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An island of culture

The summer stars are brighter than ever at Chodov
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By Frank Kuznik
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
July 18th, 2007 issue

COURTESY PHOTO
Svěcený, center right, brings some impressive friends to Prague 4.
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Tones of Chodov

When: July 19–Aug. 16
Where: Chodovská tvrz (Ledvinova 9, Prague 4)
Tickets: 100–300 Kč, available at the venue
For reservations and complete schedule information, check www.chodovskatvrz.cz
To reach Chodov, take the metro C line to Opatov, then the bus connection two stops north to Chodovská tvrz

It’s the season for backyard parties and barbecues, and, for the musically inclined, after-dinner singalongs as well. If you can imagine a refined version of that, with classical musicians gathering to play in a historic venue in Prague 4, then you have some idea of what the summer concert series at the Chodov Water Fortress is like.
The host and master of ceremonies is violin virtuoso Jaroslav Svěcený, who established the series and is in his fourth year of programming and performing in it. “I want to make a real tradition of this festival,” he says. And never mind that it’s so far off the usual concert circuit. “The quality of the music is what matters,” he says, “and we want this music to be as good as anything you can hear in the city center.”
No argument about that; Svěcený has once again assembled a roster of first-rate performers, most of whom could just as easily be onstage at the Rudolfinum or Obecní dům. How does he do it? “These people are my friends,” he says. “Some I went to school with, others I’ve been playing with for many years.”
Some are well-established stars, like cello player Jiří Bárta, who will be joining Svěcený and pianist Marie Synková for an evening of piano trios by Haydn, Dvořák and Suk (Aug. 7). Another headline performer, harp player Kateřina Englichová, will be with Svěcený and an excellent flute player, Žofie Vokálková, for a “romantic night” spanning Rossini to Saint-Saens (Aug. 2).
This year’s program also includes guest stars from the city’s major music institutions. Zdeňka Kloubová, who sings on the National Theater stage, will perform opera arias with backup help from Svěcený and pianist Marie Synková (Aug. 9). Miroslav Kejmar, a longtime trumpet player with the Czech Philharmonic, will join Svěcený and one of his regular accompanists, harpsichord player Jitka Navrátilová, for a night of Baroque favorites (Aug. 14).
There’s usually a “concert for 10 strings” (meaning violin and guitar) on the bill, and this year it features Svěcený and guitar player Lubomír Brabec doing pieces by the likes of Paganini and Villa-Lobos (July 19). And Baroque fans will get another full evening of early music with organist Václav Uhlíř joining Svěcený for a program of Telemann, Bach, Tartini and Corelli (July 26).
As good festivals grow, they tend to expand their parameters, and this year the Chodov series is branching out in two interesting directions. The first is a unique style of jazz-inflected contemporary folk music played by Jablkoň, a lively local ensemble that will join Svěcený for an evening of original pieces (July 31). The other is what might best be described as New Age music, composed and performed by keyboard player Richard Pachman, who is known as “the Czech Vangelis.” They will be joined by vocalist Dita Hořínková for a complete performance of Colours, which the trio recorded and released on CD earlier this year (Aug. 15).
The series concludes with one of the festival regulars, the chamber orchestra Virtuosi Pragenses, joining Svěcený for a performance of The Four Seasons. The original version of Vivaldi’s most famous composition included a set of sonnets he wrote that are rarely included in a concert performance. They will be read at this one, though in Czech.
While the music is great and the festival program varied enough to offer something for everyone, it’s the setting that makes this series truly special. The Chodov Water Fortress is a reconstructed 14th-century roundhouse that retains the look and feel of a fortification, but now houses a gallery, restaurant, small performance hall and an enclosed courtyard where the concerts are held (with a tent-top covering, so the show goes on rain or shine). But time has passed it by in a big way outside, where it’s surrounded by a foreboding forest of paneláks.
“I think in the next century some archaeologist is going to dig up this area and ask, ‘What happened in the last half of the 20th century?’ ” Svěcený jokes. “It’s a really crazy combination. But the atmosphere inside in special.”
Much of that can be attributed to Svěcený, who has a warm stage manner and likes to talk to his audience. It’s easy at Chodov, as the courtyard is small and the performers are practically in the laps of the people in the first row. And watching the musicians work together is a treat.
The concerts tend to fill up quickly, but this year there’s an online reservation system, so you’ll be guaranteed a seat. It’s still fun to go early and take time to explore the fortress, have a drink before the music starts and marvel at an island of culture preserved amid the legacy of the socialist era.
       
 

Frank Kuznik can be reached at fkuznik@praguepost.com


Other articles in Night & Day (18/07/2007):

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