The concert evening by PhilHarmonia Octet Prague with guest baritone Roman Hoza brought a programme conceived with curatorial sensitivity - with emphasis on the continuity of the classical tradition and its later metamorphoses.
The opening piece, Partita in F major by Pavel Vranický, gave listeners a glimpse into the era of Viennese Classicism and, at the same time, a showcase of the ensemble’s masterly cohesion, which has long ranked among the very best in wind chamber music. The octet’s interpretation was marked by a precise balance between the individuality of each part and a compact whole. Each instrument was audible in its distinctive timbre, yet the sound of the ensemble coalesced into a unified, living organism. Everything unfolded within a considered texture, where oboes, clarinets and bassoons passed melodic impulses between themselves with masterful ease. Expressive precision, carefully shaded dynamics and absolute security of intonation created space for a subtle stylistic elegance that accords with the musical aesthetics of the time. The performance avoided any superficial virtuosity – attention was focused instead on the inner logic of the musical flow and on ensemble interplay that lets mutual listening and responsive flexibility come to the fore. The shifting moods of the individual movements were captured with unshowy naturalness: from the briskly rhythmic energy of the opening through calmer passages, dance-like lightness and on to final release. The opening theme of the variations, as well as the variations themselves, sounded on Irvin Venyš's clarinet with a cultured tone that dissolved into the responses of oboists Vilém Veverka and Monika Fürbach Boušková and bassoonists Václav Vonášek and Petr Sedlák. In PhilHarmonia Octet’s hands, Vranický’s music did not come across as a museum relic, but as living evidence of a stylistic culture that can still touch today’s listener in a contemporary context. This is an interpretation grounded in perfect stylistic command, chamber sensitivity and a deep understanding that behind the Classical form lies far more than mere regularity – a world of emotion, nobility and inner calm.
After the classical opening score by Pavel Vranický came a fundamental shift of expressive space. Petr Wajsar’s new piece – Elektropictures – presented the evening’s contrasting pole, in which the traditional instrumentation of a wind octet became a laboratory of contemporary sound and of the space between rhythm and structure. The world première of the piece, commissioned by the festival, is laid out in four movements and is built on continuous motion and layering that evoked electronic music not only in its rhythmic organisation but also in its handling of energy. Here, PhilHarmonia Octet took on the role of a technically exceptional ensemble able to respond to Wajsar’s complex score with precision, poise and infectious viltality. The players showed a keen feel for the composer’s hand – for his work with verticality and micromotivic mutability. The use of extended techniques – slap tonguing, multiphonics, blowing into mouthpieces or special sung glissandi – did not register as mere effect, but as an organic part of the musical expression. The result was a striking synthesis between an “acoustic club” and chamber malleability. From a dramaturgical standpoint, it was a compelling experiment: traditional wind instruments here imitated electronic processes, rhythmic patterns created a hypnotic pull, and slight shifts of accent generated tension and the illusion of mechanical motion. Veverka's oboe dominated with its controlled tone and sustain. Clarinets and oboes traded impulses, thickened them, let them fragment and then joined them up again – the overall impression oscillated between organised chaos and perfectly structured order. Wajsar’s compositional language works with a paradox here: rhythm and form both blur and reinforce one another, and melody is merely a temporary fragment of a broader rhythmic current. The whole feels like a plastic mass whose energy never fully dies away, but only changes form. PhilHarmonia Octet identified with this conception to such a degree that it felt like improvisation, even though most of it was carefully composed. The piece came across as a manifesto of genre and generational crossover: contemporary music with a clear relationship to the tradition of chamber ensemble playing. Here, Wajsar capitalised on his flair for structure without abandoning the inner humour and irony that are hallmarks of his style. PhilHarmonia Octet performed Elektropictures as a sonically captivating première – a work that expands the potential of the wind octet while confirming that the boundary between classical and electronic aesthetics has long ceased to be impermeable.
After the intermission, the evening's dramaturgy turned into a meditation on the intertwining of Gustav Mahler’s song and symphonic works. PhilHarmonia Octet, joined by double bassist Jan Vokoun and soloist Roman Hoza, presented a selection from the cycle Des Knaben Wunderhorn (The Boy's Magic Horn) transcribed by Tomáš Ille, complemented by the instrumental interlude Blumine – the 2nd movement of the 1st Symphony arranged by ensemble member Václav Vonášek. The entire block formed a whole in which Mahler's thinking about song as a fundamental expressive form naturally transmuted into instrumental and symphonic planes. This intention was no accident: Mahler reworked many of the songs from his Wunderhorn cycle into his symphonies. The interconnection between the song and symphonic worlds thus created an internally cohesive entity – after five songs came the instrumental movement Blumine, forming a symbolic bridge between these two dimensions of Mahler’s art. This was followed by a further five songs whose poetics and musical structure were a clear nod to Mahler’s symphonic transformations. It was therefore not only a formal division, but a considered arc that allowed the listener to perceive the songs as a living source of Mahler’s symphonic language.
Roman Hoza demonstrated exceptional assurance and cultivated delivery – his baritone stood out for a carrying middle register, clear diction and finely shaped legato. Every passage was thought through with natural gradation, and Hoza succeeded in delicately balancing the lyrical and tragic layers of Mahler’s texts. PhilHarmonia Octet was an equal partner to the soloist, not merely an accompaniment – the musical structure unfolded as a chamber dialogue in which individual instruments responded to the voice and to one another. The addition of Jan Vokoun's double bass gave the whole a firm grounding and a gentle rhythmic pulse that did nothing to disrupt the transparency of the wind textures.
The first part of the cycle (songs 1-5) saw a wide range of moods unfold: from the grave introspection of the Night Watchman’s Song through to the dance-like lightness of The Little Rhine Legend. There was immaculate work with tempo rubato, soft modulations and even dynamics. In Where the Fair Trumpets Sound the dialogue of horns and bassoons stood out alongside Hoza’s dramatic expression, while the ensemble’s sense for rhythmic tension and dark colouring came to the fore in Earthly Life and The Drummer Boy. All the players were supremely focused, their overall sound was balanced, and phrases dovetailed naturally with the vocal line.
The instrumental interlude Blumine brought a release and lyrical radiance. Václav Vonášek's arrangement preserved the delicacy and clarity of the original symphonic movement, despite the reduction to nine players. Although it was a chamber arrangement, the result felt full and balanced - Blumine sounded not like a miniature symphony, but like its more intimate image.
The second half of the song cycle (songs 6–10) brought a return to Mahler’s darker and more grotesque registers. In Song of the Persecuted in the Tower and Three Angels Sang, Hoza proved himself not only a singer but a storyteller with a keen sense of drama. His delivery was theatrically truthful, natural and immersive. PhilHarmonia Octet responded flexibly – the wind runs of clarinets and oboes had poise and lightness, double-bass pizzicato set the framework and lent sonic stability. The lightly grotesque character of Lob des hohen Verstandes was underlined by the ensemble’s brilliant articulation and precise rhythmic play, while St Anthony of Padua’s Sermon to the Fishes felt like a petite scherzo. The closing Primeval Light then brought spiritual reconciliation and calm – relaxed tempo, gentle planes and a singing oboe created an impression of deep meditation and a return to the essence of Mahler’s world.
The audience responded to this exceptional musical experience with prolonged standing ovations, confirming that this was not just a concert but a thoroughly thought-out interpretative gambit – an outstanding example of how historical fidelity, stylistic culture and living musical imagination can be combined.
PhilHarmonia Octet Prague
The Journey of Sound: Vranický, Wajsar, Mahler
22 October 2025, Moravian Autumn, 7:00 p.m. Besední dům
Vilém Veverka, Monika Fürbach Boušková, oboes
Irvin Venyš, Karel Dohnal, clarinets
Václav Vonášek, Petr Sedlák, bassoons
Kryštof Koska, Hana Šuková, horns
Jan Vokoun, double-bass (Mahler)
Roman Hoza, baritone (Mahler)
Programme:
PAVEL VRANICKÝ Octet in F major for wind octet
PETR WAJSAR Elektropictures
GUSTAV MAHLER / arr. TOMÁŠ ILLE Des Knaben Wunderhorn (The Boy's Magic Horn) for baritone, wind octet and double bass (songs 1 to 10)
GUSTAV MAHLER / arr. VÁCLAV VONÁŠEK Blumine
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