Ondřej Vrabec conducts an octet consisting of members of the Czech Philharmonic and the Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra. The chamber ensemble will perform works by W. A. Mozart and Carl Reinecke.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Serenade in E-flat major, K.375
Carl Reinecke
Octet, Op. 216
An octet composed of members of the Czech Philharmonic and the Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra
Ondřej Vrabec artistic director, conductor
The kind of serenade that you will hear tonight enjoyed great popularity during the classical era. The chamber instrumentation, the light character, and the pleasant melody were well-suited for outdoor performances or celebrations of important events. At the same time, however, with this form of serenade composers did not try to create a grand work of art nor did they place too great a demand on the listener. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791) composed his Serenade in E-flat Major on the occasion of the Feast of Saint Theresa. Many listeners may be unfamiliar with Carl Reinecke (1824–1910), a composer who was also active as a conductor and pianist. Reinecke worked with Leipzig’s Gewandhaus Orchestra and was a much sought-after teacher whose students included Leoš Janáček and Edvard Grieg, among others.
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