Slovak Chamber Orchestra
Ewald Danel, artistic leader/conductor

Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber von Bibern
Josef Suk
Dmitry Shostakovich
Jozef Podprocký
Ján Valach
Benjamin Britten

Battalia à 10 C. 61
Meditation on the Old Czech Chorale ‘St. Wenceslas’
Chamber Symphony in C minor Op. 110a
Suite rediviva Op.14 No. 5
B-A-C-H – Pictures from Life
Simple Symphony op. 4

Music illustrations of battle scenes were a very favoured theme by Baroque composers. Violin virtuoso and renowned composer Biber, who worked mostly in Kroměříž and Salzburg, joined the trend with his famous Sonata Battalia. The other eternal subject is patriotism; usage of archaic symbols reinforces this dimension as Josef Suk did using the chorale ‘St. Wenceslas’. Autobiographical projects may be another special theme for musicians. Many works by Dmitry Shostakovich evolve from the cryptogram of his name D – Es – C – H (tones D – E flat – C – B in English), Chamber Symphony in C minor is not an exception. While Shostakovich’s personal drama relates to his time, Suita rediviva by Jozef Podprocký is in itself a dialogue of our contemporary with remote past. Ján Valach’s piece dedicated both to Bach and Slovakia is similarly to Shostakovich’s Chamber Symphony weaved from the famous cryptogram of the name of the Baroque composer B-A-C-H. The concert will be closed by the energetic Simple Symphony of the talented student Benjamin Britten, a charming work, which much contributed to the composer’s successful career.