Czech Philharmonic Josef Špaček

Czech Philharmonic ⬩ Josef Špaček

Principal guest conductor Tomáš Netopil has prepared one of the season’s purely Czech programmes with the suite from Leoš Janáček’s opera The Makropulos Affair arranged by Tomáš Ille. The rest of the programme is original as well, with Josef Špaček appearing, unusually, as a viola soloist in Bohuslav Martinů’s Rhapsody-Concerto.

Duration of the programme 1 hour 30 minutes

Programme

Leoš Janáček | arr. Tomáš Ille
The Makropulos Affair, suite from the opera (20')

Bohuslav Martinů
Rhapsody-Concerto for viola and orchestra, H 337 (24')

— Intermission —

Vítězslav Novák
Slovak Suite for small orchestra, Op. 32 (28')

Performers

Josef Špaček viola

Tomáš Netopil conductor

Czech Philharmonic

Josef Špaček plays the master instrument of Johannes Theodor Cuypers from 1767. Special thanks to Josef Schebal and the Fidulaza Foundation for the loan of the rare viola.

 

Concerning the suite, the conductor Tomáš Netopil says “I hope that by performing it, we will be expanding Janáček’s rich, highly original musical legacy. I’m also pleased about collaborating in a new way with Josef Špaček as a viola soloist, and I fully understand his desire to play this extraordinary concertante work by Bohuslav Martinů, which was also once recorded by the legendary Czech violinist Josef Suk. Supplementing the evening of Czech music will be Vítězslav Novák’s delightful Slovak Suite, a work I have loved since my days as a student.”

Rudolfinum — Dvořák Hall

2/15/2023 Wednesday 10:00 AM
Dress rehearsal

The event has passed

2/15/2023 Wednesday 7:30 PM

The event has passed

2/16/2023 Thursday 7:30 PM

The event has passed

2/17/2023 Friday 7:30 PM

The event has passed