The pursuit of the Music of the future - ‘The Symphony of Well Being’
By Rupert Hobday
It’s becoming rare to hear a new piece of music that truly
enhances a special occasion. One such instance is the recent concert that took
place in the small town of Budweis in the Czech Republic on the 30th April 2004.
This
new piece of music was given its world premier as part of the celebrations for
the Czech Republic joining the European Union. The piece entitled the ‘Sinfonia
del Diletto’, (Symphony of Well Being) was performed in a large sports
hall in front of 2000 enthusiastic listeners.
Conducted by Leos Svárovsk, the concert was played by one of the Czech
Republic’s leading orchestras, the Philharmonic Orchestra of Brno.
Composer Volkmar Studtrucker described the background to the symphony as follows:
“As the name “Sinfonia del Diletto”, indicates, it is music
that invites the listener to come to a state of well being and gladness.”
Part of the charm of the piece is its ability to surprise the listener with
changing timings whilst maintaining a coherent flow. Instead of a steady 4 beats
to the bar, the first movement has changing timings of 9/8 and 3/4. From the
first moment this allows freer space to be felt in the mind of the listener,
even when the music seems to be different to what we know from our experience
so far.
The four movements that follow use further interesting and unusual bar combinations.
More space for the mind is prompted by altering the colour of the music with
special changes in the instrumentation, so that the listener doesn’t know
what will come next and from which instrument.

Left, V. Studtrucker, Right M. Kastler, European Parliamentary Representative,
with his wife Martina. |
The Rotary Club of Herzogenaurach in Germany introduced Volkmar to the idea
of a concert premiere of the “Sinfonia del Diletto” being played
to their friends in the Rotary Club in Budweis to celebrate the historical event
of the Czech Republic joining the European Union.
Katrina Waldraff, a Music Teacher from Germany reflected “The five pieces
of the “Sinfonia del Diletto” came across as surprisingly light,
gentle and intimate compared with other symphonies. Each piece a jewel on its
own and all together a weave of beautiful sounds, harmonies, melodies and rhythms
that flow like fresh water or a spring breeze through the hall and through all
the people in it. It had a calming effect, softening, and at the same time an
awakening of finer lives inside. It felt to me as if all listeners became gentle
in the presence of it, and looking around, I imagined having friendly talks
with all of them. Very human... most delightful.”
The beginnings of the ‘Sinfonia del Diletto’ came whilst working
on ideas for a European Symphony. This future work will contain nine movements,
five of which are for a choir and each will be sung in a different European
language. The choral pieces are currently being worked on by ‘The Pallete
M’ as part of ‘Choir Project 2004’ in Rodenbach, Germany.
Sponsorship is currently being sought to give this work its first public performance.
For further information please contact the composer at www.volkmar-studtrucker.de.
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