This programme frames Vítězslav Novák from two revealing angles: the ambitious young composer shaped by late-Romantic virtuosity, and the mature dramatist with an unmistakable orchestral imagination. The early Piano Concerto (1895) unfolds as a tightly knit, largely monothematic arc, moving from a bold, heroic opening through a nocturne-like slow movement to a finale whose dance-inflected energy hints at Czech folk character and the bright public world of the concert hall. The two ballet-pantomime suites extend that theatrical instinct into richer, more modern colours. Signorina Gioventù draws its tragic carnival tale in iridescent instrumental shades, balancing classical dance motion with sharper rhythmic profile, while Nikotina answers with humour, parody, and quicksilver scene-changes—at times wryly familiar, at times dreamlike. Throughout, the performance brings clarity to Novák’s evolving language: sweeping gestures made supple, and orchestral detail allowed to glow from within.