York National Conservatory, where he stayed until 1895 before returning home. He started teaching at the Prague conservatory and later became its director. Until his death in 1904, he had been a successful and well-loved composer, both in his homeland and around the whole world.