2024-06-12 08:35:16
In entrance of a packed pageant corridor this Saturday, the Czech Philharmonic opened the 66th version of the Smetanova Litomyšl pageant. Performed by Jakub Hrůš, she carried out a number of compositions by Bedřich Smetana, whose start in Litomyšl this 12 months marked 200 years.
The live performance started with fanfare from the Libuše opera and the Czech nationwide anthem, Prime Minister Petr Fiala from the ODS or President of the Republic Petr Pavel and First Girl Eva Pavlova sat within the viewers. After their arrival, the Czech Philharmonic performed the nationwide anthem.
This system included Smetana’s overture to the opera The Bartered Bride, the Festive Overture in D main or the symphonic poem Hakon Jarl. The duo Z domoviny for violin and orchestra in a brand new orchestral association was additionally carried out. The opening live performance ended with a symphonic poem from the cycle Má vlast Vltava. The orchestra accompanied the soloists, violinist Jan Mráček and pianist Ivo Kahánek. The recording could be considered retrospectively on the Czech Tv web site.
The brand new circus troupe Cirk La Putyka took care of the weird backdrop for the Dance of the Comedians from the Bartered Bride. The efficiency included inventive stunts beneath the ceiling of the corridor and among the many viewers, in addition to basic acrobatic numbers. The occasion came about within the multifunctional corridor, which, as a result of repairs, has been changing the stage on the Litomyšl citadel for the second 12 months.
The director of the Czech Philharmonic, David Mareček, addressed the viewers a number of occasions through the ceremony. “Few describe the bittersweet story of Smetan’s life as precisely because the destiny of The Bartered Bride. The opera, which is liked by listeners everywhere in the world, was not extremely valued by its writer. He wrote it to silence his critics, who mentioned he was unable to create a well-liked Czech opera,” recalled Mareček, for instance . “Dalibor and Libuše stood a lot increased in Smetana’s eyes, however the Czechs celebrated him because the Bartered Bride. She achieved world success solely after Smetana’s loss of life, and behind him was a musical star of the primary magnitude, Gustav Mahler. He launched her as a conductor to the Vienna State Opera and the Metropolitan opera in New York,” Mareček added.
Already on Saturday afternoon, the accompanying program started within the monastery gardens, the place guests had been awaited by out of doors scholar live shows, a kids’s playroom, performances by a double bass ensemble and dancers. Because of the great climate, individuals might sit on the benches and on the garden.
The Czech Philharmonic was performed by Jakub Hrůša. | Photograph: František Renza
At 5 within the afternoon, brass fanfare sounded from the arcades of the citadel courtyard. A big choir sang the Czech nationwide anthem. Audio system recalled the significance of Bedřich Smetana. In accordance with conductor Jakub Hrůš, he was a phenomenon and a cornerstone for all the pieces that occurred after him in Czech music. Smetana created a musical tradition that rivaled the world format, he mentioned.
This 12 months’s version of Smetana Litomyšle provides essentially the most intensive program in historical past, with 51 gadgets. Amongst different issues, all eight operas by Bedřich Smetana shall be carried out for the primary time. The finances of 88 million crowns can also be a report. Final 12 months, prices reached 65 million.
Along with the classical music live shows, which the organizers have deliberate for a number of locations in Litomyšl and on the citadel in close by Nové Hrady, the viewers shall be handled to the Century of Czech Track band, the place compositions by Karel Kryl, Karel Gott or Petr Hapka shall be heard in a brand new philharmonic association. Dance performances and video mapping await guests within the pageant gardens. Smetanova’s inventive Litomyšl provides an accompanying program within the type of exhibitions, whereas Smetanova’s poetic Litomyšl will concentrate on literature. The pageant will final till July 7. In accordance with director Michal Medek, over 80 p.c of all tickets had been already offered in every week. “Within the first three days of the pre-sale, we offered roughly as many tickets as final 12 months in three weeks,” emphasised Medek.
Opening of Smetana’s condominium
On the event of the opening of the pageant, Bedřich Smetana’s native condominium within the former citadel brewery in Litomyšl was additionally ceremonially opened after reconstruction. Its format has partially returned to its unique historic kind. A brand new exhibition was created, which introduces guests to the composer’s destiny and his most essential works.
The prices of the reconstruction, which started final September, exceeded 24 million crowns. Litomyšl, which owns the citadel brewery, acquired a promise of virtually 17 million crowns from the European subsidy for the mission.
Bedřich Smetana’s reconstructed start condominium in Litomyšl. | Photograph: CTK
The beforehand walled connections to the brewery had been restored within the condominium. Additionally, the doorway has returned to the place the place it was initially, i.e. to the passage to the brewery. Beforehand, it was not very dignified to enter from the courtyard of the citadel.
It’s now potential to stroll by means of the exhibition in a circle. It has two important elements. The primary provides a “musical-visual expertise” and presents Smetana’s prime works by means of an animated movie. Guests can sit down and calmly understand the writer’s multimedia set up, the picture projected on the three surrounding partitions and the area full of music.
The second a part of the condominium evokes the environment of an genuine interval surroundings. The bed room the place Bedřich Smetana was born, in addition to the adjoining space, are outfitted with furnishings from the Biedermeier interval. In accordance with the writer of the proposal, architect Petr Všetečka, the furnishings was purchased in 4 European nations, renovated and can be utilized. Some objects come from earlier exhibitions. Within the room, individuals can take heed to the composer’s life story informed by a seven-year-old boy.
For the primary time, events might partially view the premises of the start condominium in 1912. All the condominium of the Smetana household was opened as an exhibition in 1949 and regularly underwent a number of modifications.
The present type of the exhibition is the sixth within the sequence, created for this 12 months’s jubilee anniversary of the composer’s start. The Litomyšl Regional Museum, the Nationwide Museum, historians and artists took half in it.
The Petrof firm produced an atypical piano for the exhibition. This isn’t a duplicate of a interval instrument, as the principle motif the corporate selected a typical coloration mixture of the Biedermeier period, black lacquered wooden together with pure mild wooden. On the board above the keyboard is a replica of Smetan’s signature.
As earlier than, the exhibition shall be run by the Regional Museum in Litomyšl. It is going to be open to guests as standard from Sunday 9 June, however as a result of capability causes, it’s vital to order a tour date on the web site upfront. From Tuesday, June 11, will probably be potential to go to the exhibition with out an appointment.
Bedřich Smetana’s reconstructed start condominium in Litomyšl. | Photograph: CTK
The reconstruction of the citadel continues
On Saturday, the Nationwide Institute of Monuments additionally ceremoniously concluded the primary stage of restoration of the citadel in Litomyšl, which was paid for with a European subsidy. Builders repaired roofs, trusses, chimneys and bay home windows. In addition they labored on the interiors, primarily of the third above-ground flooring. New sightseeing circuits had been created. The citadel shall be accessible all 12 months spherical.
In the course of the intensive reconstruction, which lasted a 12 months and a half and value 265 million crowns, the unique historic interiors had been restored on the second and third flooring. For instance, the theater corridor from 1767 was restored, the place the Valdštejn household deliberate a house theater, however this was prevented by a hearth.
The primary stage of the restoration of the citadel in Litomyšl, paid for by a European subsidy, has ended. | Photograph: CTK
Different restored interiors signify the housing of different members of the rely’s household and their visitors. It is going to be launched to guests in a brand new tour circuit. It is going to be expanded sooner or later to incorporate different rooms which can be presently being repaired.
The Pillared Corridor, which is the previous citadel kitchen, was restored on the bottom flooring of the citadel. The area utilized by the Municipal Artwork Gallery additionally underwent structural renovation, the butler’s room was returned to its place. The multi-purpose areas on the bottom flooring for cultural occasions or leases had been repaired, the ticket workplace was modernized, and the social services had been reconstructed. Because of the platform, the citadel can also be accessible on the flooring for individuals with decreased mobility.
The preservationists acquired a subsidy of 207 million from the Built-in Regional Operational Program for the mission. Within the subsequent stage, which is paid for from nationwide assets, they are going to restore the opposite interiors of the citadel, restore the sgraffito facades and the close by Manor Home, which was a kindergarten. In accordance with the plan, this half needs to be accomplished in 2027. The Nationwide Monument Institute acquired 425 million crowns from the State Look after Nationwide Cultural Heritage program for renovations.
The citadel in Litomyšl is a worthwhile instance of the variation of an Italian Renaissance palace to the situations of the Alpine nations. It was constructed within the 1660s and 1680s by Vratislav of Pernštejn as a present for his spouse. Within the seventeenth and 18th centuries, the Pernštejn renaissance mansion was supplemented by baroque modifications carried out by different house owners, the Trauttmansdorffs and the Waldstein-Wartenbergs, with the participation of main baroque artists. The citadel’s preserved household theater from 1797 is exclusive. The citadel was added to the UNESCO checklist in 1999.
New exhibition in Portmone
Within the Museum of Josef Váchal Portmoneum in Litomyšl, an exhibition referred to as When even males blush began already on Thursday. It’s devoted to the eroticism of the early twentieth century, when tickling photographs, visits to shantans, but in addition the publication of erotic bibliophilia and bookplates had been fashionable.
Josef Váchal and his pals didn’t avoid this matter and actively participated in erotic occasions with their work, particularly Josef Hodek or Emerich Hruška, says the writer of the exhibition, Hana Klimešová.
The picture from the erotic exhibition in Portmone reveals a portray by Josef Váchal referred to as Fornication. It dates from 1912. | Photograph: CTK
The present is open to adults solely and runs till September 29. Guests to the museum can look into the bed room of Váchal’s supporter Josef Portman, which is presently an exhibition area. They study that the bibliophile Portman additionally had a group of distinctive erotic bibliophiles and bookplates. Many erotic and pornographic illustrations had been additionally made by Jan Konůpek, Toyen, Jindřich Štyrský and different authors.
Along with erotic works, the exhibition additionally focuses on the historical past of their assortment. It offers an outline of who devoted himself to the subject, what all got here into being, what bothered the censorship and in addition who paid along with his life for his curiosity in pornography.
For instance, the bibliophile Karel Obrátil was a instructor and headmaster of a faculty in Uherské Hradiště at first of the twentieth century. “He was one of many largest Czech pornographers. He translated, he did not write something himself, however he printed it, which was in opposition to the regulation. It needed to be just for subscribers, it could not be offered or taken to libraries,” Klimešová describes.
Due to his curiosity in pornography and the collected assortment, he was topic to disciplinary proceedings from 1918 for 4 years on account of the report and was expelled from faculty. After that he was absolutely rehabilitated, however he turned socially disabled and in 1925 he most well-liked to maneuver to Prague. On the finish of the Second World Conflict, somebody turned him in once more due to his curiosity, the Nazis interrogated him harshly, and he subsequently died within the jail hospital in Pankrác.
Sucharda’s reminder
This week, the Municipal Gallery in Litomyšl opened an exhibition of early and monumental work by the main Czech sculptor of the flip of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Stanislav Sucharda, in the home U Rytířů.
The core of the present referred to as Feelings of the Nation, which can final till September 15, is represented by 5 plaster patinated fashions of the heads of the figures which can be on the František Palacký monument in Prague.
The image from the exhibition of sculptures by Stanislav Sucharda reveals a element of the central a part of the Palacký monument from 1898. | Photograph: CTK
“The intention is to current Stanislav Sucharda’s early and monumental work. One of the crucial attention-grabbing reveals are the top fashions from the Palacký monument, Sucharda processed them very expressively in comparison with his different works. The heads signify feelings that had been related to nationwide revival, fainting, despair or oppression ,” says Jana Kosková from the gallery.
Within the middle of this monument is František Palacký and round him is an allegory of feelings. The exhibition presents 5 of the seven current ones. Guests may view a mannequin of the monument.
The monument creation is on the second flooring of the gallery. “There may be, for instance, a mannequin of the monument to the composer Karel Bendl. Sucharda based mostly it on the design for the monument by Bedřich Smetana, he didn’t win the contract for the Smetanovský monument and his design was not applied,” continues Kosková.
The gallery collected 55 reveals, together with the design of the Smetánov monument. The exhibited works had been borrowed from the Museum of the Capital Metropolis of Prague, the Municipal Museum in Nové Paca, and above all from the Stanislav Sucharda Museum Basis.