Zahradní ateliér / Garden Atelier - 2011

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GISSELLE EASTMAN - INTERNATIONAL MINI FESTIVAL OF ART AND MUSIC

OCTOBER 4-24, 2006 - BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA, U. S. A.

" In comparison to the bright white space of the Baton Rouge Gallery, Vaculovic’s paintings were dark and fascinating, evoking images of mankind’s journey through life and into the afterlife.  Each one depicted curiosity, struggle or fascination with the unknown, some moods accented with bright reds and greens and others expressed with muted browns, yellows. Members of the Louisiana Sinfonietta under Dr. Dinos Constantinides performed Thursday evening with equal conviction...Brittle Relations of Peter Graham contains beautiful colors and sonorities that create a solid foundation to highlight the soloist’s talents.  The acoustics in the gallery created a very exposed sound that was actually quite appropriate for this piece, and Vaculicova took that opportunity to seize the audience’s attention with her performance.

     Third on the program came Grail: After the painting of Vaclav Vaculovic for String Orchestra from American composer Theodore Wiprud.  Wiprud’s piece was stunning as played by the Sinfonietta musicians, sometimes filled with complex textures and tortured undercurrents, other times pensive and lyrical.  The piece was a perfect complement to Vaculovic’s paintings, which expressed the same undulations and fascination with the unknown... Overall, the concert was very well balanced and filled with variety.  The soloists were standouts and were highlights of the evening.  The program was complimentary to the artwork, even, as it explored many facets of music from the melancholy (like the approach to death) to the flowing (search for the afterlife) and onward to a reflection and then joy (much like the final two pieces), which rose above and uplifted the spirits of those listening.   The Baton Rouge gallery was the perfect setting for such an intimate and memorable performance, as it allowed the audience to experience both the visual and aural aspects simultaneously.  Bravo!"