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Hands across the water

An ambitious festival renews the Dvořák connection
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By Frank Kuznik
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
April 16th, 2008 issue

COURTESY PHOTO
Emulating the maestro on keyboards, American organist Joan DeVee Dixon.
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COURTESY PHOTO
The founder of Americké jaro, Czech pianist Radoslav Kvapil
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American Spring


Prague Castle Concert
When: Friday, April 18, at 7
Where: Spanish Hall, Prague Castle
Tickets: 700 Kč, available by calling 777 813 520 or writing irybacek@volny.cz
While Czech and American generals and politicians scheme to open a new military installation in the Czech Republic, gentler souls are forging a different sort of transatlantic alliance: Americké jaro (American Spring), an ambitious program of more than 50 concerts that will bring 10 American performers to the Czech lands. Now in its third year, the festival is a project of the International Dvořák Society — or, more specifically, its director, Radoslav Kvapil, a tireless Czech pianist with an international bent.
“The festival honors the name of Antonín Dvořák, especially as he embodies the Czech-American bond,” says Americké jaro Director Jiřina Rybáčková. “The aim is to present American artists to the Czech people, not only in big cities, but in small towns, and give them a chance to hear Americans perform.”
Dvořák offers the perfect bridge between the two cultures. He spent three years in the United States, from 1892 to 1895, as director of the National Conservatory of Music in New York City. It was there that he composed one of his most famous works, The New World Symphony (No. 9). But the strongest bonds were forged during the summer of 1893, when, instead of returning to his beloved home in Vysoká, Bohemia, Dvořák took his family to Spillville, Iowa, a predominantly Czech settlement. Most of the townspeople spoke Czech, and quickly took to the composer, who played the organ at Sunday mass. The countryside reminded Dvořák of Bohemia, and he had a relaxing but productive summer, composing a string quintet and string quartet, the latter of which (Opus 96) became known as his “American quartet.”
Kvapil decided to build on this tradition, inviting many of the American musicians he met abroad to perform here. With Masaryk University in Brno offering support and facilities for supplementary lectures and workshops, the festival kicked off in 2006 and has grown quickly. “The number of events we’re doing this year is like the first two years combined,” Rybáčková says.
What accounts for the rapid growth? “It’s all Mr. Kvapil, who has so much energy, I get tired just looking at his schedule,” Rybáčková says. “He thinks on a grand scale.”
Certainly the highlight event of this year’s festival reflects grand designs. On Friday night, the Orchestra of the Castle Guard and Police of the Czech Republic will be at the splendiferous Spanish Hall of Prague Castle for an all-American concert of works by Gershwin, Bernstein and Copland, featuring three American soloists.
“I have always enjoyed performing in the Czech Republic,” says Lynn Eustis, a soprano who was also part of an earlier concert series organized by Kvapil, Hudební festival Vysočina. “I have sung in everything from small castles to ancient churches to town halls to schools, and found the people to be universally welcoming. I have never performed in Prague, and I’m beyond excited about beginning at Prague Castle.”
Singing with Eustis will be baritone Nathan Fuhrman, who says, “Though I have never performed in the Czech Republic before, I have been to several concerts in Prague, and I’m very excited to be able to perform American music for Czech audiences.”
Organist Joan DeVee Dixon will be performing a mix of Czech and American 20th-century music. “Many of the organs I will be playing were also played by Dvořák — I will really be following in his footsteps,” she says. “It is a great treat and privilege to be selected to perform for this festival.”
The full Americké Jaro program stretches into July, and most of the concerts will be in Moravia. “The audiences might not be huge, but they’re receptive — the atmosphere is very good,” Rybáčková says.
That’s where the real cultural exchange will be taking place. The concert at the castle is a high-profile nod to Prague, and should be a glittery affair, with a price to match: 700 Kč ($44). Tickets are expensive because it’s a benefit concert, with all the proceeds being used to help fund festival operations. But, if you can spare the change, get out and support the homeland talent.

Frank Kuznik can be reached at fkuznik@praguepost.com


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Reader's comments:

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[03:19 18/04/2008] : The festival sounds great.
I wonder though, when are we going to see more Czech artists here in the States.
I live in California and have not seen any Czech concerts, plays, or operas for a long time. The last was a music professor playing the guitar at CSUN. That was several years ago. I saw Karel Gott a few years before that.
I would like to see Rusalka, Prodana Nevjesta, or some ensemble of singers and dancers.
Vladimir Val Cymbal
Tarzana, California
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