Christmas in the concert halls

Even on Christmas Day, when most of the city is shut tight, seasonal music reverberates through the churches and concert halls. It's one of the sweetest ways to enjoy the season, especially in Prague, with its rich classical music tradition and breathtaking venues.With so much to choose from, sometimes the hardest part is simply deciding what to see or hear. What follows is a selection of the best seasonal offerings over the next two weeks, with an eye toward quality, variety and family entertainment.

Top of the line for family fare on Christmas Day are productions at the city's major houses, the National Theater and State Opera. The former is staging two performances of its hybrid Nutcracker, a dazzling piece that combines Tchaikovsky's ballet with Dickens' Christmas Carol (for more details, see Stage, page B3). The State Opera is hosting its annual Christmas concert by the Kühn Children's Choir, supported this year by the Academia Wind Quintet Prague. The program is mostly Czech Christmas music, with the Quintet adding a suite from the Nutcracker.

If your idea of a good Christmas involves listening to Mozart, you are in luck. There are two performances of Don Giovanni scheduled at the Estates Theater - not the most traditional way to celebrate the holiday, but perfect in Prague. And, after the Kühn Children's Choir leaves the stage, the State Opera offers an evening performance of The Magic Flute.

Serious Mozart fans, take note: Immediately after the holidays, Jan. 6, the sensational soprano Danielle de Niese will be in town to sing Mozart with the Prague Philharmonia. If you hope to see her, you should get tickets now. (For more information, check Pkf.cz.)

If you're a fan of Baroque music, you are also in luck, with several excellent concerts on tap for the holidays. Collegium Marianum offers two performances of 18th-century Prague Christmas music at its cozy hall in Old Town Dec. 27. There will be a bit of acting as well, in what is being billed as a "Jesuit Christmas play."

On Thursday, Dec. 31, Václav Luks' outstanding Collegium 1704 ensemble is giving 2009 a rousing send-off, or bringing in 2010 gloriously, and probably both, with a performance of Bach's magnum opus, the Mass in B minor, at Sts. Simon and Jude Church. For a combination of transcendent music in an inspirational setting, you simply cannot do better.

On Christmas Day at Sts. Simon and Jude Church, the Prague Symphony Chamber Orchestra, accompanied by the Kühn Mixed Choir and soloists, will perform Telemann and Vivaldi, along with a special treat: the premiere of a newly discovered Mass by Antonín Liehmann, a musician and composer who was for a while the instructor of young Antonín Dvořák, training him on the organ, piano and viola.

The following day, Dec. 26, the orchestra returns to Sts. Simon and Jude with a very sweet program: Vivaldi's Four Seasons (featuring violin soloist Ivan Zenatý) and a sing-along performance of J.J. Ryba's Czech Christmas Mass.

Other options for soothing your jangled nerves the day after Christmas: At the Czech Museum of Music, Ludus Musicus, a choral ensemble that specializes in holiday and liturgical music, will perform P. Georgius Zrunek's Christmas Mass in F major. Or head to St. James' Basilica in Old Town to hear the biggest organ in the city and several singers doing Bach, Mozart, Vivaldi and seasonal music. Or pack up the family for one of two performances of Swan Lake at the State Opera (repeated Dec. 29).

Had enough holiday music? The best antidote is more music, especially with the tasty offerings for New Year's and beyond.

The State Opera will stage its annual Die Fledermaus gala Dec. 31. If you're willing to spring for the entire 5,400-8,400 Kč package, it includes drinks, dinner, a midnight toast and dancing until 3 a.m. And, oh yes, a nifty performance of Johann Strauss' operetta.

The Czech Philharmonic is seeing out 2009 with an all-Brahms concert at the Rudolfinum Dec. 31, conducted by Eliahu Inbal. You can stay in an orchestral mood the next day at Obecní dům, where the Hradec Králové Philharmonic brings a 20th-century program that includes Khachaturian's Masquerade and Shostakovich's Suite for Jazz Orchestra No. 2. Or take New Year's off and head to Obecní dům Jan. 2 for a rousing night of Russian music by the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra, capped by Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.

Here's a real wild card to start the new year: On Jan. 1 at the Rudolfinum, the Czech Saxophone Quartet plays a program that starts with Bach and ends with contemporary jazz composers like Chick Corea and Joe Zawinul. If you like that, you can come back three days later, Jan. 4, to hear an Estonian saxophone quartet do a program ranging from Bach to Philip Glass.

Take advantage of Prague's most bountiful musical season. Like presents under the tree, there's something for everyone.

Frank Kuznik can be reached at
fkuznik@praguepost.com