The Union of Composers and Musicologists from Romania (UCMR) awards prizes designed to highlight creations of high artistic and scientific value, for the stimulation, affirmation and promotion of original Romanian creation in the fields of musical composition and musicology.
Following the first audition of the work "Themes/Anthemes", on February 28, 2020, under the baton of Radu Popa, the prize for symphonic music for the year 2020 was awarded by UCMR to Prof. Gabriel Almași, teaching staff of the Faculty of Music and Theater of UVT.
work "Themes/Anthemes" is dedicated to the centenary of the Timișoara Symphony Orchestra and was commissioned by Sorin Petrescu in January 2020. In the creation of the piece, the author stylized the numbering of the name of the city of Timișoara, Ti=Si, Mi=Mi, S=Eb, O=Do, A=La, R =Re, A=La. In this way, a mod was created, a song with the name of the city.
Composer Gabriel Almași said about the content of the award-winning work and about the award recipient:
«The title Themes/Anthemes represents a play on words between Themes - which means "theme" or "castrum regium Themes", as Timișoara is mentioned in early medieval sources, and Anthemes - lack of theme. This play also suggests the form of the piece – an interplay between the (musical) theme or themes and its absence. The unexpected appearance of a quote from Tchaikovsky is the contribution of my little girl, Anna, who came into my room as I was writing, and from her room the waltz from Swan Lake could be heard. I marked the moment in the score.
I extend warm thanks to the most important partners, collaborators and inspirational friends. I am particularly honored by the fact that my work, "Themes/Anthes" won the UCMR prize for symphonic music for 2020, all the more so since the piece is dedicated to the centenary of the Timișoara Symphony Orchestra and is built on the name of the city of Timișoara. Many thanks to: Remus Georgescu, Dan Dediu, Adrian Iorgulescu, Irinel Anghel, Doina Rotaru, Mihai Măniceanu, Diana Rotaru, Gabriel Mălăncioiu, Sorin Petrescu (without whom this work and many others would not have existed), Ionut Bogdan Ștefănescu, Doru Roman, Costin Soare, Cristian Lolea and all those who motivate and inspire me through what you do. Thanks to the wonderful performers from the Banatul Philharmonic! Many thanks to the West University of Timișoara for stimulating, understanding and supporting artistic creation! I thank my former teachers, colleagues and students from the Faculty of Music and Theater of UVT, who through their curiosity and passion make us always reinvent ourselves. Thanks to my parents, my wife, and my daughter, Anna, who contributed a little to the work and who is convinced (as I am, by the way) that this award actually belongs to her!»
