Like other music festivals, the 29th annual Concentus Moraviae International Music Festival has not only had to reflect the fact that it is the Year of Czech Music, but also the unique 200th anniversary of the birth of Bedřich Smetana, the founder of modern Czech music. The dramaturgy of this year’s festival, which has just launched, is in the spirit of "Metamorphoses: Czech Smetana!". The first festival concert, which took place on 31 May at the Kyjov Municipal Cultural Centre, gave a hint of the direction the rest of the festival's dramaturgy will take. The organisers of the show decided to explore Smetana's work from a fresh angle and to work not only with the music, but also with the audience’s expectations. The opening evening saw a performance of Smetana's famous String Quartet No. 1 in E minor From My Life, but in an arrangement for a symphony orchestra penned by conductor and pianist George Szell. Smetana's work was complemented by the world première of the Concerto for Flute and Orchestra "Sadunkertoja" by Finnish composer, conductor and artist in residence at the 29th annual festival, Olli Mustonen, commissioned especially for the festival. Mustonen also conducted the Prague Philharmonia's performance of the two works. Danish flautist Janne Thomsen performed as soloist.
After the introductory speech and the traditional parade, the evening opened with Mustonen's Concerto for Flute and Orchestra "Sadunkertoja". The title of the work means "teller of fables" and as the composer himself stated, "the word has a mysterious, mythical connotation associated with the world of Kalevala and its singers". Apart from the theme, the composition is also unusual in its instrumental line-up: besides the strings, timpani and harp, wind instruments are abundantly represented, with the exception of the oboe and the flute, which plays a solo part - it is the latter that personifies the imaginary "narrator".
The opening movement Poetico e misterioso - Furioso opens with the quiet swirl of the timpani, which is later joined by the dark pizzicatos of the double basses and the deep tones of the bassoons. The long flute notes that follow thus offer a tonal as well as a melodic contrast. Although the expansion of the musical texture and the inclusion of other instruments broadens the musical palette of the piece, the flute still has the main say here - there is no one to interrupt the narrator and the orchestra's occasional "questions" always build a dialogue with the flute. (The principle of dialogue is also essential for the other movements of the piece.) The Furioso movement is characterised by a distinctive rhythmic style with a slight tendency towards minimalism, demanding melodic runs and a timbre based primarily on a combination of winds and strings. It is here that certain elements of playfulness and mischievousness appear, which the composer builds on especially in the second movement, Allegro Scherzando. One of the distinctive and recurring motifs even brings to mind the similarly comic and exuberant trombone motif from the opening movement of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 9. It was this movement that gave Janne Thomsen the chance to fully present the ease and careful articulation of the melodic runs and the excellent expression and phrasing. The final Lento - Estatico returns to the opening darkness and distinctive Nordic lyricism and makes imaginative use of orchestral colours, especially in the Estatico section. In the programme, the composer states that "some elements of his work may come close to the great Czech composers Smetana, Dvořák, Martinů and Janáček". Although he is mainly referring to the inspiration he drew from the world of fairy tales and his fascination with folk culture, the resemblance to Dvořák, for example, was quite naturally apparent in some of the instrumental parts. In any case, Mustonen's composition was an excellent and novel way of opening the festival, whether its connection with Czech composers was intentional or purely accidental. It is also essential to note that the performance was conducted by the composer himself, making for a truly authentic rendition.
The Smetana part of the programme in the form of an orchestral version of String Quartet No. 1 From My Life was also a fresh and original piece of dramaturgy and I believe that it was a controversial work for many concert-goers. Although not for reasons of quality! George Szell showed an excellent grasp of Smetana's instrumentation, a fact that is more than evident in the result (although, of course, it may be argued that Smetana’s Quartet itself was naturally suited to the orchestration). Nevertheless, this is one of the best-known works in the Czech quartet canon, and it may be assumed that audiences will find it hard to immediately free themselves fully from the familiar musical ideas instilled after many, many listens. Orchestral versions of original chamber works can be touchy subjects, and it tends to be no surprise when arrangements like this are criticised for turning the original intimacy into a false opulence that is not inherent in the work. However, I believe that this is not the case here. After a short while, the reins are taken up by the successful instrumentation and the orchestra’s excellent performance, giving the piece the chance to fully show off its orchestral colours, which after all significantly recontextualises and thus, in line with the theme of this year's festival, metamorphoses the original version for a string quartet. Mustonen did a superb job with the orchestration and built much of the musical impact on his perfect work with dynamics and tempo, as well as on his excellent understanding of the new timbre of the piece, or orchestration. The members of the Prague Philharmonia played as finely as we have come to expect and with perfect intonation and rhythm. However, unfortunately, the acoustics of the hall were rather "dry", which did not suit the brass in particular. However, the players definitely gave a commendable performance.
The grand opening of this year's Concentus Moraviae International Music Festival was a great success - the audience was treated to an outstanding, contemporary yet accessible composition by the festival's artist in residence, and had a unique opportunity to see Smetana's famous composition in a fresh light. All this led by an excellent conductor and with great performances by the soloist and the orchestra. All that remains now is to enjoy the colourful metamorphosis of Smetana's work...
Janne Thomsen / flute
Olli Mustonen / Conductor in Residence at the 29th annual Festival
Prague Philharmonia
Programme:
Olli Mustonen: Concerto for flute and orchestra "Sadunkertoja" - world première
Bedřich Smetana: String Quartet No. 1 in E minor "From My Life" (arranged for symphony orchestra by George Szell)
Kyjov, Municipal Cultural Centre
Friday, 31 May 2024, 7:00 p.m.
Photo: Majda Slámová / Concentus Moraviae
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