An overwhelming experience

When Jiří Ropek took over as organist at St. James' Basilica in the early years of the communist regime, something remarkable happened.

"At those miserable times," Czech organist Jan Hora writes in the brochure for the 15th Annual International Organ Festival, "Ropek's organ music became a phenomenal spiritual experience."

Along with musicians and music lovers, painters, writers and other artists became regular attendees. Combined with a choir and orchestra, Ropek's organ music provided a soulful cultural experience in stark contrast to the "official pseudo-culture," as Hora calls it, of the time.

Ropek died in 2005, after playing at St. James for nearly 45 years. So it's fitting that this year's International Organ Festival pays homage to him. Bringing together some of the world's most eminent organists for eight evenings of performances, the event promises something of its own spiritual experience through the combination of an excellent program with the elements that contributed to Ropek's moving performances: the stunning interior and excellent acoustics of St. James and, of course, the church's exceptional 18th-century organ - the largest in Prague and the second-largest in the Czech Republic.

The festival opens Thursday night with a performance by American virtuoso John Scott, an organist at the famous St. Thomas Church on Fifth Avenue in New York City and choirmaster of the church's renowned St. Thomas Choir of Men and Boys. "It's always a pleasure to play in a major European city, especially in a high-profile festival devoted to the organ and its literature," Scott says via e-mail.

His program includes a Toccata by Ropek, a piece he composed in 1992 and dedicated to Scott.

"I gave the first performance of the piece in St. Paul's Cathedral in London in 1993," Scott recalls. "It's a short, vibrant work that I'm sure the audience will enjoy."

Scott's program also includes several works by Bach, as do most of the other programs in the festival, in remembrance of the 325 years that have passed since Bach's birth and the 260 years since his death.

Other notable performers this year include two female organists: Eiko Maria Yoshimura, a young Japanese artist who has won numerous international competitions including the 2009 International Organ Competition in Biarritz, France, and Slovak organist Monika Melcová, who resides in Paris and will perform the festival's first improvisation by a woman.

Closing the festival is another prominent American organist, James Kibbie. An organ professor at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Kibbie's first performance in Prague was in 1979 at Dvořák Hall, when he was the laureate of the Prague Spring Organ Competition. While this will be his first performance at St. James, Kibbie had a lifelong friendship with Ropek, whom he met during his first visit to Prague in 1979.

"I will perform two works by Dr. Ropek at St. James, Toccata and Fugue and Fantasy on Mozart's Theme," Kibbie says via e-mail.

Ropek composed the Toccata and Fugue in 1979, shortly after the two men met, then later revised the work and dedicated it to Kibbie, who premiered the piece at Dvořák Hall in 1986.

"I cannot describe to you the emotion I felt when I received the published score and saw that Dr. Ropek had dedicated it to 'All the organists studying with Dr. James Kibbie at the University of Michigan," Kibbie says.

Irena Chřibková (pictured on the cover), the regular organist at St. James since 1991, founded the festival after a series of organ performances at the Rudolfinum was canceled. "I was not able to hear any foreign artists," she recalls. "So I thought it would be a good idea to introduce the interpreters to St. James' Basilica, where the largest organ in Prague is, one which allows the artists to showcase the breadth of organ literature."

The performers agree. "The organ at St. James is the largest and most versatile in the city," Scott notes. "It has a wide range of colors available, which makes it an attractive recital instrument."

"Every organ is built for a specific space, and the space at St. James has very special acoustics," Chřipková says. "The beautiful interior, which complements and enhances the overall musical experience, and the basilica's long spiritual and cultural history, together make for an overwhelming experience."

Joann Plocková can be reached at features@praguepost.com

Joann Plocková can be reached at
features@praguepost.com