The programme of the concert of the NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra conducted by Joseph Swensen includes early works by Josef Suk and George Enescu. Both virtuoso compositions are written exclusively for strings. Although the works of these authors are rarely played in our concert halls, they are original, definitely worth popularizing and getting to know.

The author of the four-movement Serenade for Strings op. 6 is the Czech composer Josef Suk. He was a student (and later also son-in-law) of Antonín Dvořák. The mentor, noticing the great melodic talent of his disciple, encouraged him to write a light composition. As a result, in 1892, this work was created, which brought Suk fame and recognition, and its publication was supported by Johannes Brahms himself. This is brilliant music, full of grace and elegance, testifies to the great inventiveness of the young composer.

The NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra will also present the four-movement String Octet in C major by the Romanian artist George Enescu. It is a juvenile work by this artist, written in 1900 during his studies in Paris. The octet was by no means created quickly, in a fit of inspiration – it took Enescu a year and a half to complete it. The composer compared his task to the work of an architect who must correctly calculate the proportions to avoid the collapse of the designed bridge. He dedicated the work to André Gedalge, his composition teacher. Thanks to Gedalge’s recommendation, the work was published. It is music full of great emotions, violent and passionate, combining the influences of various styles young artist was influenced by – there are echoes of the Impressionist works of Claude Debussy and late-Romantic compositions of Richard Strauss. Although the work was originally written for eight performers, the author envisaged the possibility of its presentation by a string orchestra.