Dračevica

Program

Giovanni Battista Cirri (1724–1808)
Duo for 2 cellos, Op.8 n°1
I. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Allegro

Reinhold Glière (1875–1956)
Duo for 2 violins, Op. 49, No.1
VII. Allegretto
VIII. Con fuoco

Joseph Haydn (1732–1809)
Duo for violin & cello in D major
I. Poco adagio
II. Tempo di menuetto
III. Allegro

Friedrich August Kummer (1797–1879)
Duet Op. 22, No. 2:
I. Allegro
II. Un poco adagio
III. Rondo

Miklós Rózsa (1907–1995)
Sonata for Two Violins, Op. 15a
II. Lento assai

Jean Sibelius (1865–1957)
Canon for violin and cello

Georg Philipp Telemann (1681–1767)
Cnonic Sonata No. 4
II. Piacevole non largo

Hannah Kandinsky, violin
Pia Onuska, violin
Benedikt Hellsberg, cello
Ana Šincek, cello

Giovanni Battista Cirri (1724–1808)
Born in 1724 in Forlì, Italy, Giovanni Battista Cirri emerged from a musically gifted
family, deeply influenced by his brother Ignazio Cirri, a respected composer and
chapel master. Cirri’s exceptional talent for the cello became evident early on, and
his studies under the renowned theorist and composer Giovanni Battista Martini
proved pivotal in shaping his dual path as a performer and composer.
By 1759, Cirri had secured a position as a cellist at the Cathedral of Forlì. A major
turning point came in 1764 when he moved to London, where he quickly established
himself as a prominent performer and teacher. He performed for King George III and
Queen Charlotte and collaborated with leading musicians of the time, including
Johann Christian Bach.
Cirri was a prolific composer, leaving behind a catalogue of over 120 sonatas and a
wide range of orchestral and chamber works. His output includes several cello
concertos, sonatas for cello and basso continuo. Beyond his compositions, Cirri
played a significant role in music education, contributing to the development of cello
technique and pedagogy in the 18th century.

Reinhold Glière (1875–1956)

Born in Kyiv in 1875, Reinhold Glière was a composer whose career spanned the
final decades of the Russian Empire and the rise of the Soviet Union. Trained in the classical tradition, he became known for his richly melodic, colorfully orchestrated music that often embraced national and folkloric themes.

Glière studied violin in Kyiv under Otakar Ševčik before entering the Moscow
Conservatory in 1894, where he studied with Taneyev, Ippolitov-Ivanov, and Arensky. He graduated with a gold medal in composition in 1900. His early works were performed in major European cities, and his First Symphony was introduced at the Proms in 1906. He later studied conducting in Berlin with Oskar Fried and premiered his Second Symphony with the Berlin Philharmonic in 1908. One of his most ambitious works, the Third Symphony “Ilya Muromets” (1912). Glière also composed ballets, including The Red Poppy (1927)and The Bronze Horseman (1948), based on Pushkin’s poem.Under Soviet patronage, Glière composed national operas for Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, blending local folk idioms with his own style.

Glière was also a dedicated teacher, mentoring generations of Soviet composers
including Sergey Prokofiev, Nikolai Myaskovsky, Aram Khachaturian, and Alexander
Mosolov. His influence extended to Ukrainian composers such as Boris Lyatoshinsky
and Lev Revutsky. He died in Moscow on June 23, 1956

Joseph Haydn (1732–1809)
Joseph Haydn stands as one of the most influential and prolific composers of the
18th century. Born in the small Austrian village of Rohrau, Haydn’s musical gifts
emerged early. By the age of eight, he was singing in the choir of St. Stephen’s
Cathedral in Vienna, where he spent nearly a decade immersed in music, though
with little formal instruction in theory. After his dismissal due to a voice change,
Haydn supported himself through various musical jobs, studying the works of C.P.E.
Bach and learning composition under Nicola Porpora.
Haydn’s career took a decisive turn in 1761 when he was appointed Vice-
Kapellmeister to the wealthy Esterházy family. Over nearly 30 years of service, he
composed an extraordinary range of music—operas, symphonies, string quartets,
and more than 150 works for the baryton, Prince Miklós Esterházy’s favorite
instrument. His time at the Esterházy court was marked by innovation, humor, and
emotional depth, earning him the titles “Father of the Symphony” and “Father of the
String Quartet.”
Haydn’s influence extended far beyond the Esterházy court. His later years were
marked by two triumphant visits to London, where he composed some of his most
celebrated symphonies, including the “Surprise,” “Military,” and “Clock” symphonies.
Inspired by Handel’s oratorios, Haydn composed two monumental works: The
Creation (1798) and The Seasons (1801).

Haydn’s legacy is vast: over 100 symphonies, 68 string quartets, 47 piano sonatas,
14 masses, and numerous operas, concertos, and chamber works. His music laid
the foundation for the Classical style and deeply influenced contemporaries and
successors alike, including Mozart and Beethoven.

Friedrich August Kummer (1797–1879)
Born in Meiningen in 1797, Friedrich August Kummer was raised in a musical family,
where his father—an accomplished oboist—nurtured his early artistic development.
In 1814, the family moved to Dresden, where Kummer began his career as an oboist
in the prestigious Dresden court chapel. However, his true passion lay with the cello.
Kummer studied under two of the most renowned cellists of the time, Friedrich
Dotzauer and Bernhard Romberg, honing a technique and musicality that would
define his career. Though he debuted professionally as an oboist, his versatility soon
led to his appointment as a cellist at the Royal Opera House in Dresden by the
esteemed composer Carl Maria von Weber. In 1850, he succeeded his mentor
Dotzauer as principal cellist of the Dresden court chapel.
Beyond performance, Kummer made lasting contributions to cello pedagogy. His
1839 method book remains a cornerstone of cello instruction to this day. His
influence extended through his many students, including notable figures such as
Julius Goltermann and Bernhard Cossmann, ensuring his legacy in the development
of 19th-century cello playing.

Miklós Rózsa (1907–1995)
Born in Budapest on April 18, 1907,he spent summers on the family estate in
Nagylócz, where he absorbed the folk music of the Palóc people—an influence that
would shape his musical voice throughout his life.
Rózsa began violin lessons at age five and was composing and performing publicly
by eight. Though he initially pursued chemistry in Leipzig, he soon shifted to music,
studying under Hermann Grabner and graduating cum laude from the Leipzig
Conservatory in 1929. His early chamber works gained international attention, and

his Hungarian Serenade was praised by Richard Strauss. In the 1930s, Rózsa moved to Paris and later London, where he began composing for film. His score for The Four Feathers marked his first major success, followed by The Thief of Bagdad, which brought him to Hollywood in 1940. Over the next two decades, he became one of the most celebrated film composers, winning Academy Awards for Spellbound (1945), A Double Life (1947), and Ben-Hur (1959). His scores for Jungle Book, Quo Vadis, and Providence further cemented his legacy. Rózsa was also a respected educator, serving as Professor of Film Music at the
University of Southern California from 1945 to 1965. He continued to compose concert music throughout his life, including his Viola Concerto (1984), premiered by Pinchas Zukerman. His memoir, Double Life, published in 1982, reflects on his dual career in classical and film music. He died on July 27, 1995, leaving behind a rich legacy of music that continues to resonate in both concert halls and cinemas around the world.

Jean Sibelius (1865–1957)
Jean Sibelius, born on December 8, 1865, in Hämeenlinna, Finland, is widely regarded as the most significant symphonic composer of Scandinavia. His music, deeply rooted in Finnish identity and mythology, helped shape the national consciousness during a time of political and cultural awakening.

Sibelius was educated at the Finnish Normal School, where he first encountered the Kalevala, Finland’s national epic. This mythological source would inspire many of his most evocative works, including Pohjola’s Daughter (1906), Luonnotar (1913), and The Swan of Tuonela (1893). Though initially destined for a legal career, Sibelius abandoned law studies in Helsinki to pursue music, studying composition under Martin Wegelius and later in Berlin and Vienna with Robert Fuchs and Karl Goldmark.

His first major orchestral work, the Kullervo Symphony (1892), caused a sensation and established him as a leading voice in Finnish music. This was followed by a series of tone poems and symphonic works that reflected both his Romantic roots and his growing individual style.

After 1925, Sibelius entered a long period of silence, composing little but remaining
a revered figure in Finnish cultural life. He died on September 20, 1957, in Järvenpää.

Georg Philipp Telemann (1681–1767)
Born in Magdeburg in 1681, Georg Philipp Telemann was one of the most prolific and versatile composers of the Baroque era. The son of a Lutheran deacon, he was largely self-taught, mastering numerous instruments and composing his first opera, Sigismundus, by the age of 12. Though he initially enrolled at Leipzig University to study law in 1701, music quickly became his true calling.

Telemann’s career was marked by a series of prestigious appointments. He directed
the Leipzig Opera from 1702 and served as Kapellmeister to Count Erdmann in
Sorau, where he composed around 200 French-style overtures. Later, he worked for
Duke Johann Wilhelm of Saxe-Eisenach and, in 1712, moved to Frankfurt, where he
organized musical life and published his own works. In 1721, he became music
director of Hamburg’s five main churches and also led the Hamburg Opera, staging
his own operas as well as those by Handel and Keiser. Telemann declined offers from both Leipzig and St. Petersburg, choosing to remain in Hamburg. In his later years, he focused on music theory and penned several autobiographies.

Telemann’s output is staggering: over 3,000 works, including at least 31 cantata cycles, numerous operas, passions, concertos, oratorios, orchestral suites, and chamber music.