Hot Tips
Válek
CZECH ENSEMBLE BAROQUE
Sts. Simon and Jude Church, September 29
Conductor Roman Válek and his ensemble explore the connections between early Baroque Italy and Bohemia with a program featuring music by Monteverdi, Frescobaldi and Czech composer Adam Václav Michna.
Details & Tickets Here
Von Oeyen
PRAGUE PHILHARMONIA
Rudolfinum, September 29
Pianist Andrew von Oeyen, who was with the orchestra on its US tour earlier this year, returns to play a Prokofiev concerto. Mexican conductor Iván López Reynoso will be on the podium for a program that also includes a Schubert symphony.
Details & Tickets Here
Zappa
BANNED FROM UTOPIA
Palác Akropolis, September 29
Composer and rock star Frank Zappa may be gone, but he remains a cultural hero in this country. And his music lives on, with alumni from his ’70s and ’80s groups touring as a tribute band and performing authentic versions of some all-time favorites.
Details & Tickets Here
Barron
CZECH PHILHARMONIC
Rudolfinum, September 30, October 1 & 2
There may still be a few tickets left for this intriguing program of a John Williams concerto and Mahler’s “Das Lied von der Erde.” Daniel Harding conducts a stellar group of soloists that includes French horn virtuoso Radek Baborák, tenor Andrew Staples and mezzo Fleur Barron.
Details & Tickets Here
Bester
BESTER QUARTET
Palác Akropolis, October 1
Trained as classical players, steeped in the Jewish music tradition and experienced in jazz improvisation, this Polish ensemble puts an avant-garde spin on klezmer, playing original music by accordionist Jaroslaw Bester that has won enthusiatic fans around the world.
Details & Tickets Here
Németh
JOHN NÉMETH
Lucerna Music Bar, October 3
Real American blues does not come to Prague very often, so it’s always worth catching someone like Németh, an award-winning singer and harp player from Memphis. He fronts a hot band that puts out a smokin’ mix of R&B, gospel, funk and electric blues-rock.
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Review: Sweeney Todd
A passion for slashing: Adam Plachetka as the demon barber (Photo by Serghei Ghericiu)
Is it an opera? Or a Broadway musical? Or a hybrid of the two? However you choose to classify it, the bottom line on the State Opera’s new production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is this: It’s a hot mess.
Which comes as a surprise, since director Martin Čičvák has done great work for the National Theater in the past, in particular with Ball im Savoy and Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. But this production attempts a blending of genres that seems inherently unworkable, and despite strong showings from the performers, it never quite strikes the right balance between comedy and tragedy. Moreover, it’s freighted by some of the problems typical of State Opera productions.
Quick Hits
Happy Chan (Photo by Petra Hajská)
A Fine Finale
The Dvorak’s Prague festival finished in exemplary fashion, with Elim Chan leading a superb performance by the Czech Philharmonic and a final tally of 32 events that drew nearly 18,000 visitors this year. The concluding concert also reflected the festival’s expanding scope, with an international cast of players setting Dvorak’s music in a broader context. Director Jan Simon achieved his goal of creating “a meeting point where the world’s elite performers connect with Czech musical tradition and its future.” For a full review, follow the link below.
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Alžběta Poláčková in the title role (Photo by Zdeněk Sokol)
Lady Macbeth Redux
The National Theater is reprising one of the best productions in its repertoire in October, with three performances of the Shostakovich opera “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk.” A tawdry story of a desperate woman who turns to murder to escape her humdrum life, it was banned by Soviet officials after Stalin attended a performance and was offended by the sex, violence and depravity. The music is sensational, a gripping score brought to vivid life in this production by skilled conductor Hermann Bäumer. For dates and details, follow the link below.
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