International Music Festival - PRAGUE SPRING
May is not only THE spring month when everything blossoms. May is also THE musical month - at least if you get a chance to visit Prague and its International Music Festival - PRAGUE SPRING, which is celebrating its 60th year.
The festival begins in the middle of May and runs through to the middle of June. It presents mainly classical (but also jazz or ethnic) music from all over the world, performed in many historic halls, theatres and churches, including the Obecní dům, Rudolfinum, Vyšehrad. Traditionally, the festival opens in the Obecni dům with a performance of Má Vlast by Bedřich Smetana - this year this classical work will be performed by the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Colin Davis.
Bedřich Smetana lived in the 19th century and was one of Czechs most gifted composers. He wrote many operas and musical pieces. His most famous musical work is Má Vlast (My Country) which is divided into Vltava (the river), Vyšehrad (the oldest castle and settlement in Prague), Z českých luhů a hájů (from Czech woodlands and meadows), Tábor (a Hussite town in South Bohemia), Blaník (according to Czech mythology the army of Saint Wenceslav is hidden in the hillside and will come and save the country when it is in desperate need of help) and Šárka (again from Czech mythology... but you can learn all about the woman, Šárka, here at Hotel Jenerálka as this is where she used to live :-) ).
The whole programme of the 60th Prague Spring Musical Festival can be viewed at http://www.festival.cz (also in English), where you can book tickets for many of the performances. Or, if you plan to stay at Hotel Jenerálka, we can book tickets for you and have them ready for you to collect on your arrival.
Come to Hotel Jenerálka in May - you will not regret it!
May, 2005
![The Municipal House [new window]](/foto.php?foto=tips/images/2005/municipal-house.jpg&popis=The+Municipal+House)
