Czech National Symphony Orchestra: Mahler & Bruckner
About the Event
The CNSO is honoring the 200th anniversary of the birth of Czech classic Bedřich Smetana (1824–1884) with a subscription concert. As part of this celebration, the orchestra will perform Smetana's symphonic poem Wallenstein's Camp. This piece, along with Richard III and Hakon Jarl, forms a trilogy known as the Swedish symphonic poems. Smetana composed these works during his time in Gothenburg, under the influence of Franz Liszt's innovative approach to program music. Wallenstein's Camp captures the atmosphere of a military camp, from the soldiers' merriment at nightfall to the quiet of the camp as they sleep and the guard performs his duties. The reveille fanfare marks the beginning of another march.
Renowned Austrian‐Czech composer and conductor Gustav Mahler (1860–1911) expressed himself through symphony and song, maintaining a complex relationship between the two genres. Today, he is widely considered one of the greatest composers and musical visionaries of his time. Mahler composed a cycle of songs titled Five Songs on Poems by Friedrich Rückert for voice and piano in 1901 and 1902. Concurrently, he also set five more of Rückert's poems to music, creating the cycle Kindertotenlieder (Songs on the Death of Children). These cycles showcase Mahler's enchantment with Rückert's verse and are recognized as two of the most exquisite song cycles in existence.
Anton Bruckner (1824–1896), an Austrian composer and organist, shares his landmark anniversary with Bedřich Smetana in 2024. Bruckner is best known for his weighty collection of symphonies, with his twelfth symphony remaining unfinished. He continuously revised his symphonies, resulting in multiple versions of each. Towards the end of his life, Bruckner even revised his entire set of symphonies simultaneously, considering them as one cohesive work. Symphony No. 7 in E major was a significant accomplishment for Bruckner. After two years of work, it premiered in Leipzig in 1884, conducted by Arthur Nikisch. This premiere marked the composer's first true success, as his previous symphonies had received negative reviews or were not performed at all. The success in Leipzig was followed by performances in Munich, Cologne, Hamburg, and Graz before finally being performed in Vienna, the city that had shown disfavour and hostility towards Bruckner's music, heavily influenced by Richard Wagner.
Cast / Production
Czech National Symphony Orchestra
Jan Pellant, conductor
Filip Bandžak, baritone
