E Three Centuries of Music

The core of this cycle is formed by the presentation of important vocal-instrumental works by composers from the Classical and Romantic periods and music from the 20th century.
We are confronted with the works of Johann Nepomuk Hummel, born in Bratislava, on a more or less sporadic basis. The performance of his cantata Polymelos op. 82, inspired by Russian national songs, will therefore be all the more special.
In the period before Christmas, the Christmas Cantata, the last work written by the composer of Swiss nationality Arthur Honegger, will be heard. Its solo part will be sung by the excellent bariton Sergei Tolstov. In 2006 the 250th anniversary of the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756) will be celebrated. For this reason a considerable number of works by this genius of Classicism will be played. Alongside his well-known works,  music  from the heroic drama Thamos – King of Egypt, which he wrote when he was 24, will also be performed. The first production of the actual play with unspecific music took place in Pressburg on 11 December 1773. Only when the theatre company was a guest in Salzburg in 1779-1780, did Mozart compose the music for the choir and interludes in Thamos. The role of the high priest Sethos will be performed by the outstanding Slovak bass, Gustáv Beláček.
Apart from performances by the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra and the Slovak Philharmonic Choir, the cycle is enriched by the presence of the increasingly popular Slovak Chamber Orchestra Bohdan Warchal, which will commemorate the 320th anniversary of the birth of Johann Sebastian Bach and simultaneously the personality Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, who rediscovered Bach`s works in the 19th century.