September 23rd, 2023 | Dmitry Sitkovetsky and Ivo Kahánek with New European Strings at the Dvorak Prague Festival
The evening will feature a diverse range of musical traditions and contemporary music, vibrantly connecting the West and the East – all within a single concert performed by the New European Strings chamber orchestra. When he founded the orchestra, violinist and conductor Dmitry Sitkovetsky perhaps felt that it was not enough to perform with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields and the London Philharmonic Orchestra – that he needed to work with his own ensemble too. The New European Strings nicely embody the musical skills and vision of their founder.
In the first part of their concert, the Dance Suite in G Major will transport the audience to the world of Johann Sebastian Bach, one of the pillars of European music. German composer Felix Mendelssohn, who was fond of lyrical melodies, will contribute too, with his Concerto for Piano, Violin, and Strings. From Mendelssohn’s work, it is clear why he was responsible for reviving Bach’s music, which, by the early 19th century, had nearly been forgotten. The second part of the concert will be a tribute to traditional church music, with modern award-winning composer Jakov Jakoulov’s Four Cherub Songs, and the performance will conclude with a witty and energetic Serenade from Romantic-era composer Ernö Dohnányi.
Program:
- J. S. Bach: Dance Suite for Strings (arr. for string orchestra Dmitry Sitkovetsky)
- F. Mendelssohn–Bartholdy: Concerto for Piano, Violin and Strings in D Minor, MWV 04
- P. I. Tchaikovsky / J. Jakoulov: The Seasons, Op. 37a & Four Cherubic Chants for String Orchestra
- E. Dohnányi: Serenade in C Major, Op. 10 (arr. for string orchestra Dmitry Sitkovetsky)
