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Malá Strana

by Todd Mason

Malá Strana is an 8-minute piece for string orchestra.

This piece evokes the majesty and drama of the beautiful district of Prague called Malá Strana. It’s a kind of love letter or tone poem that transports the listener back through time to a place where Beethoven and Mozart walked the very streets. A short walk across the Charles Bridge (built in 1357) spanning the famous Vltava river, (aka “The Moldau” in German), and one also feels the presence of the famous Czech composers Dvořák and Smetana and the endless history of many other great artists, scientists, and monarchs amidst a thousand years of magnificent European architecture. As “Malá Strana” comes to an end, we feel we've taken a meditative journey - a kind of day dream - and now must return to the present.

Malá Strana, for string orchestra, is very accessible music with rich harmonies, interesting inner lines, and a sense of constant forward movement. The work uses mostly traditional harmonic language, but with several accents of more complex colors and dissonance, and some unexpected moments, adding to the dramatic appeal. This piece can be played by a small ensemble of 15 players up to a full-size string orchestra.

Malá Strana is now available for purchase at Subito Music

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Todd Mason, a Los Angeles native, received his master's in Composition from The Juilliard School, studying with David Diamond, Peter Mennin, and Elliott Carter. Mason received the Rodgers & Hammerstein Juilliard Scholarship, Juilliard's Marion Freschl Award for a composition for voice and orchestra, first place in the National Federation of Music Clubs composition contest, first place in the Lancaster Summer Arts Festival, the ASCAP Young Composers award, presented by Aaron Copland. And he recently won first place in the American String Teachers Association 75th Anniversary composition contest.

Mason's orchestral works have recently been played by the The Sofia Philharmonic in Bulgaria, and The Brno Philharmonic in the Czech Republic. His chamber works have become increasingly popular in concert halls and music festivals around the world. His Violin Concerto is now available on Apple Music Classical & other streaming. His requiem for full orchestra and chorus, called “Lux Æterna,” is being performed in Europe and the U.S.

Mason offers a popular chamber music series in his West L.A. home, showcasing leading ensembles and premiering new works.