Programme notes:

Tereza Jaďuďová (b. 2001)
5 Romances, Op. 52
Written in 2020

This cycle of 5 romances continues Jaďuďová’s engagement with Russian poetry, here setting the intense and often paradoxical verse of Zinaida Gippius. Written for soprano and piano, the songs explore contrasts of intimacy, spiritual longing, and emotional turbulence, with each piece shaped by careful attention to the rhythm and colour of the Russian language.

No. 1 – Песня (Pesnya)
The first romance moves in broad melodic lines. The piano’s quiet, atmospheric accompaniment supports a vocal line that unfolds with restrained but growing intensity, matching the poem’s mood of solitude and yearning.

No. 2 – Любовь — одна (Lyubov’ — odna)
In Andante, the second song reflects on the constancy of love. The vocal line sings in an unhurried arc, while the piano underscores the poem’s sense of inevitability with steady, understated motion.

No. 3 – Посвящение (Posvyashchenie)
Marked Moderato, this setting has a more declarative quality. The piano alternates between harmonic support and active interjections, while the voice maintains a tone of personal dedication.

No. 4 – Она (Ona)
The fourth romance is tinged with irony and distance. The piano’s texture is spare, at times almost brittle, matching the text’s sharp imagery and emotional coolness.

No. 5 – Тишь (Tish’)
The cycle closes with the voice and piano moving in hushed dialogue. The subdued dynamics and sustained harmonies bring the set to a reflective, inward-looking conclusion.