The other day we were browsing the stacks of The Municipal Library of Prague – our favorite literary worthy cause – and we noticed that book titles today are really interesting. Much more interesting than many symphony titles.

Don’t you think the general public might be more curious about classical music if a concert piece had a title like the novel called This Thing of Darkness?

Instead, most concerts feature symphonies with titles something like Symphony No 3 in D Minor – KV 327. We’ve never seen a book called Book No 7, the One Two Novels After Book No 6, Depending on the Numbering System.

Those book publishers know a thing or two about promoting their works.

Other inviting library book titles we like for good symphony titles are 100 Shades of White; The Insult; The Bounce; The Nudist Colony; and Headed for the Blues.

Or how about movie titles? What would a symphony called Psycho or The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel sound like? Doesn’t an image immediately pop into your mind?

Or even pop music titles – something as ancient as Heartbreak Hotel puts that genre far ahead of Sonata for Violin in the titles game.

It is true that some symphonies also have names: The English; The Emperor. But surely we can do better than that.

It’s also true that contemporary composers are more likely to include descriptive titles. Blue – Innocent and Fragile surely has piqued the interest of many Prague concert-goers. But at a Prague Spring concert May 16 we have to admit Vít Zouhar let us down a little bit in the end, with the title Days for Flute, Violin, Viola, Cello, and Harpsichord – although the actual composition was stunning.

We think it’s about time we rename some of the older works for a younger, modern, more connected audience.

For starters, we could rename Bolero something like I Will Not Scratch that Mosquito Bite. And old standards by Beethoven certainly deserve new life. His Symphony No. 5 is just begging for an updated title, maybe Wait – Did I Turn the Oven Off?

There are lots of works that would benefit with a rename like I Did Not – You Did So. Mozart’s Rondo from Piano Sonata No 16 in C Major (click below) comes to mind, to name just one.

What do you think? Can you suggest some more modern and interesting names for symphonies?

The field is wide open. — oo

– Mary Matz

Below: A YouTube clip from Mozart’s I Did Not — You Did So (I’m Going to Tell Mom), formerly known as Piano Sonata No 16 in C Major, Rondo

Wearing a devilish grin, Petr Zuska angelically accepts the audience applause, with dancers from his 'Bolero.'

The “Gala with Youth” dance performance May 10 and 12 at The Theatre of the Estates brought together today’s experienced National Theatre dancers with tomorrow’s potential stars, all performing a handful of pieces by masterful choreographer Petr Zuska.

It was part of Mr Zuska’s retrospective Petr Zuska Gala X marking his tenth anniversary as artistic director and choreographer for the National Theatre Ballet. The first of six different sets of his dances was presented on those evenings. Performances continue through mid-June.

We were curious to see just what this particular evening would entail, since the Czech publicity about the event used only the word “meet” to describe the encounter between the professional dancers and dancers from the Bohemia Ballet, the junior company of the City of Prague Dance Conservatory.

And the English website didn’t divulge specifically what the word “meet” meant, either. Was the performance specifically for student dancers? Would there be chats and autographs over champagne and caviar for everyone afterwards? Would it be a “Dancing with the Stars” variation in which the students would compete against the professionals?

We just had to go and investigate for ourselves.

What we found was an entirely successful and satisfying evening of dance performed not only by National Theatre and other dancers, but also by guest Kristýna Peštová of the JK Tyl Ballet Theatre, Pilsen and more than a dozen Conservatory students, in a combined cast.

Petr Zuska

Déjá Vu is an entertaining piece in which Edita Raušerová and Karel Audy further explore relationships, ending up by dancing in each other’s clothes, all the way down to her toe shoes and his brogues.

Way Out in British English means “the exit,” and can also mean the way to avoid an uncomfortable dilemma. Perennial award-winning Mr Zuska says he also uses this title to describe the way to begin a journey from that which is safe and comfortable, into the unknown. Here, Alexandre Katsapov slowly removes his comfortable business suit, piece by piece, ultimately making an exit wearing no clothing at all; he leaves his empty suit, still in his body shape, on the chair. A nice touch: he gestures to it as his co-star when he takes his bow.

Empty Title presents the choreographer’s dilemma, choosing the easy, familiar, popular way or their more difficult opposites, in directing dancers Rebecca King and Adam Zvonař in their art.

The final piece, Bolero, uses nearly the full cast to dance to this rhythmic, strident Ravel composition which could easily overpower a choreographer’s vision. But Ondřej Kinklát presents us with a giant die in a game of chance and a commentary on good versus evil, black versus white, and a mixture of it all.

These titles won’t be repeated in Gala X, but you still can see the following:

Bláznoviny – A Little Extreme, A Little Touch of the Last Extreme, Mariin Sen, May 17, 18, 19;
Solo Pro P.Z. — Brel – Vysockij – Kryl/Solo pro Tři, May 26, 27, 28;
Cesty a Zastavení – Ways 03, Les Bras De Mer, Smrt a Dívka, June 7, 8, 9;
Pocta Velkým Tonům – 1. Symfonie D-dur, D.M.J. 1953-1977, Svěcení Jara, June 20, 21, 22.
More information is available in Czech and English at www.narodni-divadlo.cz or www.petrzuskagalax.cz. — oo

– Mary Matz

In the church's sacristy, a bookcase-filled room behind the main altar, conductor Petr Vrábel, composer Hořínka, Tiburtina artistic director Barbora Sojková, and artist Bartáková answer audience questions, moderated by architect/St Salvator art curator Norbert Schmidt.

“This was very interesting. I enjoyed the ‘wing,’” says Lenka. She’s an audience member speaking about the Marianum concert performed by The Berg Orchestra at the St Salvator church May 9.

The concert presented two world premiere compositions by Slavomír Hořínka and a Stabat Mater by Arvo Pärt, under a massive paper sculpture shaped like a kind of wing, by artist Magdalena Bartáková.

Mr Hořínka’s pieces, Litaniae Lauretanae and Magnificat, are based on traditional plainsong and chants, “updated,” as you can sample, below. During the performance the orchestra and The Tiburtina Ensemble and guest singers move throughout the aisles, balconies, and cupola of the tall cathedral-like church. “It was an interesting sound, coming from different places,” Lenka adds.

“I liked the concert very much,” Alena, another audience member tells Opus Osm over a glass of wine provided right after the concert. “It was very special, and surprising. The music and lighting [provided only by the setting sun through the leaded glass windows] were a very nice combination.”

Alena

Her one regret, she says, is that Mr Hořínka’s compositions feature many short musical phrases, pauses, and even silence, so “there aren’t so many passages where you can hear the orchestra play” for very long. But never mind. The effect of the music and the orchestra “was perfect,” she admits, explaining that “it was very emotive, even sad.” She pantomimes tears on her cheeks even as she is smiling.

Alena doesn’t have a Catholic background, so she doesn’t bring knowledge of the texts for Mr Hořínka’s pieces to her enjoyment of this Marianum concert honoring the Virgin Mary. However, The Berg Orchestra program thoughtfully included the printed texts for all three compositions side-by-side, in both Latin and Czech.

Zuzana

Standing apart at the back of the room, Jaroslav tells us, “I like the Arvo Pärt composition. This is the kind of music which is very suitable for me. I like his music, and the words are maybe the second thing for me in this case.” He says it’s the first time he’s heard The Berg Orchestra but maybe he’ll come to listen to more of their concerts, too.

Zdeněk

An important reason for attending concerts is pointed out by Zdeněk, an audience member who is also a composer. “This was ‘an event,’” he explains, “because it is two new premieres. And it’s important to create new things.” He says new, “modern” music is “the main output” of our composers of today “and you see that the church was full,” he points out. In fact, it was nearly a sell-out house with over 400 people in the audience.

“It makes sense,” he says. — oo

– Mary Matz
For a concert excerpt, click on the title below, and then click on it again on the following page.
BergOrchOpusOsmSalvatorLivePart0068

Med students Šárka Hintenausová (l) and Ludmila Kozáková (r) will perform on sax and piano at the concert.

It’s fair to assume that doctors have sensitive hands (many become surgeons, certainly). And excellent ears (they’re the ones with the stethoscopes, after all). But you might not assume that some doctors – or more precisely, medical students – are also very accomplished musicians.

Medical students of the Second Medical Faculty of Charles University in Prague-Motol will take to the concert stage Thurs, May 17. You’ll be able to hear them perform classical, jazz, and pop music, and for the first time, even a poetry reading in their latest concert in a series.

The “On Waves of Inspiration” (Na Vlnách Inspirace) series started in May 2011, when about 15 students from the faculty performed at the Czech Museum of Music. They decided to organize charity concerts to benefit the Motol teaching hospital.

“The amount of money that comes from concert donation fees can hardly help the hospital cover its running costs,” explains medical student and pianist Michal Svoboda, one of the original 15 founders. “On the other hand, there are many active doctors who organize social programs for their patients. Helping them is one of the objectives of our concerts,” he tells Opus Osm.

“For example, Dr Obermannová, a postgraduate student in diabetes in the Pediatrics Clinic, organizes a summer camp for diabetic children. Donations from our project help her buy prizes for children who win a race or competition at the camp.”

This Thursday’s concert is only the third in the “Wave,” but it will be much bigger than the previous ones, he promises. More students have applied for participation, in more genres of music. So a “Wave” concert can feature not only classical solo, chamber music, and orchestral music; vocal music such as arias, folk songs, and chamber music; but also can include jazz, Argentinian tango, pop music, and more.

“Actually, there aren’t two musicians in our faculty who play or sing the same repertoire,” he notes.

The expanding concert program also requires a change of venue, since the Czech Museum of Music is no longer larger enough to hold everyone. “We needed a stage with good acoustic properties that is big enough for the symphonic orchestra. That’s why we moved to Taussigova Elementary School of Arts, which is endowed with a perfect great hall and an excellent Fazioli piano,” Mr Svoboda says. “My dream is to cooperate with other faculties of Charles University and increase the number of concerts in the next years.”

Michal Svoboda

Last but not least, the future doctor says, a concert is a good occasion for presenting one’s mastery. He describes how he chose to play Schumann’s Concerto in A Minor in the upcoming concert. “In March 2012, I had the fortune to win third prize at the International Smetana Piano Competition,” he says. “After playing the Schumann in the final round, I realized that it was a pity not to have the opportunity to play it more times, in front of my friends.

“I decided to play it at ‘The Waves of Inspiration’ and to ask an orchestra to accompany me.”

The Vinohrady Symphonic Orchestra conducted by Milan Boušek, agreed.

There are many stereotypes about MDs and med students, but being accomplished, award-winning musicians is not one of them. So how do the famously over-stressed students with little personal time manage to squeeze music into their medical repertoire?

“The question doesn’t consist of the length of our leisure time,” the fifth-year student Svoboda says. “The question is: do the artists have an internal inspiration that must be transmitted to the audience? In some cases, our students really suffer from an excess of internal stress from inspiration – and the opportunity to perform is a relief for them.”

He underscores the students’ qualifications as musicians: “Many of our students are also alumni of music conservatories, music gymnazia, and even the Academy of Performing Arts!” he emphasizes.

But since “On Waves of Inspiration” was founded by Mr Svoboda and his colleagues who are now approaching their final years as students, will it disband when this group graduates?

“I do not think so,” he says. “I cannot guess what will happen in a few years, and the project is too young to make conclusions. But I can tell you that more and more first year students apply for participation. There are a few younger students who help me with the organization, and I believe one of them will take it over after I graduate.”

As he emphasizes, their serious performing “brings the same feelings to medical students as to the others – inexpressible delight and goose bumps.

“That’s why we do it.”

“On Waves of Inspiration” will be held Thurs, May 17 at 7 pm at the elementary school of arts, Taussigova 1150, Prague 8, near the Ládví metro station. Admission is by donation.– oo

– Mary Matz

Due in Eterno appear in concert at a convenient time and place, Tuesday, 5:30 at The Rudolfinum.

A typical concert-going experience goes something like this: You go home after work, maybe change your clothes, grab some dinner, head to the concert hall for the concert that starts around 7 or 8 pm — then, by the time the concert is over, it’s already dark out and you’re ready to call it quits for the evening.

Does this sound all too familiar? Well, why not try mixing up the schedule a bit? That’s what the Herold Quartet (Heroldovo Kvarteto) did recently at The Rudolfinum by holding a concert at 5:30 pm instead of a more conventional, later time.

The quartet, which is named after the Czech musician and composer Jiří Herold (1875 – 1934), performed as part of the Early Evening concerts of the Czech Philharmonic / Czech Chamber Music Society (Český Spolek pro Komorní Hudbu).The earlier start time certainly did nothing to hurt attendance: There was hardly an empty seat in the house.

Nor was the earlier start time indicative of a lack of quality: The Herold Quartet, which performed compositions by Leoš Janáček, Luboš Sluka, Ludwig van Beethoven, and an encore piece by Josef Suk, demonstrated why The Independent has called the ensemble “absolutely perfect.” First violinist Petr Zvdihal, second violinist Jan Valta, violist Karel Untermüller, and cellist David Havelík showed that they are not only masters of technique, but of artistic expression.

And the cherry on top of this lovely musical evening? By the time the concert finished, the evening was far from over. The sun hadn’t even set yet — in fact, there was even still time for the enthusiastic concert-goer to attend another performance, if one so desired.

If you’d like to give an early concert a try, there’s a prime opportunity to do so tomorrow (Tues, May 15). The violin duo Due in Eterno will perform at The Rudolfinum at 5:30 pm with Eva Gina. The members of Due in Eterno, Ivana Frajtová and Ivana Kovalčíková, first met at the Primary Arts School Slavičín, and were winning awards together by age 11. Eighteen years later, they’re still playing together and have gone on several international tours.

Eva Gina (here with a more traditional cello) will perform on the Mongolian morin khuur.

If you really want to fill your evening with music, you’d probably still have time to attend another concert, by walking over to either The Municipal House or to the Church of Saints Simon and Jude, later that evening. The Vienna Philharmonic will perform at the Municipal House’s Smetana Hall at 8 pm. Meanwhile, at the Church of Saints Simon and Jude, renowned American harpsichordist Mark Kroll will perform with violist Mark Ludwig, violinist Martina Bačová, flutist Jan Ostrý, and cellist Petr Nouzovský, also at 8 pm. (Both concerts are part of the Prague Spring International Music Festival, and tickets are selling quickly.)

In any case, attending the Due in Eterno’s concert doesn’t have to be the end of your evening — it can be just the beginning. — oo

– Anna Walsh

Blue striped information tents at last year's Museum Night provided schedules, routes, and information. Look for them again this year.

At the ninth annual Prague Museum Night Saturday, June 9, you can visit 70 museums and institutions for free. And many of them offer free concerts or exhibitions related to classical music (see listings, below).

The event is only for that one night, from 7 pm to 1 am. But free shuttle buses, starting from Jan Palach Square on the river, will make it easier for you to efficiently hop from place to place, operating from 7:30 pm Saturday until 1:15 the next morning. You can pick up a brochure mapping out the routes and museums the day before and the day of the event.

It’s probably a good strategy to plan your attack wisely, because the event usually attracts about 100,000 visitors, according to its organizers – the National Museum, the Prague Public Transport Company, and the Czech Association of Museums and Galleries, in cooperation with other institutions. Prague Museum Night is co-funded by the Czech Ministry of Culture and Prague municipal authorities.

New participants this year include the AMoYa Gallery, the Prague Botanical Garden, the House of National Minorities, and the Meet Factory, an international contemporary art center. In addition to concerts, you can look forward to lectures, film screenings, competitions, and other interesting events, including several programs for children.

Just to prove that museums aren’t tired, dusty old boxes of dried-up artifacts, the organizers are sending out the details of their big night via electronic communication – and well in advance of the event. Details are already available in both Czech and English on their website, www.prazskamuzeujninoc.cz. On your Smartphone, the mobile phone version is at m.prazskamuzejninoc.cz or through the QR codes on printed Prague Museum Night promotional materials.

Here’s an early sampling of some of the classical concerts and events:

Concert: The Prague Conservatoire, A. Bartoňová, L. Rýznarová.
At the Antonín Dvořák Museum, 11 pm – midnight

Concert: Czech Philharmonic Chamber Soloists
At The Rudolfinum, 7 pm – midnight

Concert: Contemporary Czech Music
The Chamber Orchestra of the Dvořák Region, performing work by Eduard Douša;Václav Mazáček, conducting.
At the Czech Museum of Music, 8:30 – 8:45 pm
  
Concert: East Wind
Smetana, Dvořák, and Tchaikovsky, played by the Flute Ensemble, Trani, Italy.
At the Czech Museum of Music, 7:30 – 8:00 pm

Concert: J. Haydn – The Creation
Czech and German choirs and orchestras.
At Prague Hlahol, 7 – 8:30 pm

Exhibition: Bedřich Smetana
Explore the current exhibition.
At the Smetana Museum, starting at 7 pm, except during programs, until 1 am.

Concert: The Moldau Like You Don’t Know It
Smetana’s masterpiece played by PiKap Quartet and piano.
At the Bedřich Smetana Museum, 8 – 9 pm.

Recital: Pianist R. Skleničková
Alternating with accordionist M. Orsag.
At The Museum of Czech Literature – The Hvězda Summer Pavilion, 7 pm – midnight

Presentation: The Mysterious Story of The Czech Museum of Music
In the past it was a church, a post office, a police station. Find out about the history of this intriguing building.
At the Czech Museum of Music, 7 pm – 1 am.

Concert: Musica Dolce Vita
A trio featuring harp, flute, and vocals.
At the Bedřich Smetana Museum, 10:30 – 11 pm.

Concert: Prague Cello Project
Short music performances by HAMU students.
At the Gallery of Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, 7 – 8 pm; 9 – 10 pm; and 11 pm-midnight.

Concert: The Band of the Castle Guards and Police of the Czech Republic
At The Czech Police Museum, 7 – 9 pm. — oo

Petr Zuska, here in his 'Les Bras de Mer,' claims that ballet dancers don't dance in their dreams. But those exquisite images must come from somewhere ...

No, says Petr Zuska.

A Thursday afternoon chat about dance, over a glass of white wine on the New Stage, reunited two friends: Marek Eben, the master conductor of interviews, and the man who rules the moves at the National Theatre Ballet, artistic director Petr Zuska.

The public conversation May 3 marked Mr. Zuska’s 10th year in the director’s position. The milestone will be highlighted by the upcoming performances called Gala X. Starting in mid-May and ending at the end of June, the Gala will present 20 different Zuska choreographies in six groups, spread over 17 evenings.

Mr. Zuska certainly doesn’t conform to the traditional idea of a classical dancer. He even refuses to be called that: “I consider myself rather a neoclassical or contemporary dancer. I have never danced [the lead role] The Prince in Swan Lake and I don’t regret it.” But despite this confession, he defends classical ballet technique: “It’s irreplaceable,” he believes. It simply shows, whether a modern dancer has or doesn’t have classical ballet training.

His own journey to the royal dance was quite unorthodox. As a child he didn’t spend hours practicing in tights at the horizontal pole (as Mr. Eben called the barre, chuckling), but rather at the stadium doing sports and athletics. Of course, he gravitated towards dance, but before he joined the Prague Chamber Ballet headed by Pavel Šmok, in 1989, he took a little detour by becoming a member of a pantomime group. Naturally, afterwards he had to work really hard to make up for the years he missed in the dance studio. Then he traveled, collaborating with foremost choreographers, appearing on the stages in the Netherlands, Montreal, and Prague.

Petr Zuska

Mr Zuska tends to build a piece from the ground up, and a significant part of his creative process takes place in his head. “Choreography is intellectual work. I sit at home, listen to music, and try to visualize the sequence of individual movements as a film,” he explains. Next he materializes his ideas right on the stage during rehearsals to see if they work. Over the years he has learnt one thing: whenever he pushed too hard for his vision and over-prepared too much, it didn’t help.

Throughout the public conversation it becomes apparent how music is essential to the creation of choreography. Several times Mr. Zuska cites music as the drive of his choreographic work, especially the Czech folk music on which he has based many of his choreographies.

His next big project is a piece from the classical ballet repertoire, Romeo and Juliet, also fueled by his enchantment with music. When someone asks why he wants to produce just another Romeo and Juliet, Mr. Zuska eagerly replies: “My own emotional motivation is the genius music by Prokofiev. It really resonates with me.”

Of course, “It won’t be possible to come up with something radically different from the classical choreography,” he admits. “But I can seek a new metaphor, put an accent on a new topic.” Classical ballet is not dead and can still progress somewhere, he firmly believes.

Throughout his tenure as artistic director, Mr Zuska has invited guest choreographers to work with the National Theatre company. “I’m proud of the mosaic of personalities” which have worked with his dancers, he tells Opus Osm, “whether they created new pieces or re-created their existing works.”

Significantly, he adds, “It promotes a very good relationship. Ninety-five percent really enjoyed working with our company, with the company’s abilities, and they enjoyed spending their time with us,” he says.

It’s another measure of success for the 44-year-old sportsman turned dancer, choreographer, and artistic director. — oo

– Zuzana Sklenková

Ensemble Inégal performs Early Music at Emauzy Abbey May 19. Looks like fun, doesn't it?

It is being billed as early music, but that is somewhat imprecise. So if you’re thinking cavemen beating hides and grunting, nothing could be further from the truth, even though this technically does lie within the definition. Ensemble Inégal will in fact perform an Early Music work by the most important Czech Baroque composer, Jan Dismas Zelenka, at Emauzy Abbey on May 19th as part of the Prague Spring International Music Festival.

The rediscovery of Jan Dismas Zelenka’s works is credited to Bedřich Smetana, who rewrote some scores from the archives in Dresden. Interest in Zelenka’s works has been growing since the late 1950s. Today, more than half of his works have been recorded, mostly in the Czech Republic and Germany, and are being performed by new ensembles such as Ensemble Inégal.

Jan Dismas Zelenka was born in Lounovice pod Blanikem in 1679. The small village regularly holds a music festival in his honor. In about 1710, he joined the royal orchestra in Dresden. The reason he left Bohemia remains a mystery. Nevertheless, Il Serpento di Bronzo (Serpent of Bronze), the work that will be performed by Ensemble Inégal, is a sacred cantata that was composed in 1730 and first performed in Dresden. It tells the story of the Jews traveling from Egypt to the Promised Land.

Zelenka was a well-informed composer known for his daring music – perfection of the art of counterpoint. His works are known to be difficult to perform, but by no means monotonous. They surprise with sudden changes in harmony. As a violinist (actually, he played the violone, the largest and lowest member of the viol family, analogous to the double bass in the violin family of stringed instruments), Zelenka had a feel for quickness and complicated rhythm. His music is closest to Bach’s, but with considerable idiosyncrasy. Czech folk music is an evident influence in his works.

As for Ensemble Inégal, they are a vocal-instrumental group founded in 2000. And yes, the “Inégal” of their name refers to unequal or uneven: They go for a variable number and configuration of performers and musical styles.

Although they remain somewhat reticent in updating their website and have a rather discreet presence on Facebook, their claim to fame is an unconventional approach to Early Music in the sense that they attempt to replicate it in as authentic a manner as possible.

In that respect, the choice of venue is appropriate: Emauzy Abbey, established in 1347, was the only monastery of the Bohemian Kingdom. It was almost destroyed in 1945 during a WWII Allied bombing raid on Prague, so a contemporary roof was added during the reconstruction in the years 1953–1954, thereby incorporating an unconventional touch of modernity.

So remember, Baroque does not equal boring. Neanderthals welcome. — oo

Hana and Frank Trollman

420 People's Zuzana Herényiová and Milan Odstrčil appeared in the recent performance 'Maj,' and return in 'Wind-Up.'

The words “wind up” bring up many possible meanings in English: “After traveling the entire world, how did you wind up in Prague?” Or, “We’re out of time so we have to wind up this interview.” Or, “Don’t give Pete too much sugar before bedtime – it winds him up.” Or even, “My older brother loves to tease my younger sister – he really knows how to wind her up.”

But for their contemporary dance performance May 13-14, 420People have chosen Wind-Up as the title for the piece that observes “the energy inside and around us,” Václav Kuneš tells Opus Osm.

“I created the choreography after reading a novel – I’m not going to tell you which one before the performance – which I really like,” Mr Kuneš teases with a smile. “I’ll just say Wind-Up is like the spring of a clock. You wind it up and the tension creates movement. The waves of energy leave traces of something behind.

“And if you wind something up too tightly, it will either break, or it lets you step in a new direction.”

The piece comprises six short works, performed by Czech dancers Zuzana Herényiová, Milan Odstrčil, Alexandr Volný, 420People co-founders Nataša Novotná and Mr Kuneš, and guest dancer Jussi Nousiainen from Finland. The co-founders will also present the 14′ 20” Duet from 27′ 52″, the famous piece by Jiří Kylián.

Israeli composer Amos Ben-Tal has cooperated with 420People twice before, and this time his music uses Bach – with an electric guitar – as an entry point for the audience. “The music by Bach is a piece everyone knows,” Mr Kuneš says, again withholding the title until the performance.

The set, on the other hand, is no mystery. Designed by Jan Mlčoch and Mr Kuneš, it’s composed of wooden industrial pallets. “They define the space,” Mr Kuneš explains, “and because they’re rough, wood, natural, they help you find that basic core,” he says.

He adds one final clue about Sunday and Monday’s performance at the Archa Theatre:

“The pallets make a great sound when they fall,” he smiles mysteriously.

He really knows how to wind up our curiosity.– oo

– Mary Matz

The route to the cupola of St Salvator, where The Berg Orchestra will premiere a new work by Slavomír Hořínka

You’re trying to run up a steep, narrow wooden staircase with no handrails. The stairs twist and turn, doubling back on themselves as you clamber up, higher and higher.

At some 40 metres above the ground you reach the top. You walk a narrow wooden plank over dusty, plaster dunes which help form the vaulted ceiling below. You reach up and put your hand on each low, wooden beam as you pass beneath it, so you won’t bonk your head and fall off the edge into the dirt and dust.

Dust that could well be over 400 years old.

At the end of the plank you finally walk into the brilliant light. You’re standing right under the dome of the Gothic-Baroque Kostel Nejsvětějšího Salvátora, in the cupola of the Jesuit Church of St Salvator, across the street from the Charles Bridge. You look up to the light pouring in through the clear, leaded windows. When you see the two pigeons perched on the plaster filament above you, you’re finally sure this isn’t a nightmare; it’s only the venue for the next site-specific concert by The Berg Orchestra.

Fortunately, the audience won’t be expected to follow this route for the concert Wed, May 9.

The view from the cupola looking down to the floor; a portion of the art piece is visible on the left.

Composer Slavomír Hořínka envisioned this “wrap music” for his world-premiere Magnificat, music that literally moves around and enfolds the audience. “When I compose I want to work with something deeply personal,” Mr Hořínka tells Opus Osm. Since a composition can take half to three-quarters of a year to complete, “When I compose, I want to work on something I can contemplate. This is a kind of prayer,” he says. However, he adds, even though he wants to share his personal view, “Everybody can listen in whatever way he likes. There’s no manual for it.”

The young Czech composer says he tried to make the simplest possible work from a plainsong chant, including the “processional” for the Tiburtina choir, which will walk as they sing – something opera singers can’t do.

Mr Hořínka was pleased to collaborate with long-time friend (and his daughter’s god-mother) Magdalena Bartáková, a visual artist who has created an unusual paper hanging for the concert. It’s a white, wing-like object which she has titled “Woman Dressed in Sunlight,” part of the Apocalypse text from Catholic liturgy. The concert and the artwork honor the Virgin Mary, which for the Catholic church occurs during the entire month of May.

Although most of the 7-person crew working to raise the approximately 6×10 metre, 15 kg art piece up towards the dome refer to it as the wing, “It’s not a wing,” Mrs Bartáková insists; “it’s a landscape.” It’s composed of three to 30 layers of thin white opaque paper plastered together with wallpaper paste. Abstract images of landscapes projected onto the piece “connect earth with heaven or the sky,” the artist explains.

The piece hangs so that the setting sun illuminates the layers. Since the sun doesn’t make its daily entrance (or exit) until 7:45 pm this Wednesday, that’s when the concert starts.

Whether you think the art is a wing or a landscape, whether you think the music is a prayer or something else, the effect of the contemporary works set in the Baroque atmosphere is sure to be monumental – and memorable. You can watch the massive “Woman Dressed in Sunlight” being raised to the cupola, in the video below. The music is not by The Berg Orchestra, but a quartet rehearsing for that day’s concert. — oo

– Mary Matz

Vit Zouhar's new composition premieres with violist Mark Ludwig (right) and other musicians performing the commissioned work entitled 'Days'

You can witness a unique concert Tues, May 15 as part of the annual Prague Spring International Festival 2012. Sitting in the audience at the Church of St Simon and St Jude, you will be able to look both back in history and forward to the future.

That’s because this concert offers the world premiere of Vit Zouhar’s Days, the 2012 Terezín Legacy Commission, a project of the non-profit Terezín Music Foundation. The group honors not only the legacy but also the creative spirit of the World War II Terezín camp’s interned musicians.

The Foundation ensures that these musicians’ works will be preserved and performed; carries on the mentoring role set by these wartime musicians; and supports today’s emerging composers by commissioning their new works.

The music will be performed by Boston-based harpsichordist Mark Kroll; Boston Symphony violist Mark Ludwig, executive director of the Terezín Music Foundation; flutist Jan Ostrý; violinist Martina Bacová; and cellist Petr Nouzovský. Mr Kroll is also chairing the jury of the Prague Spring 2012 harpsichord competition.

But the historic activities won’t end with the final note of the concert. The next day, the Terezín Legacy Commission will present its first annual Vedem Award, an original sculpture by a Czech glass artist, this year Martin Rosol. The award will be presented to Zuzana Růžičková, the internationally-recognized harpsichordist, at the American Embassy May 16. While in Terezín she studied music with composer Gideon Klein.

The unusual name for the award comes from a secret, Czech-language literary magazine. “Vedem” was produced by a group of boys held in Terezín.

The positive work of the Terezín foundation will continue with a week of master classes May 15-21 at the Jan Deyl and Prague conservatories, with clarinetist Thomas Martin, Mr Kroll, and Mr Ludwig. The classes are sponsored by the Foundation’s Emerson-Ondriček Fund, in memory of Czech violin pedagogue Emanuel Ondriček and his American student Harriet Emerson.

All in all, the concert and activities surrounding it will help make – and preserve – music history.

You can read more about the Foundation by clicking on the dates below, for related articles published previously on Opus Osm:

More about Vit Zouhar: Thursday, August 25, 2011

More about Zuzana Růžičková: February 14, 2012

More about The Terezín Music Foundation: June 14, 2011

More about Harriet Emerson: June 1, 2011 — oo

– Mary Matz

Occasionally we ask folks why they don’t go to classical music concerts, ballet, or opera. For a lot of them, the reason is simple: “No time, no money.”

However. Having lived a long life, we’ve observed that there is always time and money … for the things you really want. Everything else comes in second, and then “no time, no money” becomes the convenient explanation for it.

Opus Osm thinks it’s rather sad that this is keeping so many people from discovering the pleasure and joy of the classical arts. To eliminate one of the reasons (no money), we regularly list all the Prague classical events we can find that are offered for the admission price of 200 kč or less – about the price of a movie ticket these days.

You can find this list in the far right column on every Opus Osm page except our Home page, every day. And many of these events are for even less — 100 kč, a donation, or even free.

As for the no-time reason, several venues offer performances on Saturday afternoons (National Theatre Ballet), Sunday afternoons (Aero cinema ballet, Prague Symphony Orchestra [FOK]), 1 or 5:30 pm on weekdays (Czech Philharmonic), late-morning public rehearsals (Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra, Prague Symphony Orchestra (FOK), Czech Philharmonic), and many others. So you don’t have to dread dressing up, finding a babysitter, or getting home too late.

Commit Yourself

But one of the best ways to save both time and money on classical performances is to buy a season or subscription ticket, called abonmá or abonentních, or předplatné, but unfortunately not always translated into English.

With a subscription ticket you can choose just the performances you want, mark your calendar well in advance, zoom straight to the venue – and at a reduced price. At some venues a single ticket is transferable or refundable in case you can’t attend a specific performance.

Take a look at the representative subscription information below, from just four venues, and then pick one and make a commitment. It’s a small but very important way to ensure the financial health of the classical arts – and save a little time and money yourself, too.

Venue: The Berg Orchestra (various locations)
2012-13 Subscription Sales Start: March 2012
Value: Single subscriber – a ticket to 8 concerts for the price of 7; Double subscriber (2 people) – tickets to 8 concerts for the price of 6. Ticket refunds (maximum 2/season): 50% refund. Other deals and benefits available.
Information on website in English? Yes; www.berg.cz/en

Venue: The Czech Philharmonic (usually at The Rudolfinum)
2012-13 Subscription Sales Start: April 10, 2012
Value: 20% discount on concerts by the Czech Philharmonic; 20% discount on concerts by the Czech Chamber Music Society. Tickets are transferable. Members also can take part in the Bonus Program (described in Czech only). Gift certificates available.
Information on website in English? Mostly; www.ceskafilharmonie.cz/en

Venue: The National Theatre (Theatre of the Estates, The New Stage, The National Theatre, The State Opera)
2012-13 Subscription Sales Start: May 31, 2012
Value: Reduced prices according to seating and type: Opera in the evening, ballet in the evening, opera and ballet at the State Opera, mixed performances in the afternoon, etc. Other deals and benefits available.
Information on website in English? Partly; www.predplatnend.cz

Venue: The Prague Symphony Orchestra (FOK) (usually at The Municipal House)
2012-13 Subscription Sales Start: April 10, 2012; Individual tickets and ‘Ad Libitum’ series: May 2, 2012
Value: Subscriptions offered in all 10 concert categories (A/B, C/D, Sunday Family, World Piano, etc., and a new category, Music and Theatre) at a 30-to-50% discount. The ‘Ad Libitum’ series offers a 20% discount on 4 concerts. The Family Ticket is the same price as for 2 adults, but also includes up to three children under age 16. All new subscribers also receive a free FOK CD and a 3-month season ticket to the Prague Botanical Garden. Gift certificates also available. Other deals and benefits available.
Information on website in English? Mostly; www.fok.cz/en — oo

– Mary Matz

Composer František Chaloupka's instructions for playing percussion in The Book of the Earth

What would you do if your boss handed you this paper with the instructions, “Play this 10 times”?

It was all in a day’s work for award-winning percussionist Anton Zhdanovich, 20. He played percussion with The Berg Orchestra at their recent world premiere of The Book of the Earth by Czech composer František Chaloupka.

That requires not only playing a vibraphone, drums, and other more usual instruments from this unusual-looking score, but also whirling a length of plastic tube over his head, sawing on the cymbal and vibraphone with a cello bow, and, in another piece, even leaving the concert room to perform for a few measures in a back hallway.

All without missing a beat.

As a student, Mr Zhdanovich earned a President of Belarus Scholarship for talented youth, studied music at the Minsk conservatory and academy of music, was an orchestra member of the State Theatre of Opera and Ballet, and soloed with the Belarus State Chamber Orchestra.

So what’s it like for him, a serious, classical percussionist with the NeoPercussio Ensemble, to play contemporary music like Mr Chaloupka’s, plus Heiner Goebbels’ Red Run, and Alfred Schnittke’s Yellow Sound?

The answer might surprise you, if the words “percussion for orchestra” conjures up the music you learned for your school band.

In fact, “Playing a vibraphone with a bow is quite a usual technique,” Mr Zhdanovich tells Opus Osm. “It creates an interesting celestial sound; it is ‘tuned tones.’” He cautions that you have to learn how to create the sound, “but you would manage too after a while,” he smiles.

He compares the difference between using a mallet and a bow. Creating a sound with a mallet gives you a sharp beginning, and then the sound goes into silence. Stroking a bow on the edge of a vibraphone key, however, lets you create a very long sound of a certain pitch.

“The difficult part is to play what is written in the score at the right place,” he points out. “There are many changes of the instruments, and you also change the mallet for the bow.”

Anton Zhdanovich on a slightly more traditional percussion instrument

He adds, “And then when you manage the technique, you have to think about the expression the music needs.” Further, there’s that boss looking over your shoulder, or, in the case of a conductor, looking you right in the eye. “You have to be very alert and always follow the conductor. Each part has its own mood,” the young percussionist explains.

He describes the mood of The Book of the Earth as “similar to listening to a waterfall or when you watch the sand on the seashore. Calming. Meditation.”

It creates pictures in your head — a special representation of our Earth and of our world, the elements, sounds, and various actions of nature, he believes. “When you have finished, what stays with you is the impression of Earth’s elements, and the associations stay with you.”

If you missed Mr Zhdanovich at this concert at the Dox Art Center, you have another chance to hear him. He’ll appear with the Berg Orchestra for their “Marianum” concert May 9 at the Saint Salvator Church (near the Charles Bridge), featuring music in space and visual art.

He will also play a solo performance June 5 at Betlémská Chapel, in a concert for marimba and orchestra, with the ČVUT Academic Orchestra.

And you can hear what the “tuned tones” of The Book of the Earth sound like by clicking on the video below. — oo

Adam Skoumal performed Apr 28 as part of the FOK World Piano Series.

When you go to a piano concert by Adam Skoumal, you find that there’s just so much to like — in addition to his brilliant playing.

We went to his concert smack in the middle of the humid, 5-day holiday weekend, on Sat, Apr 28 (holiday-makers could stretch the traditional May 1 observance across a long weekend). The Rudolfinum was only about half full for this concert by an internationally-recognized and often-awarded Czech pianist.

But Mr Skoumal came onstage with the house lights up, smiled intimately at the audience, bowed as if to say, “Well – here I am!” and then walked amiably over to the piano and began to play. Only then did the lights dim, a bit; and Mr Skoumal seemed unfazed by the small house.

He continued his usual practice of playing some of his own compositions onstage. What a great way to learn more about him, not only as a piano player, but about his perspective on music in general, as a composer. We especially like the way he introduced one of his four encore pieces, again one of his own compositions, by simply announcing, “Skoumal – Etude for the Left Hand.”

Mr Skoumal wrote his own, warm and interesting program notes for the evening’s performance, an insightful way to learn more about him, rather than just being the usual: man in black tuxedo, seated at black Steinway; program notes by an academic.

He also chose to share with us Schumann’s original version of the Sonata No 2 in G Minor, Opus 22, rather than taking the easy way out and substituting the later, more popular and more accessible version.

When the obligatory bouquet was accidentally brought to him before his final piece, he accepted the flowers and the applause, turned to the audience, and said, “But it’s not the end yet!” The audience laughed. After playing his own Variation on a Folk Song, he again turned to the audience and smiled, saying, “Now it’s the end.” Everyone chuckled.

But it wasn’t.

The audience wouldn’t let him go until he had performed four encores, and if Mr Skoumal hadn’t started to visibly tire a bit, we might all still be sitting in The Rudolfinum, listening and enjoying.

You can enjoy a snippet of Saturday’s concert by clicking on the video below. Mr Skoumal also has several other videos on YouTube, and has released several CDs; but the best way to enjoy his music, of course, is live. — oo

– Mary Matz

The performance of Dvořák's The Wedding Shirts was an eerie study in darkness and light, at the Spanish Hall, Prague Castle

The Spanish Hall in Prague Castle is one of the most opulent places in the Czech Republic, and likely the world. When Obama and Medvedev came to the Czech Republic to sign an historic missile treaty, this is the room they did it in.

Now and again it is opened to the public for performances, and it does not disappoint. Such was the case on Apr 25 when the Prague Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, with the Prague Philharmonic Choir, performed Antonín Dvořák’s The Spectre’s Bride a.k.a. The Wedding Shirts, Opus 69.

Decked out in white marble and gleaming gold, the Spanish Hall was initially brilliantly illuminated. But for the performance, the lights were dimmed, shrouding it in ominous shadows as a compliment to Karel Jaromir Erben’s creepy ballad about the undead which provided the inspiration for Dvořák’s music.

Indeed, the dichotomy between the darkness of a performance hall and the gleam of an exhibition room is a perfect fit for the story — a piece that blends the grasping hands of a zombie lover with the glory of the sacred.

The tale is about a maiden’s (Slovak soprano Maria Porubčinová) husband-to-be coming back from the dead (ominous baritone Ivan Kusnjer). Her love is almost enough to blind her to the wicked nature of the zombies she is being carried off to. But accompanied by a rousing chorus, she is able to call upon her faith and banish the monsters.

Tenor Ladislav Elgr provided a stirring performance as the voices of the singers not only resounded through the Hall, but their reflections in shadow were bounced off the mirrors on the left wall, a stark counterpoint to the dimming light of evening coming in through the windows to the right.

Night fell and the fervent climax was upon us. Bang! bang! bang! That was the sound of the maiden’s husband-to-be pounding on the doors of the mortuary chapel in a desperate attempt to get her out of that hiding place before dawn.

“Get up!” he calls to a dead man inside. “Push aside the bolt for me!”

But even at that darkest hour, the maiden prays for salvation. Forgiveness, one of the cornerstones of Christian belief, triumphs. In the end evil is punished and virtue rewarded. A blessing of light in a time of greatest darkness.

Although some of the medieval conventions are somewhat incomprehensible, the tale is classic and the music epic. Through it all, the singers, orchestra, and choir captured the correct essence of the piece in the interplay of light and dark, using it effectively both in song and in person in the incredible atmosphere of the Spanish Hall.

As we stepped out into the night following the concert to see the gleaming Gothic cathedral towering above us, be it with missile treaties or evil zombies, it seemed that humanity is forever celebrating the light in the darkness. — oo

– Hana and Frank Trollman

The anti-Socialist-Realist ballet The Bright Stream promises lots of fun.

* With your tongue in your cheek: English idiom, to say something as a joke but with a serious face

The Bright Stream (Světlý Pramen), at the cinema on Sunday, is a satirical ballet sure to provoke a stream of laughter. But what happened to its creators is no laughing matter.

The ballet about Moscow ballet dancers visiting a rural Russian collective during the wheat harvest premiered in Leningrad in 1935. The music is by Shostakovich; the lead male role is The Ballet Dancer, dressed as a sylph and dancing en pointe.

The first audience loved its folk tunes blooming into sweeping orchestra music, its dancers on a bicycle, its sudden bursts of charleston right in the middle of the dance; you can just picture why.

However, the later Moscow audience wasn’t as thrilled. An anonymous editorial in Pravda descried the piece’s offenses against Soviet Realism. The composer’s music was banned; the original librettist was banished; and the choreographer was black-balled from future serious, accepted work.

Happily, times have changed, but the humor has not. You can see a rare performance of The Bright Stream on Sun, Apr 29 at the Světozor, in a live broadcast beamed, ironically, from the Bolshoi in Moscow. It’s the latest in the Aero cinema company’s series of big-screen ballet performances.

The production’s Russian choreographer, Alexei Ratmansky, trained at the Bolshoi Ballet School, danced with major international ballet companies, and has created award-winning ballets for the Dutch National Ballet, Kirov Ballet, the Royal Danish Ballet, the Royal Swedish Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and the State Ballet of Georgia.

In 2003 he was invited to mount The Bright Stream in Moscow, the city that originally led to its downfall. This and his other works led not to his banishment, but to his collection of prestigious international dance and choreography awards.

The Bright Stream promises to be memorably entertaining, whether you can appreciate the political irony from personal experience or only from history.

–And then, there’s that dancing … — oo

– Mary Matz