PHILHARMONIA OCTET PRAGUE

Leoš Janáček – (1854–1928): Study from the opera From the House of the Dead, adapted by Tomáš Ille

Isang Yun – Octet

M.P.Musorgskij: Kartinki s vystavky (Pictures at an exhibition), transcription for brass octet by Tomáš Ille

Probably Leoš Janáček’s most progressive musical and dramatic work is his last opera From the House of the Dead. The opera production of Dostoevsky´s novel The House of the Dead takes us to the setting of a Russian prison camp, where the horrible lives of those who are rejected and forgotten are described by the composer with impressive skill through insights into the convicts’ lives based mainly on stories told by the individual prisoners. Janáček composed unbelievably dramatic and inherently harsh music for the opera, masterfully reflecting the environment as well as the miserable mental states of the convicts. There are, however, also gentle places full of understanding and forgiveness. The composer wrote into the motto of the opera: “In every creature a spark of God”. The score is undoubtedly remarkable, so it is no wonder that it has seen various adaptations, most often into the form of a suite. At the premiere we will hear the suite adapted for a chamber brass ensemble for the first time.

Author: Jiří Zahrádka