Petr Fiala - Hymn of Youth / Chvalozpěv mládí
1. Horácké písně (1974), lidové texty / Horácko songs, folk texts
2. Chvalozpěv mládí(1971), text Zuzana Renčová Nováková / A paean to youth
3. Písničky s flétnou(1972), text František Hrubín / Songs with the flute
4. De amicitia(O přátelství, 1985), text Seneca, Cicero / On friendship
5. Pohádka o brněnském krokodýlovi (1970), text Oldřich Mikulášek / A tale of the Brno crocodile
6. Pět ukrajinských lidových písní(1985), lidové texty / Five Ukrainian folk songs, folk texts
7. Mariánská mše (1962), text Čeněk Tomíško / Marian mass
Czech Girls Choir Jitro
Jiří Skopal – choirmaster
Petr Fiala about his compositions
1. Horácko songs (1974)
As a native of the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands, I often arranged folk songs from this region. In 1974 I selected 6 songs and connected them with piano overtures, interludes and postludes into a cycle called Horácko Songs. There is no piano part just a classical accompaniment, but it enhances the musical expression of the individual songs.
2. A paean to youth (1971)
All my creative life I have been working with a wonderful Brno poet and writer Zuzana Renčová Nováková (1943). For the cycle A Paean to Youth, which was written in 1971 at the time of the end of my studies at the Janáček Academy of Performing Arts in Brno, I selected four of her poetic poems whose leitmotif is the celebration of childhood and youth. The piano part underlines the lyrical mood of the individual parts of the cycle and is used in an unconventional way, by playing in the strings.
3. Songs with flute (1972)
A cycle of five children’s choruses, alternating parts with flute accompaniment with parts a Capella was created in 1972 to texts by František Hrubín. The composition was awarded in a composer’s competition at the Festival of Vocal Music in Jihlava in 1974, and is heading for intermediate choirs.
4. On friendship (1985)
In my choral works I often turn to the textual richness of ancient proverbs, that have something to say to today’s generations. The cycle De amicitia was created in the time of, when I was the choirmaster of the Girls’ Choir of the ZUŠ Veveří Brno, which was founded by my wife Ludmila, and this choir decided to take its name from this cycle i.e., “Amicitia”. The cycle has four, mutually contrasting parts and was named by the choir frequently and successfully performed in our country and at foreign choral competitions.
5. A tale of the Brno crocodile (1970)
A tale of the Brno crocodile was written in 1970 and was inspired by a very funny and poetic poem by the Brno poet Oldřich Mikulášek. The composition was dedicated to the Brno children’s choir Mladost and its choirmaster Petr Škarohlíd, who also premiered the composition in 1971. The author uses – besides classical singing – also choral parlando and whispering. The piano part is embellished by playing in the strings of the piano, in an attempt to enrich the expression of the composition with unusual sound-colour possibilities.
6. Five Ukrainian folk songs (1985)
In the times of totalitarianism, when participating in various choral competitions, it was a duty to include in the repertoire an arrangement of Russian folk songs. In order to perform with my choir Amicitia to “avoid” this condition, I created the cycle Five Ukrainian Folk Songs, where the choir is enriched with small percussion instruments played by the choir members and one in one song by a melodic instrument – in the case of this recording – the oboe.
7. Marian mass (1962)
Marian Mass for girls’ choir and organ was written in 1962, when I was a student at the Brno Conservatory. I was invited to compose this mass by my aunt, who was a Franciscan nun, and created a text libretto for me from poems by a Catholic priest and poet Čeněk Tomíško, who, after his studies in Rome, worked as a professor of priestly seminary in Hradec Králové. Due to its technical accessibility, the work is intended to be performed in choirs during liturgy, but it can also be performed in concert.
| Property | Value |
| format | CD audio |
