Compositions from the 21st century once again resound among contemporary paintings and installations: on 27 May, Sinfonietta Cracovia appears at MOCAK with its regular cycle Music Without Applause. But the title of the concert No-one Knows Anything... is misleading, because we actually know quite a lot. The orchestra’s special guest will be Kryštof Mařatka, composer, conductor, pianist and occasional actor and director resident in Prague and Paris. The catalogue of his inspirations seems boundless: the birth and early days of language, prehistoric art and traditional folk music from all over the globe; in fact he has a sizeable collection of Czech folk music he plays himself. He is also inspired by literature: one of the most important categories of his works are “melodramas” comprising music and lyrics. One of them resounds during the concert: In Front of the Starving Cage built around Franz Kafka’s aphorism is a composition for piano and recitative; we will also hear Astrophonia – a concerto for viola and string orchestra with piano, featuring the acclaimed soloist Karine Lethiec. The repertoire also includes Squeaking Wings by another Czech artist Martin Smolka, and a Polish touch with a premiere of Maciej Bałenkowski’s Sinfonietta No. 2. (Barbara Skowrońska)
Maciej Bałenkowski ‒ Sinfonietta No. 2 for string orchestra
Martin Smolka ‒ Squeaking Wings for 10 string instriments
Kryštof Mařatka ‒ In Front of the Starving Cage foer piano and reciter
Kryštof Mařatka ‒ Astrophonia for viola, piano and string orchestra
Karine Lethiec ‒ viola
Piotr Sałajczyk ‒ piano
Jakub Kosiniak ‒ reciter
Sinfonietta Cracovia
Kryštof Mařatka ‒ conductor
