Two contemporary works surrounded by two classics – that is how the chamber orchestra Czech Sinfonietta will make its premiere appearance at the Dvořák Prague Festival. Leading the ensemble consisting of outstanding Czech instrumentalists will be its founder, the horn player and conductor Radek Baborák.Mozart’s French Horn Concerto in E Flat Major is enjoyable music for both the listeners and the soloist. With that work, Radek Baborák will open the concert in the dual role of soloist and conductor, as was usual in Mozart’s day.
The composers Ondřej Brousek and Jan Kučera are fluent in a wide range of musical genres, but in the Czech music world they are known above all for their ability to communicate with audiences without barriers – regardless of whether the music in question is popular or classical. The public can look forward to Brousek’s Sinfonietta “La Petite Joie”, inspired by the group of Parisian composers known as “Les six”, and Kučera’s Concerto for Baritone Saxophone and Orchestra.
Serving as a more modern, rather ironic reflection of the Mozart concerto is the concluding Symphony No. 1 in D Major (“Classical”) by Sergei Prokofiev. This music is clearly inspired mainly by Haydn and to a lesser extent by Mozart. Prokofiev himself imagined how his Classical Symphony would enrage his professors at the conservatory, who would have accused him of not letting Mozart rest in peace, and instead provoking him with dissonances. The result of this provocation is one of Prokofiev’s most popular works, which offers a wonderful opportunity to the talented players of the Czech Sinfonietta.