Ive never seen a place that has so much music on offer. I don't think it's just because it's Christmas, but of course many of the concerts are Christmas themed. In churches and halls, various concerts are advertised - classical offerings with a combination of organ, strings, harp, soloists. Flyers are handed out as you go past, to ballet, opera and puppet theatre. Restaurants advertise live music, like the one who had the jazz guitarist the town square has has free concerts each evening.
This sounds snobbish, but what most have in common is that they are 'tasters'. With the exception of the opera, which was the Magic Flute (which a lot of opera goers would consider light opera), all of them have very popular pieces and nothing in depth. Even the ballet was the 'best of Swan Lake'. Most concerts only last an hour and they can have 15 different pieces in that time. Pacobel gets a look in, of course, as have various Ave Marias, and a couple of classic Bach pieces. The one that surprised me was the largo from Xerces which was in both concerts I went to. Maybe my more classical friends can tell me why that would be featured.
I loved the Magic Flute. It was in the most over-the-top theatre I have ever been in. The stalls had seats, as did the centre of the circle, but the rest were boxes. The whole thing was high baroque, with red velvet, gilt, angels, exquisitely painted ceilings and a huge chandelier. I was towards the back of the stalls where it curved so although I was at end of a row there were sets in front. To my delight and amazement they were never filled so I had a totally unobstructed view of the stage. The costumes were 18th century and gorgeous, the singing was in German with Czech and English surtitles, and all the performers were excellent, although Sarastro disappointed in his Isis and Osiris. I have a very high benchmark for that particular solo, having heard the most extraordinary one years ago on the ABC summer operas from a German production. No one else I have heard has ever got close. I'm waiting for Nick Dinopoulos to do it. The website for the opera actually puts a comment about dressing appropriately and apparently women who are regulars will take their heels and change into them at the theatre. Heels and cobblestones and winter don't mix. And of course the cloak room was packed as people peeled off layers, then collected them at the end.
The concerts were nowhere near that experience. They were almost amateurish, and I felt that the PLC students could have done a better one. I went to two on the same night in a church and a 'magnificent baroque hall not usually open to the public'. It was cold in the church, and the hall did have some beautiful ceilings but ...
The first had organ, violin, harp and soprano in various combinations. The only one I really liked was the violinist. (And apart from Prue and David I really don't like violinists). The harpist played one piece like our classical students play jazz: all the notes were there, and in the right order, but there was no musicality. The funniest piece though was an Ave Maria, by Schubert, with organ and soprano. It's the famous one that is in Fantasia for those who know that, with all the twiddly bits. Anyway the soprano sang it beautifully, and liltingly but the organist took no notice and played it very straight and quite fast. At the end, after her bow she actually left the church, although there were a few pieces still to be played by the others. Perhaps she was in a hurry to get somewhere!! Then the singer did exactly the same piece with the harp as accompaniment. It was much better.
The second concert later in the night was a string quartet and a soprano; mostly string quartet. They were competent, but I've been very spoiled at school.
Each concert finished with the singer doing a couple of carols including one verse of Silent Night in German, a botched verse of O Holy Night in English and one verse of Amazing Grace in very stilted English. Mind you, I can't sing in Czech so I shouldn't be rude. The reason it sounds odd is that they are very precise in their English, with all the consonants pronounced clearly, which of course we rarely do. Paul says the Danish singers do the same, and with a double consonant pronounce them separately like in Italian.
On Christmas Eve I went to the Town Hall square for a performance by a section of the Prague Philharmonic with choir and soloists. It started at 9:00pm, on a stage, in the open. The conductor, a woman, wore a padded coat and boots, and the orchestra were casually dresses. I noticed a number of fingerless gloves amongst the players. One of the singers was in a fur, the others had coats on, and it was cold enough that you could see their breath. I was very impressed with their stamina and fortitude. I didn't know any of the pieces they sang, traditional Czech I assume, and their encore was a Czech carol in which the non tourist part of the audience joined in. It was fun. Not quite the same as our midnight mass in Munich Cathedral years ago, but still a nice way to spend Christmas Eve.
This sounds snobbish, but what most have in common is that they are 'tasters'. With the exception of the opera, which was the Magic Flute (which a lot of opera goers would consider light opera), all of them have very popular pieces and nothing in depth. Even the ballet was the 'best of Swan Lake'. Most concerts only last an hour and they can have 15 different pieces in that time. Pacobel gets a look in, of course, as have various Ave Marias, and a couple of classic Bach pieces. The one that surprised me was the largo from Xerces which was in both concerts I went to. Maybe my more classical friends can tell me why that would be featured.
I loved the Magic Flute. It was in the most over-the-top theatre I have ever been in. The stalls had seats, as did the centre of the circle, but the rest were boxes. The whole thing was high baroque, with red velvet, gilt, angels, exquisitely painted ceilings and a huge chandelier. I was towards the back of the stalls where it curved so although I was at end of a row there were sets in front. To my delight and amazement they were never filled so I had a totally unobstructed view of the stage. The costumes were 18th century and gorgeous, the singing was in German with Czech and English surtitles, and all the performers were excellent, although Sarastro disappointed in his Isis and Osiris. I have a very high benchmark for that particular solo, having heard the most extraordinary one years ago on the ABC summer operas from a German production. No one else I have heard has ever got close. I'm waiting for Nick Dinopoulos to do it. The website for the opera actually puts a comment about dressing appropriately and apparently women who are regulars will take their heels and change into them at the theatre. Heels and cobblestones and winter don't mix. And of course the cloak room was packed as people peeled off layers, then collected them at the end.
The concerts were nowhere near that experience. They were almost amateurish, and I felt that the PLC students could have done a better one. I went to two on the same night in a church and a 'magnificent baroque hall not usually open to the public'. It was cold in the church, and the hall did have some beautiful ceilings but ...
The first had organ, violin, harp and soprano in various combinations. The only one I really liked was the violinist. (And apart from Prue and David I really don't like violinists). The harpist played one piece like our classical students play jazz: all the notes were there, and in the right order, but there was no musicality. The funniest piece though was an Ave Maria, by Schubert, with organ and soprano. It's the famous one that is in Fantasia for those who know that, with all the twiddly bits. Anyway the soprano sang it beautifully, and liltingly but the organist took no notice and played it very straight and quite fast. At the end, after her bow she actually left the church, although there were a few pieces still to be played by the others. Perhaps she was in a hurry to get somewhere!! Then the singer did exactly the same piece with the harp as accompaniment. It was much better.
The second concert later in the night was a string quartet and a soprano; mostly string quartet. They were competent, but I've been very spoiled at school.
Each concert finished with the singer doing a couple of carols including one verse of Silent Night in German, a botched verse of O Holy Night in English and one verse of Amazing Grace in very stilted English. Mind you, I can't sing in Czech so I shouldn't be rude. The reason it sounds odd is that they are very precise in their English, with all the consonants pronounced clearly, which of course we rarely do. Paul says the Danish singers do the same, and with a double consonant pronounce them separately like in Italian.
On Christmas Eve I went to the Town Hall square for a performance by a section of the Prague Philharmonic with choir and soloists. It started at 9:00pm, on a stage, in the open. The conductor, a woman, wore a padded coat and boots, and the orchestra were casually dresses. I noticed a number of fingerless gloves amongst the players. One of the singers was in a fur, the others had coats on, and it was cold enough that you could see their breath. I was very impressed with their stamina and fortitude. I didn't know any of the pieces they sang, traditional Czech I assume, and their encore was a Czech carol in which the non tourist part of the audience joined in. It was fun. Not quite the same as our midnight mass in Munich Cathedral years ago, but still a nice way to spend Christmas Eve.
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