Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra / Josef paek / Petr Popelka

• Classical Music

When Petr Popelka conducts the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra in music by three of the most famous composers from his Czech homeland, that is a speciality in itself. And Dvoák’s »The Noon Witch« adds another rarity to the programme.
In this symphonic poem, a witch appears on the scene at exactly noon and has a decisive influence on events in both the underlying fairy tale and the music. Of course, Dvoák did not miss the opportunity to incorporate the chimes of the church clock into his composition. We also hear a work by Dvoák’s son-in-law Josef Suk, who set four other fairy tale scenes to music in his orchestral piece »Pohádka«. But this Czech evening opens with music by Suk’s pupil Bohuslav Martin. With his numerous echoes of folk music, Martin enchanted not only his fellow countrymen, but also American culture-lovers in the 1940s and 1950s. It goes almost without saying that his Violin Concerto is performed by the exceptional Czech violinist Josef paek.

PERFORMERS

Prager Radio-Sinfonieorchester orchestra

Josef paek violin

Petr Popelka conductor

PROGRAM

Bohuslav Martin
La Bagarre

Bohuslav Martin
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. 2, H 293

- Interval -

Antonín Dvoák
The Noon Witch

Josef Suk
Pohádka (Fairy Tale)