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Do-Re-Mi-Fa
Sol-La-Si-Do
Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-La-Si-Do
Czech Television presents
Echo of the Prague Spring 2012
Part 4.
Dear friends, last time we promised to take you to the concert
of the chairman of the Prague Spring Competition jury in the harpsichord category, Mark Kroll.
We are here, in the church of SS Simon and Jude and we were interested whom the American performer invited for collaboration.
I am delighted to be here in this beautiful church, where the concert is going to take place tonight,
and I am also delighted to have the opportunity to play with my long-time friend from Boston, Mark Ludwig,
who is a member of the Boston Symphonic Orchestra and who put this whole project together,
but also with Petr, Jan and Martina, who joined us to perform a program that I dare to describe as beautiful.
We will not only hear Mozart, Couperin and other masters from the past,
we will also play two harpsichord pieces in world premiere - by Pablo Ortiz and Vít Zouhar.
They are wonderful and I hope we will continue to play them often even after this world premiere in Prague.
I find the composition Days by Vít Zouhar very interesting,
especially because it describes his relationship to the authors from Terezín.
It is a composition of what he felt when he composed the piece, so I think it is in this way also an epic piece.
I would like to speak about Perpetuo by Pablo Ortiz, a piece for violin, cello and harpsichord,
It is Mark's favourite piece, because he loves his tango parts in it for which we build the atmosphere with Peter.
So we are looking forward to playing this piece very much
and we hope it will sound in the way we want and rehearsed at the numerous rehearsals we had.
The long-term priority and aim of the Prague Spring Festival is to introduce famous world orchestras,
the Wiener Philhalmoniker with Daniel Barenboim arrived with their highly representative repertoire:
the last three supreme symphonies by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
He turned 70 this year, he divides his time between conducting and his piano performances,
he is the head of the State Opera Berlin and the musical director of Milan's Teatro Alla Scala:
Daniel Barenboim.
- Maestro we are really happy you are in Prague. - So am I.
Where do you draw your beautiful energy from, which everyone admires so much?
- I give only a minimum of interviews. - So that is why you are so full of energy!
So if you don't mind to chat with us for a minute,
tell us, what do you consider to be an essential activity in your current personal and professional life?
I don't care about a career, I am not after any successes or honours, after all this gilt.
The most important for me is the fact that I had the chance to learn how to interpret music since I was small,
and how to reflect upon it.
I think of it and I live in it and with it,
so I am never occupied with my own concert only.
I always think a lot about interpreted music,
how it is constructed, how it should be performed,
what didn't turn out well last time, how could I improve it.
I try to be very perceptive towards all this and then I can walk out of a concert with new energy.
Since I don't loose any energy on stage, on the contrary, I gather new and fresh energy.
Before today's concert I must ask you what role does Mozart's music play in your life?
You know, someone asked God: "Who was the greatest composer? Bach or Mozart?"
And God replied: "Mozart."
And that person asked: "And what about Bach?"
And God replied: "Bach, that is me!"
But it's true. Mozart is really an idol for every composer.
To have his lightness, but not superficiality.
Not to strive for these features, just compose in the way that all around you understand.
To compose while not losing your energy and ideas.
There are many colors, many moods,
he does not stick just to one of them, everything goes on like life itself.
In a torrent that is darker at one time, lighter at another time,
a river that is swift-flowing at one place, calm at another,
but it doesn't stop and it continues to flow its own natural way.
Mozart was probably the most natural composer.
We are really looking forward to hearing his music in your interpretation tonight. Thank you.
Thank you very much.
After three Mozart symphonies, we cannot play any encores. Thank you.
One of the most distinctive contemporary Czech composers, Marek Kopelent, celebrates his 80th birthday this year.
The Prague Spring organized an Evening with Marek Kopelent here, at St Agnes' convent.
We heard Agnus Dei in the end, a piece for soprano and a chamber orchestra.
Ms. Troupová, how demanding and attractive was the task that the author prepared for you?
A composition like this is always very demanding, in intonation, rythmics and technique,
but because it is a piece with an immensely interesting text,
which links a liturgical text - Agnus Dei - with the writings of Martin Luther.
So it all makes sense and that is why you can devote yourself to a task like that, which brings you sheer joy.
Maestro, how did you experience this evening with Marek Kopelent and his music?
We played Marek Kopelent's Agnus Dei about a year ago,
it is always very interesting to discover new details and to return to a composition from the 20th century again.
And to reveal what has remained hidden during the first study.
In this Gothic premise, which was slightly modified in the 80ies in the modern style,
a composition based on a medieval text and written in a modern style creates an amazing atmosphere.
So the music corresponds perfectly with the venue.
I spent the evening in suspense and in joy about the performance and the turnout which I did not expect at all.
And I felt humble, too, about the fact that the audience came and appreciated the performance
and maybe even my music.
So, to sum it up, it was an unforgettable experience.
Today we say goodbye with the sound of St. Petersburg Philharmonic rehearsing in the background with Julia Fischer.
But we will cover this concert in our next edition, on Monday, May 21st. Goodbye!