Summer Festivities of Early Music
9th international music festival
Harmony of Nations
Prague, 17 July – 17 August 2008
The programme of the 9th Summer Festivities of Early Music consisted once again of a series of triumphs by some of the foremost performing artists from all parts of Europe presenting the musical heritage of their respective countries. In this ‘Harmony of Nations’, some of the most beautiful historical venues of Prague resounded with music revealing some of the historical cultural links existing on the old Continent.
The opulent musical feast was marked by a prominent French flavour. The Journal of the Dance Master revived the rich tradition of European court ballets as well as some rather exotic dances, such as the Neapolitan tarantella or the Madrid fandango. Another highlight of the programme was the performance of Molière’s comedy Doctor in Spite of Himself in the State Opera theatre in Prague. The French company La Fabrique à théâtre presented an intricate baroque spectacle, full of suggestive potential. Some of the other parts in this assorted European mosaic were the energetic Spanish music, polyphonic compositions by Flemish and Holland masters, music by Mozart, Haydn and a number of German authors. The final evening of the festival was dedicated to the Czech-German composer Jan Dismas Zelenka in whose lamentations and arias starred one of today’s most famous countertenors, Philippe Jaroussky.
Programme
L´Art français
Cantates françaises
(F. Couperin, M. Marais, J.-Ph. Rameau)
Jeffrey Thompson – tenor
Stradivaria (France)
Daniel Cuiller – violin, artistic director
Thursday 17 July 2008, 8 pm
Troja Chateau, U Trojského zámku 1, Praha 7
Travel Journals of a Dancing Master
Gudrun Skamletz – choreography, dance (France)
Jean-Denis Monory – direction, actor (France)
Bastien Ossart – script (France)
Chantal Rousseau – costumes (France)
Collegium Marianum – music ensemble (Czech Republic)
Jana Semerádová – artistic director
Wednesday 23 July 2008, 8.30 pm
Troja Chateau, U Trojského zámku 1, Praha 7
The comedy Doctor in Spite of Himself – Baroque Theatre with candlelight
La Fabrique à théâtre – theatre company (France)
Jean-Denis Monory – director (France)
Wednesday 6 August 2008, 7 pm
The State Opera Prague, Wilsonova 4, Praha 1
European Mosaic
Quintets for flute, French horn and strings (W. A. Mozart, J. Haydn, F. X. Süßmayr and A. Rosetti)
moderntimes_1800 (Austria)
Sunday 20 July 2008, 5 pm
Dobříš Chateau, Dobříš 1
J. P. Sweelinck, G. Steenwick, B. Zwart – improvisation
Boudewijn Zwart – carillon, organ and travelling carillon (Netherlands)
Monday 21 July 2008
1st Part – Loretta Praha, 5 pm
2nd Part – Strahovské nádvoří, 7 pm
From the heritage of the renaissance masters
Oltremontano (Belgium)
Charles Daniels – tenor
Wim Becu – historical trombone, artistic director
Sunday 27 July 2008, 7.30 pm
St Gallus Church, Havelská street, Prague 1
Triumph of the Clarinet
(G. F. Händel, G. Ph. Telemann, J. B. Boismortier)
Crescendo Barock – Ensemble (Germany)
Christian Leitherer – baroque clarinet and chalumeau, artistic director
Monday 28 July 2008, 8 pm
Břevnov Monastery, Theresian Hall, Markétská 1, Prague 6
Zarambeques
Spanish music of the 17th and 18th century
Armoniosi Concerti (Spain)
Juan Carlos Rivera – vihuela and baroque guitar, artistic director
Thursday 31 July 2008, 7.30 pm
The Hvězda Summer Pavilion, Liboc, Praha 6
Polish folklore in the works of G. Ph. Telemann and A. Vivaldi
Wrocławska Orkiestra Barokowa (Poland)
Jarosław Thiel – cello, artistic director
Friday 8 August 2008, 8 pm
Strahov Monastery, Strahovské nádvoří 1, Praha 1
Musica Hungarica
On the occasions of the year of the Renaissance in Hungary
WA:N:S Chorus – vocal ensemble (Hungary)
János Bali – artistic director
Wednesday 13 August 2008, 7.30 pm
Ss. Peter and Paul Basilic, Vyšehrad, Praha 2
Lamentatios, arias and orchestral works by J. D. Zelenka
Philippe Jaroussky – countertenor (France)
Musica Florea – baroque orchestra (Czech Republic)
Marek Štryncl – artistic director
Sunday 17 August 2008, 7.30 pm
Smetana Hall, Municipal House, Náměstí Republiky 5, Praha 1
