Expanding the musical consciousness

Bach Meets Bolling @ Divadlo X10, Prague 22.9.2025

If you go about your life blindfolded and get away with it, you probably end up a happy person when that time comes. For the rest of us, it’s a little different. The desire to expand our consciousness, to explore new areas, doesn’t always make life easy, but it does make it much more interesting, for better or for worse.. 😀 Last night was an emphasis on the better when I step into a world that was partly unknown to me, some of it will stay unknown, some I’ll definitely try and explore a bit further. Last night’s concert at Divadlo X10 held a program that for me, who is used to moving around different jazz clubs in our city, seemed miscellaneous and without a real lead. This of course is a typical example of how restricted one’s mind is when it comes to something new. 

The musicians...

Yesterday’s concert was a part of the Dvořák Prague Festival that this year started September 5 and will end today 23.  As a musician to have the honor to be a part of this event means you are skilled, talented, you already earned your spurs, so if you want more information about the musicians their achievements and comprehensive CVs than what I give here, go online. Last night brilliant musicians were, Terezie Fialovå – p; Jiří BĂĄrta – cello; Petr Dvorský – b; Jiří StivĂ­n Jr. – dr,  

The program...

Last night I attended a jazz concert that opened with Cello Suite No. 5 in C Minor, composed by J.S. Bach, a solo performance by Jiří BĂĄrta, a world class cello player who was to be considered the main attraction of the evening. I’m not unfamiliar with classical music, but performing it in this way was something new to me. A very relaxing and sensitive piece, a positive experience that also made me understand all the superlatives about Jiří BĂĄrta!
The concert continued when Terezie Fialová quietly got behind the keyboards and together with Jiří carried out Sonata for Cello and Piano No.1 by Alfred Schnittke. This Soviet Russian composer is totally unknown to me as is his very, very modern approach to the music he writes. After listening to the work presented yesterday he will stay unknown. This was not for me, and since I don’t understand this kind of music I will of course not be stupied and write anything more about it.

Crossover...

There was an intermission after Schnittke and the second part was Claude Bolling’s Suite for Cello and Jazz Piano Trio. This crossover composition is the reason why I’m always trying to expand my consciousness. Now with all four absolutely top musicians on stage gave us something that I can’t describe more than outstanding. This music form is not totally new to me but performing it like this was to me just fantastic. This time the cello was the pure classical instrument that most of us narrow minded people think of it as, while the piano, drum and bass was the jazz trio. A special mixture performed so that you didn’t know if you’re listening to classical or jazz music. I personally was very taken by this and I really hope there is more to come where this came from! And from the ovations after the concert I could tell I was not alone with my feelings. 
I owe a big thank you to bassist Petr DvorskĂ˝ for hinting me about this and he also promised to keep me up to date if there’s new concerts planned. So stay in touch, I’ll keep you informed and up to date if there’s any movement on that front, that is after I got my own ticket first! 😉 

To see all the evening’s pictures click HERE!

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