Last weeks: the Quasars Ensemble concert from the 60th BHS is in the archive only until 24 November
Berio, Boulez, Lutosławski, Burlas and Martinů performed by Quasars Ensemble and conductor Ivan Buffa. You can watch the recording of this concert from last year’s Bratislava Music Festival only until 24 November 2026.
At last year's 60th Bratislava Music Festival, the evening of 29 September 2025 in the Column Hall of the Slovak Philharmonic belonged to Quasars Ensemble and its founder, conductor Ivan Buffa. The recording of this concert is in the archive only until 24 November 2026 – after that we will have to take it down. If you have not seen it yet, now is the time.
Two centenaries and five composers
The programme was dedicated to two giants of music of the second half of the 20th century, both born in 1925: Luciano Berio and Pierre Boulez. Around them Ivan Buffa built an evening of works that are only rarely heard in Slovakia:
- Witold Lutosławski – Dance Preludes in the version for nonet, a lyrical gem of Polish music,
- Luciano Berio – Folk Songs, a cycle of folk songs from various countries that Berio wrote for the singer Cathy Berberian; in Bratislava it was sung by Josefine Göhmann,
- Martin Burlas – The Fear, performed to mark the composer's 70th birthday,
- Pierre Boulez – the magical Dérive 1,
- Bohuslav Martinů – Les Rondes, six round dances for oboe, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, two violins and piano.
Martinů in Paris
Martinů completed Les Rondes in Paris in November 1930. The title refers to the round dances popularised by Stravinsky, and Martinů combined them with Moravian and Czech folk music – with a transparent texture, energetic rhythm, humour and here and there a touch of jazz. The premiere was conducted by Alfred Cortot in Paris in 1932.
A small tip: listen carefully to the last movement, Allegro vivo. One melody may remind you of a famous animated series. Which one? We leave that to you.
Watch it while you can
The recording was produced by the StreamTeam of the Slovak Philharmonic – Marek Piaček, Andrej Osvald and Olesia Stepura. You can find it in the Concert Archive – together with Ivan Buffa's text on the whole programme and media coverage – and on the concert page in the BHS archive.
After 24 November, all that will be left of it in the archive is The Fear. So don't wait.
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