Pilsen Autumn – Mozart & Dušek
2. November – 19:30
Bringing together two seemingly distant musical worlds on All Souls’ Day (November 2nd) creates a reflective space to contemplate the themes of human mortality, anxiety, and ultimate reconciliation. The program contrasts an intimate, contemporary inquiry with a monumental, classical prayer for the departed.
The evening opens with Appeal (Apel) by contemporary Czech composer and pianist Jan Dušek (b. 1985). In this piece, the oboe takes on the role of the human voice—solitary, urgent, and questioning—straining to break through the tight, tense texture of the string quartet. The title itself suggests a plea, an urgency, and an inner dialogue. It serves as a modern reflection on human existence, preparing the audience’s mind and soul for the spiritual drama to follow.
Mozart’s Requiem remains one of the most fascinating and mythologized works in music history. Written on his deathbed and left unfinished at the time of his death, the piece carries the deeply personal testament of a man standing on the threshold of eternity.
Rather than being a simple, passive liturgical rite, the Requiem is charged with dramatic tension, human fear, and a profound yearning for redemption. From the dark, wind-driven colors of the opening Introitus, through the apocalyptic fury of the Dies irae, to the fragile, poignant beauty of the unfinished Lacrimosa (of which Mozart penned only the first eight measures), this masterpiece stands as a timeless monument to the human spirit.