Escape Routines by Miroslav Srnka were given their first European performance during the 71st year of the Prague Spring Internatonal Music Festival. Premiered on 26 September 2010 at the Boston Symphony Hall, this piece for clarinet, violin, viola, cello and harp was performed on 21 May at the Prague Conservatory Concert Hall by the members of the fama Q string quartet, an American clarinet player Thomas Martin and a renowned Czech harpist Kateřina Englichová.
The piece was commissioned by the Terezin Music Foundation which inspired the author to reflect on the meaning of freedom and how it can be created in chamber music. “Where is really this freedom of music? Is it in those individual escapes of each player? Or is it indeed in the unique way of being together in the sound? In the possibility to escape together?” The programme also included Hans Krása’s String Quartet and, also as a European premiere, the Clarinet Quintet by André Previn.
21 May 2016, Prague Conservatory Concert Hall, Prague
Prague Spring
Miroslav Srnka: Escape Routines (European premiere)
fama Q (David Danel, Roman Hranička – violin, Ondřej Martinovský – viola, Balázs Adorján – cello), Thomas Martin – clarinet, Kateřina Englichová – harp