Bach Meets Bolling

A seemingly eclectic program is sometimes described as “a bit of everything.” However, Bach, Schnittke, and Bolling have much in common: counterpoint—both classical and jazz.

There’s more connecting “Bach meets Bolling” than just the initial letters of the composers’ names. Melodic lines and their distinctive counterpoint link all the works on this programme, with Bach’s genius permeating every note. This influence becomes clear in Schnittke’s Cello Sonata, whose composer stood at the crossroads of East and West—his German father and Russian mother shaped his heritage. The sonata embraces traditional forms while speaking in a modern musical language, Here, bar lines are mere guides, not boundaries—a concept shared with Bach’s timeless approach. In a similarly contrapuntal spirit—but with a more playful touch—Claude Bolling’s Suite for Cello and Jazz Piano Trio begins with a Bach-like flourish before naturally flowing into the laid-back vibe of a jazz club, where musical dialogue between players is as much a joy to hear as it is to perform.

Cellist Jiří Bárta, an artist of wide-ranging interests, presents his photography exhibition Smutek utek (“Sorrow Fled”) alongside the concert. “My father, a visual artist, introduced me to photography,” Bárta explains. “After a long pause, I returned to it as a form of meditation—trying to capture the uncapturable. I focus on everyday people, often children, and the atmosphere of places I visit with my cello.” The exhibition’s title comes from a piece dedicated to him by composer Martin Smolka, reflecting sorrow’s presence and its comforting return.

Ticket prices: 690 – 2 290 CZK