VŠMU Bratislava and AMU Banská Bystrica students
A concert by students of the Academy of Performing Arts (VŠMU) and the Academy of Arts in Banská Bystrica will feature the premiere of a work by Matej Ricotti, a graduate of Lukáš Borzík's composition class at VŠMU. His orchestral composition blends elements of the sacred tradition with the language of modern music. The aria Za štíhlou gazelou comes from the first act of Antonín Dvořák's final opera, Armida, from 1904. It is relatively unknown, but Slovak sopranos Lucia Popp and Gabriela Beňačková have made it famous through their magnificent performances. Poème for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 25, from 1896, is perhaps the best-known work by the French composer Ernest Chausson. The composition was written at the request of the legendary Belgian violinist Eugène Ysaÿe, to whom it is also dedicated. The opera Prince Igor by the Russian composer Alexander Borodin is also among the jewels of European musical culture. In addition to the extremely popular Polovtsian Dances and Prince Igor's aria, the sensual cavatina of Konchakovna from Act II will also captivate the audience. The piece Siciliana e burlesca, Op. 23 was written by the Italian composer Alfredo Casella in 1914, originally for flute and piano. The concert will feature Alexander Gagarinov's orchestral version. Pavol Béreš is a representative of the youngest generation of Slovak composers. His Concerto blends the world of classical music with a progressive rock sound and will be performed in its premiere. Alban Berg's Concerto for Violin and Orchestra belongs to the golden fund of works by composers of the Second Viennese School. The composer dedicated it to the memory of Alma Mahler's daughter Manon, who died at a young age.
