Ensemble Inégal, 18. Music series 2024 - opening concert
adventní koncert
na počest zesnulého Karla prince Schwanzerberga v Rytířském sále Velkněžského paláce na Malé Straně v neděli 10. prosince 2023 v 17:00
9. FESTIVAL ZELENKA PRAHA – DRÁŽĎANY, 4. – 8. ŘÍJNA 2023
Letošní Zelenka Festival Prague – Dresden se bude konat od 4. do 8. října 2023 v Praze a Drážďanech. Zahajovací koncert uvede program operních děl z drážďanského repertoáru v době působení Jana Dismase Zelenky jako učitele italských kastrátů. Právě pro takovéto koncertní programy Zelenka obstarával nejnovější operní materiál. Virtuózní a vášnivé árie bravura přednesou sopranistka Gabriela Eibenová a kontratenorista Filippo Mineccia spolu se slovenským souborem Musica Aeterna a jeho uměleckým vedoucím Peterem Zajíčkem. Velkolepé ztvárnění žalmů v programu Psalmi Vespertini II v podání Ensemble Inégal a Dresdner Kammerchor pod vedením Adama Viktory zazní v pátek 6. října v Praze a v sobotu 7. října v Dreikönigskirche v Drážďanech. Závěrečný koncert věnovaný hudbě ze Zelenkových kopií uspořádaných v jeho čtyřech knihách Collectaneorum Musicorum uvede mezinárodně uznávaný vokální soubor Cinquecento specializující se na renesanční hudbu. Vystoupí Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina a jeho legendární Missa Papae Marcelli v kombinaci s jeho Pláčmi proroka Jeremiáše a gregoriánským chorálem.
Více informací zde https://www.zelenkafestival.cz/program-a-vstupenky-2023/
PŘEDPLATNÉ NA CELÝ FESTIVAL
Kupte si abonentní vstupenku na všechny festivalové koncerty a ušetřete.
Festival pořádá Ensemble Inégal za finanční podpory Ministerstva kultury, hlavního města Prahy a Česko-německého fondu budoucnosti.
Drazí přátelé,
Ve čtvrtek 11. května 2023 v 19:30 zazní poprvé v České republice a poprvé po 250 letech v roce 2023 dvě skvostná díla Jana Dismase Zelenky Missa Eucharista ZWV 15 a Te Deum ZWV 145 kostel U Salvátora v Praze.
Srdečně vás zveme na koncert, kde můžete být svědky vzkříšení dosud neznámé Zelenkovy hudby a objevit s námi skutečnou podobu dalšího bílého místa na pomyslné mapě evropského baroka. Půjde o jubilejní desátou českou premiéru Zelenkovy hromadné skladby v podání Ensemble Inégal, tentokrát ve zvláště slavnostním prostředí se sólisty, sborem a orchestrem s hoboji, flétnami, chalumeauem, fagotem, lesními rohy, trubkami a tympány.
Vstupenky je možné zakoupit v předprodeji GoOut zde nebo 30 minut před koncertem na místě.
HYMNY CHANDOS PRAHA 6. prosince 2022 v 19:30 v kostele sv. Šimona a Judy v rámci cyklu koncertů Stará hudba FOK
Ensemble Inégal letos podnikl ambiciózní projekt představit českému publiku opomíjené, ale fascinující dílo Chandos Anthems Georga Friedricha Händela. Hudbu plnou brilantních nápadů, kde oživuje celou škálu svých kompozičních schopností, napsal Händel v nejlepších letech pro služby v nově postaveném velkolepém sídle Cannons významného britského aristokrata Jamese Brydgese, barona, pozdějšího vévody z Chandosu. Jedná se o díla pozoruhodné a neobvyklé hudby, čerpající z polyfonní duchovní hudby anglické renesance a z hymny/salmu s instrumentálním doprovodem populárního v Anglii, kterou ve své době složili domorodí skladatelé Henry Purcell, John Blow a William Croft. Na rozdíl od zmíněného paláce, který byl zbořen po pouhých 17 letech, si Händelovy hymny Chandos, právem považované za mistrovská díla, můžete vychutnat dodnes.
Koncert 30.11. byl zrušen
Z epidemiologických důvodů nemůžeme koncert uskutečnit s nádhernou Zelenkovou hudbou Missa Sancti Spiritus ZWV 4 a Litaniae Lauretanae ZWV 149. Jakmile budeme znát termín koncertu v příští sezóně, dáme vám vědět. Děkuji za pochopení.
Novinky 2021
Vážení přátelé Ensemble Inégal , dvacet let trvání souboru jsme oslavili v rodinném kruhu ve chvílích, kdy museli všichni hudebníci umlknout. Jsme rádi, že jsme opět mohli vykročit směrem ke světlým zítřkům as radostí Vám nabízíme koncerty letošní sezóny, která je více než hojná. Čeká nás zelenkovská "smršť" v podobě četného provedení Mše ke sv. Cecílii , jež jsme stihli před pandemií natočit, ale turné nás čeká až letos. Zazní v Náměšti nad Oslavou, Ostravě a Praze. Další Zelenkova díla, Missu Sancti Spiritu a Litaniae Lauretanae se chystáme v listopadu natočit na CD a uvedeme ji také v Praze. Nádherná díla Fischerova a Händelova uvedeme napříč republikou třikrát, a to od Slavkovského lesa až po Olomouc. Nezapomněli jsme ani na děti, Loutkando Grando se vrací! A čeká nás samozřejmě i Zelenka Festival Praha-Drážďany ve dnech 13.-17. října, včetně každoroční mezinárodní konference. Ensemble Inégal se letos koná dvakrát do nového hudebního festivalu Ros Bohemica, a to hned. V červenci v Nižboru av listopadu v Kosmonosích. Sledujte prosím naše stránky, ale i náš FB. Vstupenky na naše koncerty prodáváme přes webový portál www.goout.cz, není-li pořadatelem uvedeno jinak. Vše se dozvíte v sekci "Koncerty a vstupenky", nejbližší koncerty jsou pak vždy navíc uvedeny v levé horní části našich webových stránek. Na četné setkání se těší Adam Viktora a Gabriela Eibenová.
Concert Series of Ensemble Inégal 2020: CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI - VESPRO DELLA BEATA VERGINE
9. October 2020 19:30 h.Praha, kostel Panny Marie pod řetězem, Lázeňská ul. Praha 1
CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI: Vespro della Beata Vergine
Tickets here or 30 minutes before the concert at the venue.
ZELENKA CONFERENCE PRAGUE 2020: ZELENKA AND HIS CONTEMPORARIES
Place: Library of the Department of Musicology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Puškinovo náměstí 447/9, Praha 6.
Date: FRIDAY 16.10.2020
Time: 09.00–17.00 Central European Time
We cordially invite you to the Seventh Zelenka Conference to be held in Prague 16 October 2020. The conference is organized by Ensemble Inégal with the financial support of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic and co-organized with the Institute of Art History, The Czech Academy of Sciences.
The program:
Samantha OWENS (Victoria University, Wellington): „The Social Status of Trumpeters and Kettledrummers at the Courts of Dresden and Stuttgart, c. 1700–1740“
Frederic KIERNAN (University of Melbourne): „Zelenka and his contemporaries from the perspective of reception study“
Janice B STOCKIGT (University Melbourne): „A Meeting of Minds: Jan Dismas Zelenka’s „Laudate pueri“ (ZWV 81: c1729) and Johann Sebastian Bach’s „Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen!“ (BWV 51: c1730)“
Denis COLLINS (The University of Queensland): „Zelenka at the Crossroads of contrapunctus and partimento in the Early Eighteenth Century“
Shelley HOGAN (The University of Melbourne): „Jean Baptiste Prache du Tilloy: the life and times of a Dresden court musician during the reign of August the Strong“
Andrew FRAMPTON (University of Oxford): „Musical Exchange in a Golden Age: Berlin, Dresden and Johann Friedrich Agricola“
Claudia LUBKOLL (Dresden): „Identification of several sieves of Schuchardt-paper dated in the 1730s“
Jiří SEHNAL (Brno): „Vogt’s advice to composers“
Jiří K. KROUPA (Prague): „Currite ad aras“ (ZWV 166): An Attempt to Reconstruct the Latin Text“
Ondřej DOBISÍK (Prague): „The Second Life of Palestrina’s „Missa Papae Marcelli“ in the 17th and 18th Centuries“
Due to coronavirus measures, this year’s conference will also be live-streamed. Registrants will be able to interactively participate in the conference online, and an online recording of the conference will be made available.
Come and listen to a world premiere of a new reconstruction of Litaniae Lauretanae ZWV 149 and a great and festive Missa Sancti Spiritus ZWV 4 by Jan Dismas Zelenka, the Czech composer on the Dresden Court, who worked and lived here between cca 1710 and 1745.
Missa Sancti Spiritus ZWV 4 occupies a special place among Zelenka’s twenty-one surviving works in this genre, because it is the first to feature the lavish scoring of trumpets and timpani and the festive key of D major that were to become hallmarks of his solemn mass settings over the next decade. However, the occasion of its first performance in Dresden remains a mystery. The title suggests that the Feast of the Holy Spirit – that is, Whitsun, or Pentecost – would have been the most likely occasion, but there is no firm documentary evidence to support this hypothesis.
Concert Series of Ensemble Inégal 2019
Samuel Capricornus: „Continuation der neuen wohl angestimmte Taffel-Lustmusic“
After one year we are happy to announce that we will again perform Zelenka´s music during St. Wenceslaw Music Festival on September 22. This time it will be the fourth cycle of Zelenka´s Psalms - Psalmi Varii Separatim Scripti. We have recorded this cycle last year in a world premiere.
This closing cycle of psalms are pieces composed for different occassions compared to previous three vesper cycles with thirty three psalms that were composed to cover almost all psalms during the liturgical year and were addressed to the Dresdner Catholic Court. This cycle covers next to the longest and the most brilliant Zelenka´s psalm compositions also very simple pieces that were without doubt ment for the court church musicians (Kappelknaben). On the other hand longer masterpieces reveal Zelenka´s progress in composing of vocal music and were definitely composed for singers and instrumentalists of the renowned Dresdner Hofkapelle.
We are honoured that we will again perform at the festival Bachtage on August 2 in Aschaffenburg in Germany. After two years we will be on stage together with conductor Stefan Claas and his ensemble Ars Antigua. Compared to the program in 2017 there will be heard not only music by Johann Sebastian Bach but also music by other contemporary composers like Georg Phillip Telemann and we are very excited to present also our Czech significant composer Jan Dismas Zelenka.
J. D. Zelenka - Magnificat in D (ZWV 108), In Exitu Israel (ZWV 83)
G. P. Telemann - Trauermusik "Du aber Daniel, gehe hin" (TVWV 4:17)
S. Bach - Cantate č. 7 "Herr Christ zum Jordan kam" (BWV 7)
Gabriela Eibenová Soprano / Margot Oitzinger Alto / Georg Poplutz Tenor / Marián Krejčík Bass
Kammerchor Ars Antiqua Aschaffenburg / Ensemble Inégal, Prague
Stefan Claas Conductor
Concert is organized by 32. Aschaffenburger Bachtage
4.10.2017 at 19:30 – Rytířský sál (Knight Hall) Velkopřevorského paláce, Praha 1 Program drawn up from unknown treasures from Zelenka´s own secular vocal colections – G. Porta, G. Giacomelli, G.F. Handel, G. Porsile, L. Vinci, g. Sellito, J.A. hasse, N. Porpora.
Janice B. Stockigt (Australia), Andrew Frampton (Australia), Frederic Kiernan (Australia), Wolfgang Horn (Germany), Sebastian Sanyal (United Kingdom), Michael Driscoll (USA), Petr Daněk (Czech Republic), Libor Mašek (Czech Republic)
6.10.2017 from 10:00 to 17:00 – National Pedagogical Museum and Library of Jan Amos Komenský , Valdštejnská 20, 118 00 Praha 1
The Prague-Dresden Zelenka Festival offers a one-day conference where well-known Zelenka researchers will present their unpublished findings about Zelenka´s work and life. The aim of the Zelenka Conference is to create a platform to give publicity to the results of contemporary foreign research on Zelenka. In addition, it should bring inspiration to restart research of Zelenka´s work which has been standing still for many years in the Czech Republic.
6.10.2017 at 19:30 – Kostel Panny Marie pod řetězem, Lázeňská 4, Praha 1 Buy tickets
7.10.2017 at 17:00 – Annenkirche, Drážďany Buy tickets
The Dresdner Kammerchor and Ensemble Inégal collaboration performed by Adam Viktora, Ensemble Inégal conductor.The programme consists of the Czech premiere of Zelenka´s Missa Corporis Dominici ZWV 9.
The festival is organized by Ensemble Inégal with the financial support of the city of Prague, Ministry of Culture and the Czech-German Fund for the Future.
Festival ticket or tickets to individual performances are available at www.colosseumticket.cz or 30 minutes before the concert at the concert venue.
Please, pay attention to the following announcement: The concert SALON 1880 which was planned 21.6.2017 is MOVED due to technical reasons to unspecified October dated (probably 5.10. 2017). We will specify the date on our website, on our Facebook profile and we will also inform you through our email newsletter. We hope you understand this inconvenience.
3rd concert of 11th Ensemble Inégal Concert Series 2017
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK - Mše D Dur op. 86 „Lužanská“
Restoration of the unique Pilsen version in composer´s adaptation for soloists and choir accompanied
by harmonium, cello and contrabass.
Thursday 4 May 2017, 19:35 The Church of Our Lady beneath the Chain of the End of the Bridge
Dvořák´s Mass in D Major op. 86 is one of the most important liturgical compositions in the Czech
music history. It was comissioned by architect, building contractor and patron Josef Hlávka in
occasion of a chaple consecration in Lužany castle in 1887.
Altogether there are four versions of this Dvořák´s Mass. First for singers accompanied only by organ
(Lužany version), second for choir and one or two harmoniums, cello and doublebasses (Pilsen
version – 1888 – this version was renovated by Ensemble Inégal artistic director Adam Viktora). Next
one (Prague version) is for mixed choir accompanied by organ, cellos and double basses and this way
it was performed in Prague in Rudolfinum in 1889. The last orchestral version was published on
request by English Publisher Novello. This version became very popular in English speaking world.
The firts public performance of Dvořák´s Mass in Pilsen (1888) was only due to remarkable
invetiveness by its protagonists. Pilsen Church representatives did not give permission to perform it
in any Pilsen cathedral therefore it was in the end achieved in the local theatre and the organ part
was rearranged for 2 harmoniums, cello and two doublebasses. It was actually some kind of romantic
basso continuo that implies accompaniment inseparably connected with baroque music. Baroque
interpretation of liturgical music accompanied by basso continuo was in fact common untill second
half of 19th centrury in Bohemia. Dvořák used in his interpretation the newly invented instrument
harmonium - a typical element of romantic sound imagination that became later very popular.
During our performance we will use historical concert harmonium Schiedmayer from the end of the
19th century.
These were Dvořák´s words in which he announce finishing of the composition of Mass in D Major to
engineer Hlávka who commissioned this piece: “ … I have the honour to announce that I have happily
accomplished this work and I frankly feel the joy. I think that it will be a work that will meet its
purpose. It could be called: faith, hope and love to the supreme God and thanks for such a great gift
that I was given the chance to finish this piece to the praise of the God and to the honour of Art. Don´t
be surprised that I am so religous but an artist who is not will never achieve anything like this. Don´t
we have example in Beethoven, Bach, Raffael and many others? Finally, I thank you that you gave me
such an impulse to write a work in this form. I would hardly ever think of this as until now I have
written similar works only in large scale and funds…“.
Very soon you will be able to enjoy the second performance of our concert series
Samuel Capricornus – Opera virtuosa
5th April, 2017, 19:30
Ritter´s Hall / Velkopřevorský Palace, Velkopřevorské nám. 4, Prague 1
The program will be Samuel Capricorn’s works and also compositions by his contemporaries,
Heinrich Ignác Franz Biber and Johann Heinrich Schmelzer.
Soloists:
Gabriela Eibenová, soprano
Lenka Torgersen, baroque violin
Richard Šeda, zink
Hana Fleková, viola da gamba
Jan Čižmář, teorbo
Adam Viktora, organ
The world encyclopedias consider the Czech native Samuel Capricorn (1628-1664) as one of
the most significant musical personality in the evolution of the German sacred music among
Schütz and Bach. His extraordinarily extensive work comprises from more than 400 opuses.
It soon gained considerable respect of the most influencial Capricorn‘s contemporaries.
Giacomo Cassini performed Capricorn’s works in Rome and for Heinrich Schütz was his work
“opera virtuosa”. Born in the middle of Bohemia in Žerčice (near Mladá Boleslav), studied in
Sopron (Hungary) and Saxony (Germany), was a “Director musicae” in Bratislava (Slovakia)
and died as a court Kapellmeister of Eberhard III. Duke of Würtenberg in Stuttgart.
Jan Dismas Zelenka - Psalmi Vespertini III
world premiere of complete performance of the 3rd Vespers cycle
Opening concert of 11th Ensemble Inégal Concert Series 2017
Ensemble Inégal has merged for four years into an interpretatively least touched universe of Zelenka’s spellbinding psalm world. This year there are on the programme his third series.
10. 12. 2013 19:30, Church of st. Martin, Martinská 8, Praha 1
Contemporary premieres of compositionsfor soloists, choir, strings, trumpets and trombones from the legacy of Samuel Capricorn, the genial Early Baroque composer who was originally from Bohemia, performed by the Ensemble Inégal and conducted by Adam Victora.
The internationally successful Ensemble Inégal presents an exceptional concert dedicated to the works of the Baroque composer Samuel Capricornus (1628 - 1664), a native from the central Bohemian village of Žerčice and considered internationally as one of the most important figures in the development of German sacred music between Schütz and Bach. His unusually vast output consists of over 400 works, and was highly respected by his most influential contemporaries. Giacomo Carissimi performed his works in Rome and Heinrich Schütz regarded his work as 'opera virtuosa'.
After a successful premiere of our new and highly innovative theatre performance:
LOUTKANDO GRANDO (MARIONETTO GRANDO)
or Magical Play with Baroque Music
ENSEMBLE INÉGAL FOR CHILDREN
You are cordially invited to the concert's first repeat which takes place on:
13th December 2013 at 17.00 in the Theatre MANA, Moskevská 34, Prague 10
As part of the festival cycle Ensemble Inégal 2013
This children’s puppet show with baroque music that is presented by the Theatre Under a Lucky Star and Ensemble Inégal is new on the Czech musical and theatre scene, and it is not just targeted at a young audience. Directed by the Cherkessian director Evgeny Ibragimov, together with beautiful baroque music, it opens the door to an inspiring world full of fantasy, magic and humour.
Performed by Theatre under a Lucky Star and Ensemble Inégal
MUSIC VISIONS - Alfred Schnittke - REQUIEM
Ensemble Inégal & Schola Gregoriana Pragensis
Alfred Schnittke – Requiem for soloists, choir, organ, piano, instrumental ensemble and unusually rich cast of percussion Ensemble Inégal & Adam Viktora and Schola Gregoriana Pragensis & David Eben
2 November 2013 19:30, Church of St. Salvator, Salvátorská 1, Praha 1.
A musically educational theatre performance full of fantasy, accompanied by baroque and early classicist music, as presented by Divadlo Pod šťastnou hvězdou and the baroque-centred Ensemble Inégal. Directed by Jevgenij Ibragimov.
Divadlo Pod šťastnou hvězdou (Theatre Under a Lucky Star) is a chamber theatre ensemble of puppetteers active in Czech Republic, Russia, Estonia and Switzerland. Under the leadership of the excellent Cherkessian director Jevgenij Ibragimov, they create unique puppet performances for children and adults alike. Ensemble Inégal, with Adam Viktora as its musical director is a renowned ensemble working on the Czech and international music scenes since the year 2000 and concentrates mostly on the interpretation of ancient music and the legacy of the Czech baroque composer Jan Dismas Zelenka. Last year, it extended its focus to the Music Visions series, which puts contemporary music in the spotlight, and the brand new Ensemble Inégal for Children.
Ensemble Inégal and Adam Viktora - Headline news on Czech TV!
Jan Dismas Zelenka: Missa paschalis – world premiere
Jan Dismas Zelenka: Missa paschalis – world premiere
12.4.2013, 19:30, St. Salvator church, Salvátorská 1, Prague 1
World premiere of the Easter Mass by Jan Dismas Zelenka for soloists, choir and magnificently casted baroque orchestra with Ensemble Inégal and his conductor Adam Viktora
Jan Dismas Zelenka – 150th anniversary!
Gala concert 150 years from the first concert performance of Zelenkas´s music
Ensemble Inégal with his conductor Adam Viktora will open the Smetana days festival in Pilsen with the great Missa Sanctissimae Trinitatis by J. D. Zelenka, Pilsen 2nd March 2013. More information here
One year on and we are continuing our quest to discover more about the works of Jan Dismas Zelenka, the greatest Baroque discovery of the present day. By clicking onyou will find yourselves in a world of wonderful music brimming with joy; perhaps, like us, you will be astonished to learn that this music lay dormant for almost 300 years – it is only now that listeners are able to appreciate it. Our latest CD features Japanese tenor Makoto Sakurada who joins Ensemble Inegal to sing Alleluia, the last part of Zelenka’s superb motet Gaude laetare, recorded alongside Zelenka’s breathtaking composition Missa Sanctissimae Trinitatis in its world premiere.
Our newest CD has been just released!
Listen to the sample from the wonderful Missa Sanctissimae Trinitatis by Zelenka here
Joyful Gaude laetare ZWV 168 in the world premiere recording togheter with the amazing Missa Sanctissimae Trinitatis ZWV 17 with Gabriela Eibenova, Carlos Mena, Makoto Sakurada, Lisandro Abadie, Marian Krejcik, Vaclav Cizek, Roman Hoza ana others...
"Outstanding concert - outstanding succes"
Take a look at TV reportage from the opening concert of our new remarkable project "MUSIC VISIONS"
Ensemble Inégal and its new unique project on 6.11.2012 at 20:00 in MeetFactory in Prague
"MUSIC VISIONS" - The Prague Vivaldi, Veljo Tormis, Arvo Pärt
Josef Spacek, Mati Turi, David Cerny and David Koller with Ensemble Inégal in MeetFactory
We are happy to present our forthcoming concert with unique and staggering dramaturgy. Such masters as Josef Spacek, Mati Turi, David |Koller, David Cerny and others are going to perform with us this uncommon program: the Prague Dixit Dominus by Antonio Vivaldi, Raua needmine by Veljo Tormis (Mati Turi - tenor, David Koller - shamanic drum), Fratres (Josef Spacek - solo violin) and Da pacem Domine by Arvo Pärt.
Ensemble Inégal is looking forward to welcoming you!
Twin performance of Zelenka’s Missa Sanctissimae Trinitatis
Zelenka – a continuous discovery
On Sunday 3rd June, Ensemble Inégal opened in the Prague Church of Our Lady under Chains the now 6th season of its concert series “Czech Baroque Music – Discoveries & Surprises”. It was apparent from the opening motet for solo tenor Gaude Laetare (ZWV 168), sounding for the first time since its rediscovery, that in the case of this Bohemian composer of the high baroque, there is plenty to be discovered. It was followed by the extensive one-hour latin Missa Sanctimissae Trinitatis (ZWV 17), featuring elaborate choir fugues and more concise passages, with sudden dynamic, expressive and tempo contrasts, from which it is obvious how well Zelenka mastered the art of counterpoint, developing it to a masterful degree with daring and rich harmonies and with rhythmic structures. The impact of Zelenka’s music in combination with the unique space (and acoustics) of the Church of the Maltese Johannites was stunning. Zelenka’s music is intentionally spiritual, leading to contemplation and a concentration on the quest for the meaning of life – at the same time however it interprets the joyful message of the gospel. Zelenka absorbed the musical incentives of his time with unprecedented originality and let’s not forget, that after Palacky also Smetana did an effort to create awareness his musical legacy. … Thanks to an outstanding performance, Ensemble Inégal under the leadership of Adam Viktora brought to the many dozens of listeners in the completely filled church a spiritual Zelenka experience of great strength and quality. Even if nowadays, we are not always able to recognize the ingenious symbolism of baroque musical-rhetoric forms, which listeners in those days probably were able to perceive and appreciate, we do have in Zelenka a treasure-trove that can stand up to the secret golden treasure of the templars.
www.operaplus.cz
To the glory of the Holy Trinity and to the glory of Music itself
Ensemble Inégal opened this year’s Concentus Moraviae Festival wonderfully not only by playing so well the extensive Mass to the Glory of the Holy Trinity by Jan Dismas Zelenka … it also dealt with surroundings of the church without compromises … The solid and yet transparent sound of the orchestra and choir presented itself immediately in the opening Kyrie Eleison … For the Gloria, which carries no tempo indication, Adam Viktora chose an even faster tempo than the surrounding vivace parts, the opening of the second part of the mass simply burst with energy … Beautifully performed was the soprano solo Quoniam tu solus sanctus, Gabriela Eibenova’s exemplary legato did not go at the cost of a clear articulation of the ornamentations, it was for me one of the summits of the entire mass … The Gloria was crowned by an impeccably performed fugue with notes streaming like pearls … I should still mention, that the shorter soprano solo entries within the choir parts, performed by Stanislava Mihalcová, were at a very high level as well. The quality of individual voices was really high and very balanced … The almost “swinging” opening of the Credo was followed by the slower Et incarnatus est. In the trio Et unam sanctam, except for the beautifully sung ensemble, the theorbo excelled in its tender accompaniment … The Sanctus was concluded by an effective performance of Pleni sunt caeli – Osanna in excelsis … In the Benedictus, the obligato traverso flutes were a perfect match to the cantabile soprano part. The same goes for the Agnus Dei, a duet between the tenor (Václav Čížek) and bass (Lisandro Abadie) with obligato chalumeau … The Dona Nobis Pacem brilliantly concluded the stirring performance of this exceptional sacred work.
Jan Dismas Zelenka – Mass to the Glory of the Holy Trinity (Missa Sanctissimae Trinitatis) ZWV 17. Ensemble Inégal, Adam Viktora – conductor, 2nd June 2012, Church of St. James, Boskovice, part and opening concert of the Concentus Moraviae International Music Festival.
Zelenka’s Il Serpente di Bronzo – Prague Spring Festival
Saturday 19th May, Ensemble Inégal and its conductor Adam Viktora performed at the Prague Spring International Music Festival. In the sold-out Emauzy monastery church, they performed Zelenka’s oratorio Il Serpente di Bronzo with soloists Gabriela Eibenova, Franz Vitzthum, Kai Wessel, Jaroslav Březina and Marián Krejčík. The oratorio, written for Good Friday, is framed by two brilliant double-choir entries, both of which the enthusiastic public with its never-ending ovation demanded as encores. With an almost 60-member cast, completed by several masterful players and singers from abroad, Ensemble Inégal once more confirmed its qualities and unique role in the ongoing rediscovery of the legacy by the Bohemian baroque composer Jan Dismas Zelenka.
Ensemble Inégal for the first time at the Košice (SK) Musical Spring
Monday 14th May 2012, Ensemble Inégal performed in the East-Slovak town of Košice in the following chamber occupation: Florian Deuter – violin, Gabriela Eibenová – soprano, Richard Šeda – cornet, Jan Čižmář – theorbo & lute and Adam Viktora – organ. The program entitled “The Capricornus Phenomenon” consisted of Biber’s virtuoso violin sonatas, compositions by Kapsberger, Cima, Mazák and most of all Samuel Capricornus, the Bohemian composer who during his pilgrimage across Europe left behind a distinct trail especially in Slovakia. He married a native woman from Košice a worked 10 years as prominent composer and musician in the Slovak capital Bratislava. The concert met with great enthusiasm and the standing public demanded a concluding encore by means of its long-lasting ovation.
Standing ovations in Gent, Belgium
On Saturday 28th April, Ensemble Inégal literally won the Belgian audience over in the famous concert hall De Bijloke in Gent. The triumphant performance of Zelenka’s wedding cantata Il Diamante met with an unceasing and standing ovation by the public. Under Adam Viktora’s leadership and with great engagement of all musicians, the solos were performed by Hana Blažíková, Gabriela Eibenová, Marie Fajtová, Stanislava Mihalcová and the Spanish countertenor Carlos Mena, joined by the famous Chœur de Chambre de Namur (BE). During an interview with Adam Viktora and Gabriela Eibenová in the hour preceding the concert, there was a very lively and inspired discussion about Zelenka’s work and Ensemble Inégal’s future plans.
Il Diamante in Holešov (CZ)
On Thursday 26th April, Zelenka’s Il Diamante resounded at the Musica Holešov Festival: great performances and an enthusiastic audience, rewarding the musicians with a standing ovation. The concert was recorded by the Czech Radio and will be broadcast by the international network of radio stations EBU (European Broadcasting Union).
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