Overture for small orchestra

Of all the compositions that Krása wrote in Theresienstadt, the Overture for Small Orchestra is the only one that it was no longer possible to perform in the camp. In this little masterpiece, the ingenious appeal, so typical of Krása’s music, is made through the driving rhythms, the arching structure of the melody, the colourful orchestration, and the fast beat. Although the Overture has a similar pulse and a certain thematic connection to the opera Brundibár, it is absolute music par excellence. The rediscovery of this work has initiated a new interest in the music of one of the most intelligent and sensitive composers that the multicultural melting pot of Prague ever brought forth.
© Blanka Cervinková