Programme

Nikol Bóková (1991): Her Country / Její Vlast

Ástor Piazzolla (1921–1992): Tango Nuevo
(Fracanapa, Tango del Ángel, Tango del Diablo, Fuga y misterio, Chiquilín de Bachín)

Manuell de Falla (1876–1946): El Amor Brujo (selection)

Nikol Bóková: Her Country:

High Castle
Introduction, prelude, with hints of motifs from Bedřich Smetana’s “Vyšehrad”.

River
Contains elements reminiscent of Smetana’s “Vltava”: a small flow, a hunt, a large flow, a wedding, a dance of forest fairies, a river disappearing into the distance… but it flows across new epochs.

Milada
Here Smetana‘s “Šárka” is replaced by Milada. Milada Horáková, with her devotion, strength and passionate love for the nation, freedom and life. The text was inspired by the letters Milada wrote to her family from prison a week before she was executed by the Communists as a victim of a fabricated political trial.

Woods and Fields
The title, inspired by Smetana’s composition “Z českých luhů a hájů”, is a musical rendering of running through forests and meadows, fully experienced by a child’s soul.

Darkov
Profound Smetana‘s Tábor is here replaced by Darkov, one of the mines in the Ostrava-Karvina region, which became an important part of the local society, and where Nikol’s father worked most of his life as a mine rescuer.

Home
Reflecting on what home means to us, reflection of experiences, desires and hopes.

In this composition Nikol Bóková offers a profound musical reflection on her/our homeland. Inspired by Smetana’s “Má vlast” (My Country), it served as a springboard for composing Her Country, a classical cycle in six movements for chamber orchestra. This composition is a powerful contribution to the 2024 year’s Year of Czech Music, crafted by Nikol for a stellar lineup of musicians, including Radek Baborák and his Baborák Ensemble, with soloist Bella Adamova. With the composer herself at the piano, the piece is arranged for 12 performers in a unique instrumentation.