Music Maestro, Part 3 (Finale) - People In Prague #2

My first two posts in this Music Maestro series were about native Bohemians; Bedřich Smetana and Antonín Dvořák who were both inspired by the history, culture and beauty of their native lands as well as their national heritage in periods of considerable change and instability. My third choice, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, is inextricably linked with the city of Prague, despite having spent less than a few months staying in the city, and then only for brief periods on each of his five visits.  

Mozart first visited Prague in January 1787 and stayed for about six weeks. His music preceded him, with his opera, The Marriage Of Figaro, having been produced in Prague to roaring acclaim the previous year, 1786, after premiering in Vienna. The production was such a success that the orchestra and several well-off music aficionados funding a visit by the composer to witness it for himself. During this visit, the ‘Prague’ symphony was first performed for his benefit and in the same concert he improvised a piano solo and later claimed that he “counted this day as one of the happiest of his life”. As a direct consequence of the adulation shown to him, his second opera was commissioned by the impresario Bondini.

This second opera, Don Giovanni, was completed in Prague on his second visit. He arrived on October 4, 1787, to supervise the production which was due to take place at the Estates Theatre on October 15 but was delayed until the 29th. Again, it was received to rapturous applause and was the talk of the town.

The Estates Theatre on Železná

Mozart passed through Prague in April 1789 on a trip to Berlin, and on his way back to Vienna in May the same year when he may have stayed for a few days.

His final trip to the city was in September 1791 for the coronation of Leopold II as King of Bohemia. Mozart had written ‘La clemenza di Tito’ for the festivities. He stayed for three weeks between 28 August and the middle of September, but on this occasion played second fiddle to the Imperial Court. He was 35 years old, and he died later the same year in December.

The outpouring of grief on his passing far outweighed that shown in any other European city. In Vienna, he was laid to rest without much pomp or ceremony, in Prague over four thousand people attended his first memorial at St Nicholas’ Church in the Lesser Town. Over one hundred musicians offered their service free of charge to play the Requiem mass. In the following years, citizens of Prague took it upon themselves to provide for Mozart’s widow and children, by helping organise concerts in his memory.

'Cloak of Conscience' Inspired by Don Giovanni

Today, the Estates Theatre still proudly displays its association with Mozart and the inaugural performance of Don Giovanni, and many other places claim their association with the composer, including Strahov Monastery and The Klementinum, both claiming that Mozart played the organ in their chapels.

Mirror Chapel in the Klementinum

where Mozart played the organ

Though his association with Prague was brief and infrequent, Mozart is best remembered for his (alleged) quotation after the successful premiere of Don Giovanni - “My Praguers understand me"

Music Maestro, Part 2 - People In Prague #2

In this continuation of my first Music Maestro post about Bedřich Smetana, the second of my famous musicians associated with Prague is none other than Antonín Dvořák, who is best known in the UK for the music from the Hovis bread advert from 1973 (directed by Ridley Scott!)

Statue of Dvořák in Jan Palach Square opposite the Rudolfinum

Born on 8th September 1841 in Nelahozeves, about 35km north of Prague, Dvořák was the eldest of fourteen children, although only eight of the children survived infancy.  He was taught to play the violin at primary school and at the age of thirteen, was sent to live with his uncle in Zlonice, to learn German. Here he also studied organ, piano and continued to learn the violin as well as music theory.

In 1857, Dvořák travelled to Prague to enrol in the Organ School where he also joined various bands and orchestras as a minor violinist. He left the school in 1859, second in his class. One of the orchestras he joined was taken on as part of the Provisional Theatre orchestra where Dvořák played viola starting in 1862. That same year he began writing his first string quartet.

In 1873, he married Anna Čermáková, with whom he had nine children but three died in infancy. Between 1860 and 1870, he wrote a number of pieces, many of which he destroyed (including his first symphonic efforts), and very few of which received much in the way of public performances or critical recognition. Some of these pieces were not premiered until a century after they were written - the third string quartet first premiered in 1969, and his first opera, Alfred, was not performed in full until 1938.

Dvořák's work began to get traction in Prague in 1873 when his Piano Quintet in A major (Op.5) became his first composition played in a concert. His cantata, The Heirs of the White Mountain, was regarded as 'an unqualified success', but he remained largely unknown outside of Prague. However, at the age of 33, he applied for and won the Austrian State Prize for composition in 1875. He submitted fifteen compositions, including his third and fourth symphonies. Among the jurors for the award was Johannes Brahms.

He entered for the prize again in 1875, 1876, and 1877, winning in both 76 and 77. Once again, Brahms had been part of the jury and he offered to help make Dvořák's work get wider recognition beyond the Bohemian region, and in due course, his music began to be performed in Germany, Britain, France and the US. His music was not so well received closer to home, in Austria, where he fell victim to an under-current of anti-Czech feeling.

In the 1880's Dvořák's work became extremely well-received in England and the US, visiting Britain at least eight times. In 1892 he became the director of the National Conservatory of Music in New York, on a salary of $15,000. Not bad for a musician, who prior to being married, had to live with five other musicians, and who didn't own a piano before 1875. During his time in New York, he began to engage with African-American and Native American music, and in 1893, he was commisioned by the New York Philharmonic to write his Symphony No.9 - 'From the New World' to worldwide acclaim.

After three years in New York, Dvořák was becoming increasingly homesick and returned to Prague to resume his professorship at the Conservatory. He continued to compose, focusing mainly on opera and chamber music. His association with Brahms continued also, and the Austrian tried in vain to persuade him to go and live in Vienna, offering his entire fortune. The Czech remained resolutely in Prague but visited his mentor on his deathbed in April 1897.

Dvořák's grave in Vyšehrad Cemetery

In 1901, Dvořák was made a member of the Austro-Hungarian House of Lords by Emperor Franz Joseph I, but in April 1904 he contracted influenza and died, aged 62, on May 1st 1904. He left many unfinished works behind. He is buried in Vyšehrad cemetery.

Music Maestro, Part 1 - People In Prague #2

Continuing my theme of People In Prague, I've chosen three famous musicians associated with the city. Two of the three composers are natives of the Czech Republic, the third was a visitor who has been adopted by the city despite only having visited five times and spending less than a few months in Prague in total. I had intended to include them all in a single post, but their stories are too interesting to try and condense and still do them justice. So, here is the first of my musical Prague heroes.

Bedřich Smetana was born on 2nd March 1824 and is regarded in his homeland as the father of Czech music, although Internationally Antonín Dvořák is generally better known and considered to be more significant. Smetana is best known for his opera, "The Bartered Bride" and for his symphonic poem cycle, "Má vlast" ("My Homeland"), which portrays the history, legends and landscape of the composer's native land. Born near the border between Bohemia and Moravia, he grew up as a German speaker, which was then the official language.

He gave his first public performance, a piano recital, at the age of six. He moved to school in Prague in 1839, but he fared badly there, largely because he was bullied because of his country manners, although it was here that he became convinced that he wanted to become a musician, and spent most of his time missing classes and attending concerts. He was removed by his father and moved to Plzeň until 1843. He wrote a number of pieces here, including his first orchestral work. He returned to Prague where he found a mentor and secured work teaching a nobleman's children. Smetana joined the Prague uprising in 1848, rebelling against the Habsburg rule, and wrote a number of patriotic pieces and was lucky to escape imprisonment after an uprising at the Charles Bridge.

Also at this time, he began a friendship with Franz Liszt, one of his early heroes, and was able to start a Piano Institute in Prague which was particularly fashionable with nationalists. He was later established as the Court Pianist in Prague Castle, then the residence of the former Austrian Emperor Ferdinand. But the next few years were a mixture of tragedy as he lost three of his daughters in quick succession between 1854 and 1856. His wife was also diagnosed with tuberculosis. He left Prague, disenchanted with the city’s critics and moved to Gothenburg in Sweden. He became more established in Gothenburg during 1856 and 1861, and although his wife died in 1859, he quickly remarried the following year.

The Smetana Museum overlooking the Vltava

He returned to Prague in 1861 where he learned Czech but was turned down for several key appointments, primarily because of his revolutionary past, and his association with Liszt. In 1866 his opera, The Bartered Bride, was premiered on the eve of the Austro-Prussian war. It was not well attended and failed to cover its costs. Eventually, in 1866 Smetana became the principal conductor of the Provisional Theatre, a post he had long coveted. For the next 8 years, he battled against personal enemies who attacked him at all levels. In1874 his health started to fail and by October he had lost his hearing. By then he had begun work on "Má vlast”, and the complete cycle was first performed in November 1882. He never heard it being played.

The grave and memorial at Vyšehrad

His health continued to deteriorate and he was suffering from mental problems as well. He died in the Kateřinky Lunatic Asylum in Prague on 12 May 1884. He is buried in the cemetery at Vyšehrad. The Bedřich Smetana Museum was founded in 1926 and moved to its current location at the former Waterworks on the bank of the Vltava in 1936. 

A fitting site for the Smetana Museum overlooking the castle and river

Prague Moments #8 - Lucerna Music Bar

It shouldn't come as any great surprise that there is an abundant music, art, and theatre scene in Prague. After all, we often associate the term "Bohemian" with a kind of artistic lifestyle, conjuring up images of impoverished painters, composers and writers hidden away in their garrets, living on cheap wine and opium!

Manfred Mann's Earth Band

What may surprise you is the diversity of live music available to people in Prague and particularly the prevalence of popular bands and singers from the UK, US and Australia who now regularly include Prague on their tours.

Over the course of the last three years, I've seen some great acts in some interesting venues. But my favourite to date is still the Lucerna* Music Bar. The original venue, the Palace Lucerna was built at the beginning of the 20th century. By 1909 the club was being used as a theatre and later as a cabaret. After 1948 the whole Lucerna palace was nationalised. During the Communist era, the club was used as a nightclub without any real focus, but 20 years ago, on October 25th, 1995 the Lucerna Music Bar opened for the first time.

Hooverphonic

Located on Vodičkova, just off Václavské náměstí (Wenceslas Square),  the Lucerna Palace comprises shops, galleries, the Lucerna Theatre and the downstairs Music Bar, which has a capacity of 800, mainly standing. Wherever you stand on the main floor, you are never far from the wide stage and this allows an exceptional intimacy with the performers.

Like other venues in Prague, tickets prices are generally lower than you'd pay in the UK in a similar venue, and even more surprising, drinks are not much more than you'd pay in a bar in the same vicinity. A half litre of Pilsner Urquell (in an obligatory plastic glass) will cost about 50CZK or £1.50 and you'll pay about double that for a cocktail.

Newton Faulkner

Last time I was there, was to see Amy MacDonald, supported by Newton Faulkner (I couldn't even get tickets for her gig in Nottingham but here I was less than ten metres from the front of the stage!). In the past I've seen Hooverphonic, Band of Horses and Manfred Mann's Earth Band.

While I'm naming dropping, I've also enjoyed seeing Blackmores Night, Marina and the Diamonds, and the Australian band The Paper Kites, but in different venues around the city.

If you do find a act you want to see you'll be sure of a great night, but make certain you get there on time. The tickets will always tell you what time the show begins and venue websites will tell you when each act is due on the stage. Unlike in the UK, acts in Prague start with military precision. This is because local by-laws prevent most concerts from continuing after 22:30 in the evening (sadly this doesn't apply to drunks singing in the street!).

Amy MacDonald

Later this year Sparks (remember them?) and Anathema are due to perform at Lucerna and I'm hoping to be around to see them as well.

* Lucerna is the Czech word for lantern.

Prague Moments #5 - Klementinum Tour

I first moved to Prague in mid-October 2014 to start a new contract as a member of a small team of IT quality management specialists. I was the third member of the recently formed team and the first Brit, but a few weeks later I was joined by a second compatriot. Alec is a Glaswegian and we hit it off from the very start and went on to have a number of adventures in Prague over the course of the next two years.

Our first (and last) cultural experience together was a trip to the Klementinum, for a night tour of the building followed by a classical concert*.

Situated in Mariánské náměstí, the Klementinum is a huge complex founded by the Jesuits in 1556. Initially, the inhabitant lived in the old Dominican monastery on the site, but expanded this over the next 270 years and the site is now spread over more than two hectares, making it one of the most largest building complexes in Europe.

In 1622 part of the site that started off as a Jesuit college was promoted to university status, and this merged with the Charles University in 1654. In 1930, the last part of the university moved out of the complex, and it was taken over by the National Library.

The main features of the complex today are the Astronomical Tower, the Mirror Chapel and the Baroque library.

I'd ordered tickets on-line for the event, and these were delivered to my phone well before the night of the tour. Our first challenge was finding the right entrance to the building, which we finally managed, only to find that on arrival at the ticket office I couldn't get a signal on the phone and couldn't retrieve the tickets. After some prolonged discussions, we eventually managed to prove that we had indeed got valid tickets and we were who we claimed to be, we were eventually allowed on the tour.

We started in the Mirror Chapel, where Mozart used to play the organ, and where the concert was due to take place an hour or so later. Next was the Baroque library which was looking rather depleted as 90% of the books had been transported to Germany for extensive restoration. Like the other classic library in Prague, at the Strahov Monastery, you're only allowed to look in through the doorway and photography is completely out of the question (our charming guide told us that she had to run a quick errand and that she wouldn't know if we took any photos as long as we didn't use flash!).

Baroque Library in the Klementinum

The highlight of the tour was the highly gymnastic (and health and safety free) trip up the astronomical tower, stopping on the way to marvel at some of the earliest astronomical instruments still in existence (and some of which are still being used). These were the hallowed grounds where astronomers like Tycho Brahe, Johannes Kepler, or Thadeus Hájek may once have worked.

The night time vista of Prague viewed from the top of the 68 metre tall tower is magnificent, and we were fortunate enough to have timed it such that the Christmas markets and lights were fully ablaze. This is undoubtedly one of the best viewpoints in Prague. Sadly, my photos don't do it justice.

Reluctantly we left the tower and Alec and I returned to the Mirror Chapel for the concert. Not only had our tickets been validated, we'd been upgraded to VIP status and had front row seats. Listening to Baroque music, in the same place where some of the composers had performed the very same music over 200 years previously was quite a profound experience. The musicians clearly enjoyed themselves, especially as one of them stood up for the final round of applause a few bars too early - oh those pesky false endings!

Organ in the Mirror Chapel

A great night out, one of many we shared as the 'bromance' blossomed over the next few months and years. Thanks buddy!




* Classical concerts are two a penny in Prague, and the churches and assembly halls clamber over each other to try and get your attendance and your money! The musicians are extremely competent, but they perform the same pieces night after night (sometimes rushing from one venue to another) and get paid a pittance so don't expect an evening of virtuoso performances for a few quid! I'd suggest you choose music that you're familiar with (extracts from the Four Seasons are usually on the 'menu') and find a venue which grabs your imagination. The Klementinum experience we did was fantastic and highly recommended, but there is currently a legal dispute going on which means that the tours can't be guaranteed.