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Great tastes, less filling

A lighter Prague Spring schedule still carries weight

By Frank Kuznik
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
May 9th, 2007 issue

COURTESY PHOTO
Conductor Sakari Oramo and his wife, soprano Anu Komsi, are appearing with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra.
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Prague Spring is showing its age. Now in its 62nd year, the country’s premier classical music festival is like a veteran performer easing into retirement, relying on finesse and time-tested favorites rather than bold new strokes. Still, there’s plenty to sample this year, with some excellent orchestras and small ensembles coming to town and a fine selection of outstanding Czech talent on the schedule.
The San Francisco Symphony returns under the baton of Michael Tilson Thomas (May 24 and 25), with one night of Russian music and another mixing European and American composers. The orchestra was electrically good in its Prague Spring appearance three years ago, particularly with the Russian material. The other headline orchestra is the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, once the province of composer Jean Sibelius. Conductor Sakari Oramo leads two nights of mostly 20th-century music (May 15 and 16), the second showcasing Sibelius and Night & Day cover girl Lisa Batiashvili, a star violin soloist at the tender age of 28. Oramo’s wife, soprano Anu Komsi, makes her Prague debut at the first concert.
Prague Spring

When: May 12–June 3
Where: Rudolfinum, Obecní dům, 12 other venues
Tickets: 150–2,400 Kč, available through Ticketpro
For a complete schedule, check www.festival.cz

The smaller visiting ensembles offer a tasty variety. Murray Perahia is back with the always excellent Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and a night of Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven (May 17). Hesperion XXI brings its distinctive take on early music to the Rudolfinum (May 18), while the Swiss ensemble Camerata Bern starts with Bach and ends solidly in the 20th century with Bartók (June 1). Gidon Kremer’s Kremerata Baltica, a collection of talented young musicians from the Baltics, brings a promising Russian program to town (May 30). And the China Broadcast Chinese Orchestra is the sleeper of the festival, as even Prague Spring organizers say they’re not sure what to expect from this radio orchestra that plays traditional instruments (May 22).
Along with the usual contingent of local orchestras, a strong lineup of Czech soloists and small ensembles will be given a chance to show off their considerable talent. The Bennewitz Quartet is supplementing an evening of 19th-century classics with a string quartet by Viktor Kalabis, the influential Czech composer who died just last year (May 14). A sweet Baroque program by Collegium Marianum, Prague’s premiere early music ensemble, is unfortunately scheduled for the same night. Ensemble Martinů makes its Prague Spring debut with one of its trademark programs of lively 20th-century music (May 15). And Jitka Čechová, the talented pianist of the award-winning Smetana Trio, has one of the nocturnes all to herself, a solo appearance playing Smetana selections at the Rudolfinum (May 16).
Other local luminaries making noteworthy appearances include Jiří Hlaváč and Jiří Stivin leading a bass clarinet ensemble (May 17); pianist Ivo Kahánek and cellist Tomáš Jamník doing a morning duet at HAMU, the music school (May 19); violin star Pavel Šporcl teamed with frequent piano accompanist Petr Jiříkovský for a night of Romantic music at the Rudolfinum (May 25); harpsichord standout Monika Knoblochová playing solo at St. Agnes’ Convent (May 29); and young organ star Petr Čech giving a morning recital ranging from Bach to Eben (June 2).
One of the themes of this year’s festival is film music, and, while there isn’t much of it, what there is looks intriguing. A pair of Czech composers noted for their film music, Jiří Srnka and Václav Trojan, will be featured in two programs: a full evening with the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra (May 31), and sharing the bill with other theater and film subjects in a performance by the North Bohemian Philharmonic from Teplice (May 29). But the real film treat will be at Lucerna (May 28), where F.W. Murnau’s Faust gets a screening with live musical accompaniment provided by the Netherlands’ brassy Willem Breuker Kollektief.
All of which neglects some major Czech headliners in this year’s festival, such as soprano Eva Urbanová and violinist Ivan Ženatý, and visiting soloists like British trumpet sensation Alison Balsam. Watch these pages in coming weeks for more highlights. In the meantime, get your tickets early, as popular shows tend to sell out. And keep in mind that many of the festival’s gems are not the most popular concerts, but the ensembles and solo or duet performances, particularly the nocturnes, where the crowds are smaller, the mood relaxed and the music, as always at Prague Spring, exceptionally good.

Frank Kuznik can be reached at fkuznik@praguepost.com


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