On 2nd May, the BERG Orchestra put on a concert at the Ss. Cyril and Methodius Church in Karlín, Prague. It included a world premiere of Lorelei by composer Robert Hejnar (*1969), a piece which – by its balladic subject – formed an interesting contrast of thought to the spiritual Sequentia by Arvo Pärt and Seven Words by Sofia Gubaidulina.
The title refers to Heinrich Heine’s poem of the same name which is inspired by an old German legend about a water nymph. This nymph used to sit on a rock on a bank of Danube and her song, intensified by a powerful echo, was lurking the boatsmen to their death; the piece thus echoes not only the nymph’s singing and the rapids but also themes of tragedy and fatality. Written for a solo violin, orchestra and piano, Lorelei is dedicated to the memory of a Slovak opera singer and teacher Emília Chudovská. Jan Fišer played the solo part, the whole concert was conducted by Pavel Šnajdr.
2 May 2017, Ss. Cyril and Methodius Church, Prague
Seven
Robert Hejnar: Lorelei (world premiere)
Jan Fišer – violin, BERG Orchestra, cond. Pavel Šnajdr