WBS: ITALIAN

The concert program is a musical journey across Europe, with sunny Italy as its destination – a country that has been an inexhaustible source of inspiration for many composers.

The evening opens with Ludwig van Beethoven's dramatic Coriolan Overture, Op. 62, a stirring musical portrait of a hero torn between duty and passion. Here, Beethoven works with contrasts and dense expression with extraordinary intensity, immediately drawing the listener into the action.

This is followed by the Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra in F major, Op. 52, by Franz Krommer, a composer of Czech origin whose work was firmly rooted in the European classical tradition. The work offers space for the solo instrument to shine – the oboe is heard here in all its color, from lyrical melodiousness to brilliant technical virtuosity. Veronika Faglicová will perform the solo part.

The highlight of the evening is Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy's Symphony No. 4 in A major, "Italian," Op. 90, inspired by the composer's travels in Italy. The symphony is bursting with energy, light, and joy, from the jubilant opening movement to the spirited final saltarello, in which Mendelssohn captured the rhythm and passion of southern Italy.

The work is a celebration of life, movement, and color, which made Italy one of the greatest musical muses of the 19th century.