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Mozart Say Bartók


Thursday, May 9, 2024, 7:00 PM, Season Cycle A
Concert Hall of SPh,
Price: 16, 13€
Slovak Philharmonic
Slovak Philharmonic Choir
Erik Nielsen conductor
Jan Rozehnal choirmaster
Juraj Čižmarovič violin
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Fazıl Say
Béla Bartók

Die Entführung aus dem Serail, K. 384 Overture
Violin Concerto 1001 Nights in the Harem, Op. 25
The Miraculous Mandarin, Op. 19, Sz. 73 (ballet pantomime)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a man of action. He knew how to delicately criticize social conditions, yet he could equally skillfully strike a chord with people through popular motif or theme. The opera “The Abduction from the Seraglio” and its lively overture with the use of the triangle and bass drum splendidly suited the taste of the time. The violin concerto by the Turkish pianist and composer Fazıl Say is infused with oriental melodies and rhythms, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of a harem. The solo part will be performed by Juraj Čižmarovič, a Slovak violinist, who serves as a concertmaster in the German orchestra WDR Rundfunkorchester Köln. “The Miraculous Mandarin” by Béla Bartók caused quite a sensation when it was first introduced. The composer broke with old conventions with vigor and uncompromising gestures. Today, it is considered an “old good classic of the 20th century”. In “The Miraculous Mandarin” Bartók reveals harsh truths about life in bustling cities, marked by crime, shallowness, and noise; in other words, a world stripped of love. The concert will be conducted by the hand of the music director of the Bilbao Orkesta Sinfonikoa, Erik Nielsen, who will be making his debut in the Slovak Philharmonic.