CLASSICS ON SUNDAYS
CHAMBER CONCERT SERIES
of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb and the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra
Sundays at 11 am at the foyer of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb
Average concert duration: approximately 50 minutes.
Đana Kahriman, violin
Val Bakrač, violin
Lucija Brnadić, viola
Janko Franković, violoncello
Marko Radić, double bass
Ana Batinica, flute
Vittoria Palumbo, oboe
Dunja Košutić, clarinet
Eva Fritz, bassoon
Stepan Bebikh, horn
Viktor Čižić, piano
Sergei Prokofiev:Overture on Hebrew Themes, Op. 34, for clarinet, string quartet and piano
Jean Françaix:Octet, À huit, for clarinet, horn, bassoon, 2 violins, viola, violoncello and double bass
Moderato
Scherzo
Andante
Francis Poulenc:Sextet, FP 100, for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn and piano
Allegro vivace
Divertissement: Andantino
Finale: Prestissimo
Guillaume Connesson:Double quatuor, for flute, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet (arr. bassoon) and string quartet
Today’s concert programme brings together four works which, although composed in different periods and within different aesthetic frameworks, share a common thread: the exploration of colour, character and dialogue within chamber music.
Overture on Hebrew Themes, Op. 34 by the Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev was written in 1919 during the composer’s stay in the United States. The work was composed at the suggestion of an ensemble of Russian Jewish musicians who presented Prokofiev with a number of traditional melodies. These themes became the foundation of the composition, shaped by the composer’s distinctive language combining irony, lyricism and rhythmic energy. The clarinet assumes a particularly prominent role, evoking the sound of klezmer tradition, while the string quartet and piano create a rich yet transparent texture. The Overture simultaneously radiates melancholy and brightness, offering a subtle fusion of folk inspiration and modernist expression.
Octet, À huit by Jean Françaix is an example of French neoclassical elegance and wit. Françaix, known for his inclination towards clarity, humour and lightness of expression, explores in this work the possibilities of a varied chamber ensemble. The first movement, Moderato, introduces the listener to a lucid and balanced musical world marked by precise form and refined phrasing. The Scherzo brings vivacity, rhythmic playfulness and sudden contrasts, often with a touch of subtle irony, while the concluding Andante reveals the composer’s more lyrical side, though without the weight of Romantic pathos.
Sextet, FP 100 by Francis Poulenc is one of the most important works in the chamber repertoire for winds and piano. It was composed between 1932 and 1939 and reflects the composer’s ability to unite different expressive worlds. As a member of Les Six, Poulenc developed a style combining urban charm, humour and sudden emotional depth. The first movement, Allegro vivace, is marked by energy and abrupt shifts of mood; the central Divertissement: Andantino offers a more relaxed, almost cabaret-like atmosphere, evoking the Parisian musical scene of the interwar period; and the Finale: Prestissimo concludes the work in a virtuosic and brilliant manner, with a swift and witty character that leaves a powerful final impression.
The programme concludes with Double quatuor by the contemporary French composer Guillaume Connesson, a work that explores in a distinctive way the relationship between two chamber ensembles. The wind and string quartets function as two equal bodies in constant interaction, at times in dialogue and at times in a kind of opposition. Connesson’s style is characterised by rhythmic vitality, a pronounced sense of colour and influences of minimalism, yet with a strong melodic clarity. The result is music pulsing with energy and contemporary sensibility, at once accessible and sophisticated.
