The opening concert of the Festival will present a unique programme of arias for alto voice, with which the Prague Cathedral of St. Vitus originally resounded in the first half of the 18th century. The alto part will be sung by the renowned French countertenor Damien Guillon, accompanied by the Czech baroque ensemble Collegium Marianum led by Jana Semerádová and Cecilia Bernardini. The performance is the result of a comprehensive study of the archives of Prague Castle, which also contain a collection of autographs, period copies and rare prints of such composers as Vivaldi and Caldara, providing evidence of the European significance of St. Vitus' Choir. In addition to compositions by its own members, the Choir also performed works by the Viennese composer J. J. Fux, the Dresden composers J. A. Hasse and Pierre-Gabriel Buffardin and the Prague or Prague-Dresden composers A. Reichenauer, F. I. A. Tůma and J. D. Zelenka and so these will also appear on the programme Amor Divino. Furthermore there will be several modern premieres of forgotten works; let yourself be surprised.
The Summer Festivities of Early Music offer a total of nine concert in various venues in Prague. Musical and musical-theatrical programmes will present various church and secular forms of love from Medieval times to Romanticism, ranging from different ways of courtship to libertine songs. The programme also features several modern premiers.
Performers
For some time, the French countertenor, Damien Guillon has been cooperating with prominent artists from the field of early music, among others Vincent Dumestre, Jean-Claude Malgoire, Philippe Herreweghe and William Christie. Guillon’s repertoire extends from English Renaissance songs (T. Hume) to Baroque oratorios and operas, such as the Johannes Passion, cantatas for alt solo by J. S. Bach, Händel’s Messiah and Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. Some of the stage productions in which he has participated are worth mentioning: Monteverdi’s Il Ritorno d'Ulisse at the Théâtre de la Monnaie de Bruxelles (Philippe Pierlot), Il Sant'Alessio by S. Landi.
The Czech baroque ensemble Collegium Marianum (artistic director Jana Semerádová) focuses on the authentic interpretation of pre-romantic music and the reconstruction of baroque choreographies. Since its foundation in 1997, the ensemble has introduced in modern premieres a number of long-forgotten treasures of the 17th and 18th century music and dance repertoire, mostly from the region of Central Europe. Collegium Marianum closely co-operaties with leading international soloists, conductors, choreographers and stage directors, e.g. with the violinist Cecilia Bernardini. The ensemble has been widely praised by both Czech and foreign critics. It regularly makes an appearance at festivals of music and prestigious stages all over Europe.
María Espada already charmed the festival’s audience last year. This year, accompanied by the ensemble Forma Antiqva, the Spanish soprano will sing the stories of Ariadna and Lucrecia by G. F. Händel and D. Scarlatti. Another great voice – the Pole Anna Mikołajczyková – will perform a rare interpretation of songs by Fryderyk Chopin and Pauline Viardot.
The renowned oboist and pioneer of historical interpretation Alfredo Bernardini will interpret sonatas by Telemann, Schaffrath and Händel. The concert will bear the name Pastorale. The festival will not be without the famous ensemble Echo du Danube whose wacky rennaissance and baroque dance music will bring the Hvězda Summer Pavilion to life.
The performance An Evening in Venice by the renowned French ensemble Le Poème Harmonique will transport the audience to the palaces, streets, lagoons and canals of Venice. Under the direction of Benjamin Lazar we can look forward to the articulate baroque gesture of the actor-singers, who, in the candlelit hall, will take us on a journey through the streets of Venice and into exquisite palaces, where song, laughter and tears awaken the morning...
Prague audience will also have the opportunity to hear two great vocal ensembles, the German Stimmwerck with its unique repertoire from the Medieval codex St. Emmeram and the Czech Tiburtina with its chorale hommage to Czech female saints.
Venues
The Summer Festivities of Early Music form the only festival showcase of music of historic artistic styles in Prague and Central Bohemia performed with musical instruments from the period. The music is linked with the beautiful architecture and is presented by the most prominent interprets from all over the world. Traditional venues include Břevnov Monastery, Troja Chateau the Rennaissance Martinic Palace, St. Agnes of Bohemia Monastery or Church of the Virgin Mary before Týn.
Summer Festivities of Early Music - Programme
Thursday, July 23rd, 2009 at 7.30 pm
St. Simon and Juda church, Dušní, Prague 1
- Amor Divino
Baroque devotion portrayed through the music from St. Vitus´Cathedral
(J. D. Zelenka, J. A. Hasse, B. Galuppi, modern premieres)
Damien Guillon – alto (France)
Cecilia Bernardini – leader of the orchestra (The Netherlands)
Collegium Marianum – baroque orchestra
Jana Semerádová – artistic director
Tickets: 500, 300, 200 CZK
Sunday, July 26th, 2009 at 7.30 pm
St. Agnes of Bohemia Monastery, Anežská 12, Prague 1
- Blossoms among the Thorns
The lives of Saints Margaret, Barbora and Catherine in a medieval choral work
Tiburtina Ensemble – vocal ensemble (Czech Republic)
Barbora Sojková – artistic director
Tickets: 350, 250 CZK
Monday, July 27th, 2009 at 8 pm
Troja Chateau, U Trojského zámku 1, Prague 7
- Drama of Love
Voices of desire and passion in the music by D. Scarlatti and G. F. Haendel
María Espada – soprano
Forma Antiqva (Spain)
Aarón Zapico – artistic director
Tickets: 400, 300 CZK
Wednesday, July 29th, 2009 at 8 pm
Břevnov Monastery, Teresian Hall, Markétská 1, Praha 6
- Romance
Dreamy songs of Frédéric Chopin set to the poems of the Polish romantics
Anna Mikołajczyk – soprano (Poland)
Edward Wolanin – fortepiano (Poland)
Tickets: 350, 250 CZK
Sunday, August 2nd, 2009 at 6.30 pm
Summer Pavilion Hvězda, Liboc, Prague 6
- Sempre un po´di follia…
Passion and exuberance in the music of the 16th and 17th centuries
Echo du Danube (Austria)
Elisabeth Seitz – saltery
Christian Zincke – viola da gamba, artistic director
Tickets: 350 CZK
Tuesday, August 4th, 2009 at 7.30 pm
Church of the Virgin Mary before Týn, Staroměstské nám., Prague 1
- Unica columba mea
The Song of Songs from the works of the renaissance masters and motets from the Codex Emmeram
Stimmwerck – vocal ensemble (Germany)
Tickets: 400, 300 CZK
Wednesday, August 5th, 2009 at 8 pm
Břevnov Monastery, Teresian Hall, Markétská 1, Prague 6
- Pastorale
The first Prague serenade with the renowned Italian ensemble (G. F. Händel, G. P. Telemann, A. Marcello, C. P. E. Bach)
Ensemble Zefiro (Italy)
Alfredo Bernardini – baroque oboe, artistic director
Tickets: 450, 300 CZK
Sunday, August 9th, 2009 at 7.30 pm
Martinic Palace, Hradčanské náměstí 67/8, Prague 1
- The Dark is my Delight
16th century English love ballads (T. Morley, J. Bull, E. Johnson)
Susan Hamilton – soprano (Velká Británie)
La Caccia (Belgium)
Patrick Denecker – artistic director
Tickets: 450, 300 CZK
Tuesday, August 11th, 2009 at 8 pm
Rudolfinum, Dvořák Hall, Náměstí Jana Palacha, Prague 1
- An Evening in Venice
Semi staged performance by candlelight with music from the streets and palaces of Venice (C. Monteverdi, F. Manelli, B. Ferrari)
Le Poème Harmonique (France)
Claire Lefilliâtre – soprano
Serge Goubioud – tenor
Jan Van Elsacker – tenor
Arnaud Marzorati – bass
Vincent Dumestre – artistic director
Benjamin Lazar – direction
Tickets: 650, 450, 300 CZK
Tickets available from Collegiuma Marianum ticket office (Melantrichova St. 19) and from Ticketpro. More information at www.letnislavnosti.cz.
