Zahradní ateliér / Garden Atelier - 2011

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CHRISTOPHER PROSSER - Theodore Wiprud’s Grail - after the painting by Vaclav Vaculovic

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA, U. S. A.

Theodore Wiprud’s Grail after the painting by Vaclav Vaculovic for String Orchestra, very cleverly conjures up images of a search for the Cup of Christ.  His use of different modal sonorities, polyphonic texture, and a very effective rhythmic ostinato beginning in the violin and violas, call to mind the quest of the Knights Templar... The last piece performed before intermission was Karel Husa’s Four Little Pieces for String Orchestra (1995).  “Variazioni,” the title of the first little piece, began with a beautiful melody in the first violin.  The second violins, violas, cellos and basses enter in a fugue like fashion developing the beautiful subject...During intermission, the members of the audience were encouraged to walk around the performing space and observe the many paintings by guest artist Vaclav Vaculovic that were on display...The final piece of the evening was Idyll, by the great Czech composer Leos Janacek.  This four movement work is very typical of early Janacek and employed several folk melodies in a modal style.  It was a perfect ending to wonderful night of music and art with the Louisiana Sinfonietta and the Baton Rouge Gallery."