Saying a lot with just a few words is an art. The composer Pavel Stanek, born in Prague in 1927, has mastered this art par excellence. When he wrote down the first sketches for his ADAGIO ESPRESSIVO at the piano, he gradually developed an idea: he wanted to create a piece for wind orchestra with a low level of technical difficulty that would demand the highest level of musicality from the musicians. Starting with a chamber music-like beginning, the music develops in a steady orchestral crescendo to a brilliant, majestic climax in the tutti, before finally calming down more and more and ending as it began: in a delicate D flat major chord. Pavel Stanek’s ADAGIO ESPRESSIVO is an outstanding example of a work with a rich and deep inner life despite its very simple exterior. It can undoubtedly be regarded as a milestone in his compositional oeuvre.