Quis potest dicere, op. 346 - Zdeněk Lukáš

The basis of this cycle of four songs for soprano, viola, string orchestra, triangle and drum called after the opening song Quis potest dicere are four statements from the Book of Proverbs in the Old Testament, whose author should be, as the tradition says (even thought it is inaccurate), king Solomon. The texts are organised in such a way that the first and third texts are conceived as trick questions, while the second and fourth texts have the character of exhortative statements. Zdeněk Lukáš (1928-2007) especially liked the opening text - Quis potest dicere - and he set it to music earlier and independently as a five-part choir a capella (op. 254). In this song cycle the obligatory viola seconds the solo soprano as a certain instrumental counterpart and partner in the dialogue.