True virtuosity bathes in the light of beauty and is transported most effectively when entwined in gusts of harmony with emotional resonances and dissonances to strike the tone. This summer’s program, held between 22nd July and 8th August, has attracted some of the most highly gifted musicians from all over Europe, the melodies that have echoed through the centuries will once again be brought to life at the hands of these musical maestros.

The Hvězda Summer Pavilion, Troja Chateau, and the Martinic Palace, at Brevnov Monastýry will all feature great performances by viola da gamba player Fahmi Alqhai, violin  player Florian Deuter, legendary player on cornetto Bruce Dickey, cembalist Miklós Spanyi, charismatic tenor Jan van Elsacker and many others. The festival will culminate in a spectacular ballet performance Voyage en Europe by dance ensemble La Compagnie L’ Eventail.

Summer Festivities of Early Music is the only comprehensive event presenting such historical art styles in Prague. Thanks to an inspired and highly innovative production, current premieres are featuring in a high number of the festival’s acts.  The Festival has opened once again a symphonic treasure trove. You can delight in not only the music but also the many baroque gestures, fashion, dance choreography all culminating to create a musica and drama epiphany that will be awesome to behold; the choice of architecture is carefully considerd so that the right music will complete the scene. Concerts and performance set in the historic premises of Prague monasteries, palaces and churches have in the past regularly met with great success.

Program:

Boemo furioso

Recently discovered virtuoso works of F. Jiránek in Vivaldi style
(F. Jiránek – Concertos and Sinfonias, A. Vivaldi – La notte)
Sergio Azzolini – baroque bassoon
Collegium Marianum – baroque orchestra (the Czech Republic)
Jana Semerádová – artistic leader, flauto traverso (the Czech Republic)
Thursday, July 22nd 2010, 7.30 pm
Rudolfinum, Dvořák Hall, Náměstí Jana Palacha, Prague 1

Clavis ad cor meum / Key to my heart

Sonatas by J. Benda and C. Ph. E. Bach
Miklós Spányi – clavichord
Saturday July 24th, 2010, 8 pm
Břevnov Monastery, Teresian Hall, Markétská 1, Prague 6

Fantasías y Glosas

Virtuosity in Spanish Music of the 16th and 17th Centuries
(A. Cabezón, D. Ortiz, J. Arcadelt)
Accademia del Piacere (Spain)
Fahmi Alqhai – viola da gamba, artistic director (Spain)
Monday, July 26th, 2010, 8 pm
Troja Chateau, U Trojského zámku 1, Prague 7

Violino Virtuoso

The Heyday of Violin Art in 17th-Century Bohemia
(H.  I.  F. Biber, G. Muffat)
Harmonie Universelle (Germany)
Florian Deuter – violin, artistic director
Wednesday July 28th, 2010, 7.30 pm
Refectory of Dominican Monastery, Jilská street, Prague 1

The Art of Diminutions

Ornamented Madrigals of D. Ortiz, O. Lasso and L. Rossi
Bruce Dickey – cornetto
La Violetta (The Netherlands)
Paulina Victorina van Laarhoven – viola da gamba, artistic director
Thursday July 29th, 2010, 7.30 pm
Convent of St Agnes of Bohemia, Anežská 12, Prague 1

La Famosa Cantatrice

Homage to Italian Divas of the 17th Century
(B. Strozzi, F. Caccini, L. Luzzaschi)
Maria Skiba – soprano (Poland)
Gerd Amelung – harpsichord
Monday August 2nd, 2010, 7.30 pm
Martinic Palace, Hradčanské náměstí 67/8, Prague 1

The King’s Solo

Concert in Sanssouci, the Palace of Frederick the Great
(J. J. Quantz, C. P. E. Bach, F. Benda)
Jana Semerádová – flauto traverso
Barbara Maria Willi – harpsichord
Wednesday, August 4th 2010, 8.00 pm
Břevnov Monastery, Teresian Hall, Markétská 1, Prague 6

Il Canto d’Orfeo

Tenderness and Love in Arias by L. Rossi, D. Castello and B. Ferrari
Il Trionfo del Tempo (Belgium)
Jan van Elsacker – tenor
Thursday August 5th, 2010, 6.30 pm
Summer Pavilion Hvězda, Prague 6 – Liboc

Voyage en Europe

Baroque Ballet Performance in Four Acts
France of the Sun King – Drama in England – German Nostalgia – Carnival in Venice
La Compagnie L´Eventail – dance company (France)                                                               
Collegium 1704 – baroque ensemble (Czech Republic)
Marie-Geneviève Massé – choreography
Sunday, August 8th, 2010, 8.00 pm
Hybernia Theatre, Nám. Republiky, Prague 1

More information about the programme available at  www.letnislavnosti.cz

Tickets