Magnificence: searching for a strength that doesn't lie in power

Sitar, clarinet, cello and violin - and a forest in the Beskydy mountains in the middle of it all. Magnificence continues my journey between West and East, after the songs OrienTale and Centuries. Here's where it came from, and what it means to me.

Where Magnificence came from

As a kid I used to go mushroom picking with my parents in the forests around Bílá and Staré Hamry. That moss, that light between the trees - I knew the video for Magnificence had to be shot right there.

It was a contrast to the previous video, Centuries, which we shot in the former Hlubina mine in Vítkovice. That one was about history and the strength of industry. This time I wanted something different - calm, soft light, a return to nature.

We filmed without sets or artificial lighting, with cameraman Jirka Kantor. The camera moved slowly, in the rhythm of the music. I was worried about convincing the other musicians to go play in the middle of a forest - in the end it wasn't a problem at all.

What the song symbolizes

Magnificence, to me, is about searching for the virtues that give life direction - calm, courage, kindness, the ability to see beauty in simple things.

There's also a piece of idealism in it. I see it as an image of the energy a person or a whole society carries - either it's used to work toward something better, or it stays stuck in uncertainty and decline. And at the same time, it's a plain joy in being alive.

But the most important thing in it is humility. Without it, I don't think you can really live. I don't look for greatness in grand gestures, but in quiet, unassuming things.

"Music always reflects the time it's born in. Magnificence, to me, means searching for a strength that doesn't lie in power, but maybe just in kindness and understanding between people," I say about the song.

How Magnificence is built

The sitar sits at the center of the piece - it carries the main melodic line. I've been studying sitar with masters of Indian classical music, and I still do to this day. The clarinet brings in sounds of nature and gradually enters into dialogue with the sitar. The cello holds a harmonic background with an unusual rhythm. The violin plays the role of a soft drone, almost disappearing from earshot, but holding the whole structure together - its rhythm comes from the Indian ektaal cycle. Toward the end, the piece moves into the celebratory jhala section.

In it, I connect contemporary art music with elements of world music - Czech folk melody with Eastern influences. Playing with me on the recording were Pavla Slavíková on violin (Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava), Ondřej Janča on clarinet, and Jakub Hanke on cello.

"I worked on Magnificence for several months. I wanted every note to matter - for East and West to meet in the piece not by accident, but naturally," I add about the composition.

It follows on from OrienTale and Centuries - together they form a trilogy supported by an OSA grant, a journey between West and East, between tradition and the search for new forms of expression. It also connects to my many years of studying sitar with masters of Indian classical music, which goes back six years now. During my stays in India I made close friendships, and it fundamentally changed how I look at music and at life.

The rest of the trilogy

Frequently asked questions about Magnificence

What does the name Magnificence mean?

It's an English word for grandeur or splendor. But in the song, I'm not looking for grandeur - more for a kind of magnificence found in quiet, simple things.

Where was the video shot?

In the forests of the Beskydy mountains around Bílá and Staré Hamry, without sets or artificial light.

Where to find the song

Magnificence came out on November 21, 2025 on YouTube and all music platforms - Spotify, Apple Music and others.