Opening Concert of the Czech Presidency of the EU Council
PKF — Prague Philharmonia
Jan Kučera — conductor
Tomáš Kačo — piano
Jiří Brückler — baritone
Opening Concert of the Czech Presidency of the EU Council
We were asked by the government to produce a programme which would reflect Czech identity, bringing together tradition and modernity, while showing how successful Czech music is today – a proud promoter of national self-confidence with the vision to conquer the world stage.
We, therefore, turned to Tomáš Kačo – a musician, composer and arranger who has a gift for being able to connect his Czech roots with an original contemporary language. Tomáš is someone who is able to bring first-rate art to a wider public. It is remarkable the way he is able to enliven, enhance and illuminate classical pieces from different musical genres. For this gala evening, he wrote a composition with the apt title of Stronger than Yesterday, which will have its world premiere performed by the PKF – Prague Philharmonia – an orchestra which is synonymous with a cutting-edge modern style.
The programme, which symbolically opens with the anthems of the EU and the Czech Republic, concludes with an orchestral arrangement of the song A Prayer for Martha, which over the past 50 years has been a symbol of respect for freedom and democracy in Czech society.
Stronger than Yesterday
This very energetic, powerful piece for orchestra and solo piano was written especially for this occasion. A characteristic element of the piece is the quotation of the song Ach synku, synku - the favourite song of President Thomas G. Masaryk. This, after a piano cadenza, bursts into a radiant melody that brings the whole piece to a triumphant close.
Kačo himself interprets the relationship between soloist and ensemble in this piece as follows: 'It is a union of two worlds - the classical one, which has its order and rules, and the free one, which allows me to improvise freely in some places on a given harmony.'
The title of the piece can be understood in different ways, one meaning being a reference to the personal struggles of each of us. "But it can also be applied, for example, to our country or to the EU as a whole, which is going through a big test right now. I firmly believe that if we overcome the problems, we will be stronger than yesterday," explains Tomáš Kačo. "Music has the power to unite nations, but it also has the power to heal, to remind people that they have a heart, and it allows them to forget the daily routine - they can open up for a moment, breathe and feel with their hearts," adds the author.
Artists of the evening
Tomáš Kačo
Critics describe Tomáš Kačo's music as a "sui generis" genre - so original is his way of combining classical, jazz and traditional gypsy music. His journey from the out-of-tune piano to the keyboard of a concert Steinway at New York's Carnegie Hall has the makings of the American dream. But behind it, apart from the necessary bit of luck, is mainly diligence, hard work, curiosity and courage.
Jan Kučera
Conductor, composer and pianist Jan Kučera is one of the most versatile Czech artists. As a composer, he covers many areas, creating symphonic, chamber and song compositions, and has also written over thirty incidental music for productions in Prague and regional theatres. He is also prolific in the field of arranging - he is the author of symphonic arrangements of songs by Jaroslav Ježek and several symphonic suites composed of songs and melodies from Czech films.
In the media
"I have created a twenty-minute composition for orchestra and piano, which we will perform with the PKF - Prague Philharmonia and under the baton of Jan Kučera at the beginning of July during a gala evening at the Rudolfinum. I called the piece Stronger Than Yesterday. It is energetic and combative. You have a personal crisis, an illness, you have lost a loved one, it is difficult, but if you overcome the problem, you come out stronger. That's what the song is about - and the theme can be applied to individuals and a nation, a country. I wrote this during the coronavirus pandemic and I never dreamed how relevant this theme would be. I hope that my music will reach people, and energize them. I don't know, maybe even contribute to peace somehow. It sounds like a platitude, especially with the peace thing, but I feel that way."
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