Jan Vičar Hands Out Musical Presents

Harmonieonline, Jan Koutný, December 2014

A cross-section of Vičar´s compositional output was ushered in by the first of the evening´s two anticipated premieres, the cycle of Six Capricious Songs, performed by Barbora Polášková, soloist of the Olomouc opera house, with Markéta Janáčková at the piano. Polášková is endowed with a truly remarkable vocal range, her mezzo deserving equal praise for its dark timbre pleasing to the ear.... In the subsequent programme, Barbora Polášková was joined by the complete Janáček Trio under the direction of Markéta Janáčková, in an account of Four Songs to the Words of Jiří Žáček, which captivated the audience most notably by the utterly flawless harmony of ensemble and soloist... A much similar mood then prevailed in the following rendition of The Instructions of Shuruppak for mezzo-soprano and harp. There, Barbora Polášková, again brilliant, was seconded by a top-class harpist, Ivana Dohnalová.