Sinfonietta, The Eternal Gospel & Glagolitic Mass MusicHong Kong Arts FestivalThe 45th Hong Kong Arts Festival

Experience the unique expressive power of Janáček's works

This all-Janáček programme opens with a brazen fanfare scored for a phalanx of brass and timpani, beginning with the composer’s monumental five-movement Sinfonietta. Moments of reflection sparkle throughout in a unique blend of contemplation and exuberance. This brilliant work has influenced many contemporary artists, from progressive rockers Emerson, Lake and Palmer, to celebrated author Haruki Murakami.

The years either side of World War I were a time of renaissance for the Czech nation, and at its heart was Janáček’s music. Completed a few months before the outbreak of war and based on a lyrical poem by friend and contemporary, Jaroslav Vrchlický, The Eternal Gospel takes the form of an oratorio, celebrating love.

In 1926, the same year that Sinfonietta premiered in Brno, Janáček composed his Glagolitic Mass. In the words of an admiring critic “it has absolutely everything: it’s engrossing, enthralling, captivating, startling, soothing, primitive, pristine and incredibly spiritual”. With its five choral sections, thrilling brass outbursts, lustrous melodies and organ fantasia, Glagolitic Mass is Janáček’s celebration of Slavic culture and of the God he felt in the physical world around him. A uniquely joyous mass frequently performed and recorded, this is a masterpiece of the choral repertoire.

Jaroslav Kyzlink conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the Janáček Opera of the National Theatre Brno whose regular overseas tours have garnered considerable international acclaim.