Mahler–Martinů

The concert program will present the works of two Czech-born and subsequently world-famous composers, Gustav Mahler (1860–1911), a native of Kaliště near Humpolec, and Bohuslav Martinů (1890–1959), born in Polička. Although they were separated by a generation, different stages of life, and life and artistic experiences, both found pleasure in the poetry collection The Chinese Flute, published in 1907 by the German poet and translator Hans Bethge, and set selected texts by Chinese poets included in it to music. Mahler, fascinated by the themes of nature and the transience of life, chose seven poems, which he freely adapted according to his own ideas and composed six movements of the vocal-orchestral composition Das Lied von der Erde for tenor, alto and symphony orchestra. The composition was first performed on 20 November 1911 in Munich, half a year after Mahler's death, by the composer's friend and conductor Bruno Walter. The work is one of the most performed compositions of this type. In 1918, the young Bohuslav Martinů chose three poems in the Czech translation of Vojtěch Kühnel for the composition and during November he composed Magic Nights, three songs for soprano with orchestral accompaniment. The composition is influenced by Mahler, but also by French impressionism. The composition premiered in the presence of President Masaryk on 2 April 1924 in the Lucerna in Prague, performed by the former soloist of the National Theatre Opera Pavla Osuská Vachková, the Czech Philharmonic and the French conductor Alphonse Catherine.

Programme:

Bohuslav Martinů: Kouzelné noci (Magic Nights)
Three songs to Chinese texts for Soprano and Orchestra
Li T'ai-Po: V cizině
Čan-Jo Su: Jarem nedotčena
Li T'ai-Po: Tajemná flétna

Soprano: Kateřina Kněžíková

Gustav Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde (The Song of the Earth)
for tenor, alto and orchestra
I. Das Trinklied vom Jammer der Erde (The Drinking Song of Earth's Misery)
II. Der Einsame im Herbst (The lonely one in Autumn)
III. Von der Jugend (Of Youth)
IV. Von der Schönheit (Of Beauty)
V. Der Trunkene im Frühling (The drunken man in Spring)
VI. Der Abschied (The Farewell)

Alto: Štepánka Pučálková, Tenor: Benjamin Bruns