Chamber Music by Sinfonia Iuventus | The Michał Oczapowski Central Agricultural Library, Warsaw
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The Polish Orchestra Sinfonia Iuventus would like to invite you to the next event in the series of chamber concerts. On 9 December 2016, the Michał Oczapowski Central Agricultural Library in Warsaw will play host to a concert of chamber ensembles of the Polish Orchestra Sinfonia Iuventus. The artists will be led by Jan Jakub Bokun, a conductor, clarinetist and pedagogue, known for his tireless efforts to popularise chamber music. The programme includes the best chamber music repertoire of the second half of the 19th century for wind instruments composed by Richard Strauss, Charles Gounod and Antonín Dvořák.
The concert will open with the youthful Serenade in E-flat major, Op. 7 by Richard Strauss (1864-1949). This work of almost 10-minutes was composed by the 17-year-old composer. It had its world premiere on 27 November 1882 in Dresden. Rich and full sound of 13 wind instruments is the work’s great asset. The instruments are as follows: two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, a contrabassoon and four French horns.
Charles Gounod (1818-1893) is mostly known as the author of famous French operas such as Faust and Romeo and Juliet. The possibility of listening to his rarely-performed Petite Symphonie (Little Symphony) will be a real treat. The work dates back to 1885 and is designed for flute, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons and two French horns. An interesting instrumentation is its main distinguishing feature. It was composed specifically for the Society of Chamber Music for Wind Instruments established in 1879 in Paris. It is an interesting fact that Gounod created the flute part especially for his friend Paul Taffanel, an outstanding conductor, a flautist and a leading representative of the fin-de-siècle Paris musical life who established the Society. The four-part Little Symphony brings to mind Mozart’s serenades. In terms of style, it refers to the expression and aesthetics of the early Romantic period.
The third work included in the programme is Serenade for wind instruments, cello and double-bass in D minor, Op. 44 by Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904). The wind instruments are as follows: two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, a contrabassoon and three French horns. The work was composed in 1878 (directly before Slavonic Dances). It is written in the composer’s characteristic Slavonic style, which is for example evidenced by the minuet which in its trio part refers to the Czech folk dance called furiant.
Performers:
Polish Orchestra Sinfonia Iuventus
Jan Jakub Bokun – conductor
Programme:
Richard Strauss – Serenade in E-flat major, Op. 7
Charles Gounod – Petite symphonie
Antonín Dvořák – Serenade for wind instruments in D minor, Op. 44