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stayinpragueNEWS FROM PRAGUE
English section
2008-08-17
12.09.-01.10.2008
Prague Autumn International Music Festival
Since its second year, the Prague Autumn International Music Festival has established itself as a festival of orchestral music. Our co-operation with all of the orchestras of the BBC, one of the oldest radio stations in Europe, is long-standing as is our co-operation with the most prominent German orchestras such as the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, and Berlin ensembles as well as orchestras based in other German cities. An exceptional chapter in our history is our close co-operation with Russian symphony orchestras and choirs, most of which have participated in our festival not only because of their exceptional quality and artistic integrity, but also because of the popularity of Russian music among Czech audiences. Every year since 2003, when we signed a mutual agreement with Czech Radio for a duration of ten years, we have invited at least two such orchestras, while also providing space in the festival programme for the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra together with its principal conductor Vladimír Válek, who has performed at the Prague Autumn Festival eight times between the years 1992 and 2006.
An equally prominent role has been played by guest conductors from abroad who have conducted Czech orchestras. Many of these excellent conductors were subsequently invited by Czech orchestras to perform with them during their concert seasons.
Throughout its history, the Prague Autumn Festival has naturally devoted its attention to the most significant concertos of Classical music, which forms the basis of the festival’s main repertoire, i.e. from the end of the 18th century to the present. We have featured virtually all piano, violin and cello concertos, composed in the last two hundred years, including those of Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Dvořák, Franck, Elgar, Gershwin, Janáček, Ježek, Liszt, Martinů, Mozart, Paganini, Ravel, Rodriguez, Strauss, Stravinsky, Suk and Shostakovich.
Many virtuoso violinists have performed at the Prague Autumn Festival in past years. An altogether unique feature is the tradition of performing Dvořák’s Cello Concerto at the final concert of the festival each year. Singers who have shone at the festival have included many stars of world opera and concert halls.
The basis of the Prague Autumn Festival’s programme does not comprise Classical orchestral works alone. In 2005, the festival programme included, for the first time, the complete performance of an opera all the way from China, which met with great success. In addition to this musical genre, the Prague Autumn Festival has hosted the Xalapa Guitar Orchestra from Mexico, it has repeatedly presented the world premiere of the famous Paco Pena’s flamenco performance, and it has dazzled Prague audiences with the hundred-strong gipsy violin orchestra as well as the most famous balalaika orchestra from Moscow. We have also presented symphonic arrangements of jazz and for the first time in history screened Chaplin’s famous film City Lights accompanied by live music, arranged by composer and conductor Carl Davis. Also for the first time in history and with great success we presented a programme of melodies from the operettas performed by the Brno Philharmonic conducted by Petr Altrichter.
The festival, which is now in its seventeenth year, will continue to maintain its main programme principles without allowing itself to be bound by anniversaries or any other themes.
Something which has run like a thread through the festival over the last few years, is the performance of Czech music by foreign orchestras at the beginning of the festival and a focus on world symphony orchestras who often perform under the auspices of radio stations. The forthcoming festival will be launched by the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra with its principal conductor Bertrand de Billy.
The Prague Autumn Festival’s co-operation with world radio orchestras will continue with the first visit in history by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra will perform the final two concerts of this year’s festival. Another leading radio orchestra which will also perform at this year’s festival for the first time in our history will be the Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra with its principal conductor Semyon Bychkov.
The Prague Autumn Festival continues in its endeavour to incorporate the works of Czech composers into the repertoire of its guests from abroad, to acquaint Czech audiences with world orchestras which are less well-known but of a high quality, and to search for and discover forgotten or unknown works of music of the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries.