Juraj Filas

Appassionata

Ludwig van Beethoven was one of my favorite composers since childhood. His destiny touched me deeply: A childhood with a difficult father, the loss of his mother, bad luck with women, progressive deafness, and much solitude. Nevertheless, he was able to transcend these personal issues through the divine harmony and beauty of his music.
This Appassionata was inspired by my emotional feelings for Beethoven, and, as in the case of most of my works, it is in two movements.
A dramatic beginning is followed by a deep meditation. Destiny and instability: two polarities of themes.
The second movement, composed in sonata form, represents an homage to the inexhaustible energy, vitality and relentlessly positive message of the master's works.
Appassionata is dedicated to trumpeter Otto Sauter and was written for him. He played the premier performance in Bonn, the city of Beethoven, during its Beethoven Festival.
Juraj Filas, Prague, 2004