Piešťany – Easter Concert

In 1779, the life circumstances of Joseph Haydn changed significantly. His patron, Nikolaus Esterházy, allowed him in a new contract to compose for other purposes than just for the needs of the noble estates in Esterháza and Eisenstadt. The astute businessman Haydn began to fully utilize this opportunity. In 1785 he was approached by the founders of the impressive cave cathedral Oratorio de la Santa Cueva in the Spanish city of Cádiz regarding an Easter orchestral project, The Seven Last Words of Our Savior on the Cross. After its premiere in 1786 Haydn revised this reflective work three times, creating versions for string quartet, for solos, choir and orchestra, and finally for solo piano. The tradition of presenting Haydn’s work before Easter has been around for more than two centuries. The Slovak Chamber Orchestra (SKO) has been performing at the Slovak Philharmonic for more than twenty years under the leadership of Ewald Danel. This ensemble can be heard at festivals, as well as on domestic and international tours. It often presents premieres of works by Slovak composers, many of which are dedicated to the ensemble.