Wednesday, June 26
Completed Resonances— Vu, Beranek, Fauré & Smetana
7:00 PM | Czech Center New York
Co Bůh? Člověk? (What is God? Man?)…Jacob Beranek (b. 1998)(2024) *World Premiere
Libretto
Soprano | Marisa Karchin
Clarinet | Mark Dover
Cello | Christine Lamprea
Piano | Melinda Lee Masur
Festival Co-commission with the National Czech-Slovak Museum & Library for the 2024 Year of Czech Music
Piano Trio No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 15 (1855-1880)…Bedřich Smetana (1824-1884)
I. Moderato assai
II. Allegro, ma non agitato
III. Finale. Presto
Violin | Max Tan
Cello | Angela Lee
Piano | Andrea Lam
INTERMISSION
Dark Whims (2013)…Ania Vu (b. 1994)
Piano | Ania Vu
Piano Quartet No. 2 in G Minor (1886-1887)...Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)
I. Allegro molto moderato
II. Allegro molto
III. Adagio non troppo
IV. Allegro molto
Violin | Lisa Lee
Viola | Max Tan
Cello | Christine Lamprea
Piano | Robert Fleitz
Reception to follow by Brooklyn Kolache
With gratitude to the generous patrons who have underwritten the following Festival Artists:
Beranek World Premiere, Michael Schmitz & Ginmy Bolger
Mark Dover, Bhothinard & Field Artist Chair
Robert Fleitz, Gillespie Family Artist Chair
Marisa Karchin, Steinberg Family Artist Chair
Andrea Lam, Ang Family Artist Chair
Christine Lamprea, McLeod Family Artist Chair
Angela Lee, Le Fonds Pierre Jetée Artist Chair
Lisa Lee, Choo Family Artist Chair
Max Tan, Niki Villanueva Santo Artist Chair
Ania Vu, Margo & Anthony Viscusi Composer-in-Residence
And our thanks to–
Czech Center New York
Bohemian Benevolent & Literary Association
Brooklyn Kolache
Radeberger Pilsner USA
Sennheiser
Steinway & Sons, Official Piano of the 2024 Chelsea Music Festival
Tarisio Fine Instruments & Bows
WQXR
Wunderwein
Excerpts from Co Bůh? Člověk?
by Bedrich Bridel, S.J. (1658)
Co Bůh? Člověk?
Kdokolivěk?
Co já? Co Ty,
Bože svatý?
Coť mám před Tebou řeknouti?
Slovem: nic jsem.
Kapka rosy tekoucí,
krůpěje ranní, jedinká,
prázdný ořech padoucí...
Ó Bože můj, ach, co jsem?
Ty’s propasti dno, svršek,
já nejmenší krůpějička,
Ty jsi slunce okršlek,
já jeho malá jiskřička.
Ty jsi květu samý květ,
já jsem jen pejří polední,
rosy’s rosa, nový’s svět,
já pak bublínka večerní.
Z Tebe jde všecka pravda,
není tu nedokonalost,
s Tebou vše býti žádá,
nebs všech věcí dokonalost.
Ty jsi neskončená radost.
Plamen jsi, než bez dejmu,
moři jsi velikému.
Růže jsi, než bez trní,
konec poslední, první,
jakož bylo od počátku.
Studně nemaje začátku,
pres jsi bez presování,
láska bez pečování.
Ach, kdo Tebe mi ukáže?
Ach, Bože můj! Co jsi Ty?
Proč si hledám líbosti
světa ve vší okrouhlosti?
Proč si hledám sladkosti
v samé a pouhé hořkosti?
Proč hledám jásnost, světlost
z slunce anebo z měsíce,
proč hledám líbost, milost
v žluči, v pelýnku na louce?
Proč hledám naušnice,
proč perly, drahé zápony?
Perly, drahé kamení,
jenž se stkvějí svou sličností,
i jiná všecka jmění
nic nejsou k Boží milosti.
Co Bůh? Člověk?
Co já? Co Ty,
Bože svatý?
Translation by Jacob Beranek
What [is] God? [What is] Man?
Anyone?
What [am] I? What [are] You,
Holy God?
What have I to say before You?
In a word: I am nothing.
A drop of dew flowing,
a morning drizzle, alone,
an empty nut passing away...
O my God, ah, what am I?
You are an abyss, top to bottom,
I, the smallest flicker,
You are the brightest sun,
I, its little spark.
You are the very flower of a flower,
I am only a midday wisp,
You are dew of the dew, a new world,
I, but a little evening bubble.
All truth comes from You,
there is no imperfection,
everything wants to be with You,
for You are the perfection of all things.
You are endless joy!
You are a fire, yet without smoke,
You are a vast sea.
You are a rose, yet without thorns,
the end of the last, the first,
as it was from the beginning.
A bottomless well,
You are a press without pressing,
love without worrying.
Ah, who will show You to me?
Ah, my God! What are You?
Why do I look for pleasure
all around the world?
Why do I look for sweetness
only in bitterness?
Why do I look for clarity, illumination
from the sun or from the moon?
Why do I look for pleasure, grace
in the gall, in the sagebrush of the meadow?
Why do I look for earrings,
why pearls, precious clasps?
Pearls, precious stones,
which sparkle in their likeness,
and all other wealth,
are nothing compared to the grace of God.
What [is] God? [What is] Man?
What [am] I? What [are] You,
Holy God?