Musical lunch box

Are you hungry for culture? A new concert series at the Rudolfinum offers an alternative to the traditional lunch break. Beginning Sept. 8, a series of 10 lunchtime recitals will give listeners the opportunity to sample the music of some of the Czech Republic's most up-and-coming young soloists.

Hosted in the intimate Suk Hall at the Rudolfinum, each concert will run for just one hour, which "guarantees their palatability even for listeners who are less oriented toward classical music," according to theater spokeswoman Lucie Novotná.

"Lunch Recitals are not only suitable for employed individuals who are seeking a rest from their busy work pace, but also for tourists who can regain their strength," she says.

But really the lunch recitals are for anyone interested in hearing the Czech Republic's next generation of young soloists.

Among them, pianist Slávka Pěchočová opens the series Sept. 8 with a rich program including pieces by Chopin, Schumann and Janáček, whose complete works were the theme of her doctoral dissertation. Pěchočová's version of Janáček's complete piano works was released on CD earlier this year by Praga Digitals.

Sought after for collaborations with the finest instrumentalists and music ensembles nationwide, Pěchočová's long list of accomplishments includes numerous solo and orchestral performances both in the Czech Republic and abroad. She has also won the International Smetana piano competition and was invited to be a guest player with the BBC's Symphony Orchestra in the Royal Hall in London in 2009.

Commenting on the Schumann piece she will perform, Pěchočová tells The Prague Post, "Carnaval is full of different moods - and everyone can find himself there. So it is well suited for a wide audience."

Following Pěchočová's performance, the October recital will offer a duet performance led by child violin prodigy Jiří Vodička with Adam Skoumal, one of the foremost Czech pianists and composers. Vodička was accepted to the Institute of Arts in Ostrava when he was only 14 and won several international competitions. Today he plays regularly with some of the country's most prestigious ensembles and performs at renowned music festivals around the world. The duet program will include works by Beethoven, Ravel and one of Skoumal's original compositions, Djinnia for violin and piano. Soukmal will return for a solo performance in December.

Listeners can also look forward to performances by cellists, harpsichordists, oboists, and in February, the series' only vocal performance with Slovak tenor Peter Berger.

The 2011 series of recitals begins with another performance of note, a duet led by violinist Josef Špaček along with pianist Jan Bartoš. Špaček has won numerous national and international competitions, studied at the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and has performed at Carnegie Hall twice, among numerous other accomplishments. 

Špaček told The Prague Post he was especially excited about the diversity of his Lunch Recitals program, which includes works by Stravinsky, Saint-Saens, Smetana and Ysaye.

"Pieces such as Stravinsky's Divertimento and Saint Saen's violin sonata do not appear on concert programs very often. I think that it is important to play and share music that one does not come across on a daily basis," he says. "I am also including Smetana's Z Domoviny [From the Homeland] in my program, which is a famous Czech composition. It is also important for me to include a piece that people are familiar with and can identify with."

Špaček's enthusiasm for the Lunch Recitals reflects the series' unique nature.

 "I think it is an absolutely brilliant idea. It is a different experience for both the listener and the performer. Evening concerts are mostly formal, whereas the Lunch Recitals are a lot more casual. I think it is more fun, as well," he says. "Just like evening soirees and private house concerts, lunch recitals are perfectly suited for social interactions between audience and performer; they are very relaxed and enjoyable. It is great to see that this nearly forgotten tradition of performing is finding its way back."

Joann Plocková can be reached at
features@praguepost.com