Besední dům is coming back to life, with concerts returning there. A project called End of Streaming. We're playing live again! will offer a grand total of eight concerts in four days, starting next Tuesday. Every day, from Tuesday to Friday, there will be two concerts with the same programme: one in the afternoon and the other in the evening. All with a chamber line-up, without wind instruments and for a maximum of 130 listeners.
"The offer of streaming and archive concerts has been unbelievable in recent weeks - you didn't know what to play back first. But one thing has become obvious: a live experience cannot be replaced by online streaming. We know this, among other things, from numerous responses from our listeners. They are writing to us that they miss live music. Believe me, all of us miss it as well, as does the whole orchestra. We therefore took the opportunity to return, at least partly, to live performance, although under unconventional conditions. Of course, we pay attention to compliance with all regulations – we definitely do not want to compromise the health of our listeners or musicians," said the director of the Brno Philharmonic Marie Kučerová.
Tuesday to Friday, there will be two concerts with the same programme: one at 3:30 pm and the other at 6:00 pm. All with a chamber line-up, without wind instruments and for a maximum of 130 listeners. "The seats in the hall will arranged in order that we maintain the required distancing. After the concert, we will disinfect everything, ventilate the hall and clean the air in it with an ionizer," Kučerová described the extraordinary measures.
The whole project will be launched by the cellists of the Brno Philharmonic with a programme that they will play the day before at 7:00 pm on the roof of the market house at the Cabbage Market (Zelný trh). The programme will feature compositions by Vivaldi, Mahler and Rossini. Nine musicians will perform in the approximately 50-minute programme, and harpist Dominika Svozilová will accompany them in one of the compositions. "We are very happy to be playing together after a long time. Maybe in quite an unconventional manner, but it is still a great joy for us," said concert master Pavel Šabacký.
On Wednesday, listeners can look forward to a rare combination of harp and double bass. The married duo Ivana and Marek Švestka will play compositions from the romantic period to the present. On Thursday, they are followed by some much louder concerts – percussionists. "Some of the compositions will be performed around the perimeter of the hall, others will be complemented by recordings of the human voice," said Lukáš Krejčí , leader of the Philharmonic's percussion section, adding that a total of six performers will be featured. Friday belongs to a string quartet with a light repertoire, ranging from Bach through Piazzolla to the Beatles.
The series of chamber concerts starts on the days when the Philharmonic begins the sale of its 65th concert season. This year, for the first time, people can purchase their subscriptions online, so they do not have to go to Besední Street box office personally. "We believe that it is more comfortable; in addition, we want to meet the needs of those who are still afraid to go out. Another novelty this year is that we offer First Minute discounts on the purchase of a subscription by 19 June," Kučerová emphasised.
END OF STREAMING. WE'RE PLAYING LIVE AGAIN!
Brno Philharmonic Playing Chamber Music
26 May 2020, Besední dům 3:30 pm and 6:00 pm CELLISTS& HARP
ANTONIO VIVALDI Concerto in G minor for two cellos and orchestra (arrangement for 6 cellos by David Geringas)
ALEXANDER GRAF Domine Jesu
GUSTAV MAHLER Adagietto from Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp minor GIOACCHINO ROSSINI William Tell, overture to the opera
Dominika Svozilová harp
Pavel Šabacký, Michal Greco, Eva Koválová, Radan Vach, Rudolf Mrazík, Iveta Vacková, Pavlína Jelínková, Katarína Madariová and Lukáš Svoboda cellos
27 May 2020, Besední dům 3:30 pm and 6:00 pm HARP & DOUBLE BASS DUO
KOZABURO HIRAI Nara-Yama (Song of the Old City of Nara)
SERGEI PROKOFIEV Prelude in C major
GIOVANNI BOTTESINI Elegy No. 1 in D major
ARVO PÄRT Spiegel im Spiegel
JAN F. FISCHER Four Etudes for Solo Harp (Selection – Nos. 1 and 4)
FRANÇOIS RABBATH Exotic Dance
DEBORAH HENSON-CONANT Baroque Flamenco
Ivana Švestková harp
Marek Švestka double bass
28 May 2020, Besední dům 3:30 pm and 6:00 pm PERCUSSIONISTS PROJECTION
LUKÁŠ KREJČÍ Opening for 4 cymbal players
NICOLAS MARTYNCIOW Impressions I, III for snare drum and tom-toms
ADRIANA HÖLSZKY Wirbelwind for 4 percussion players
CHRISTOS HATZIS Fertility Rites for marimba and belt
LUKÁŠ KREJČÍ Musical imagination for percussion players, video projection: Narrative Landscape
Lukáš Krejčí, Radek Tomášek, Petr Hladík, Tomoe Sonoda, Maximilian Jopp, and Radim Večeřa as a guest – percussion
29 May 2020, Besední dům 3:30 pm and 6:00 pm STRING QUARTET
MARC-ANTOINE CHARPENTIER Prélude from Te Deum H. 146
JOHN WILLIAMS title melody from the film Schindler's List
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH Badinerie from Suite No. 2 in B minor BWV 1067
JOHN LENNON / PAUL McCARTNEY (BEATLES) Yesterday
ASTOR PIAZZOLLA Libertango
LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN Für Elise
CARLOS GARDEL Por una cabezza, tango from the film Scent of a Woman
JOHANN PACHELBEL Canon in D major
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK Humoresque No. 7 in G flat major, Op. 101
JOHN LENNON / PAUL McCARTNEY (BEATLES) Eleanor Rigby
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH Air from Suite No. 3 in D major BWV 1068
GEORG FRIEDRICH HÄNDEL Variations in G minor
Black Eyes a Russian folk song
BENNY ANDERSSON / BJÖRN ULVAEUS (ABBA)
Money, Money, Money
Marie Pšenicová violin
Jan Rybka violin
Petr Pšenica viola
Lukáš Svoboda cello
Tickets for the May chamber concerts are available online or at the Brno Philharmonic box office, and on the spot half an hour before the event. The basic price is 100 CZK with no discount options; seats in the hall or on the gallery are not numbered.
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