Music for mothers

"Music hath charms to soothe a savage breast," wrote English playwright William Congreve. A new concert series for expectant mothers at the Rudolfinum proves that music can soothe the womb, as well.

Two exciting Czech performers of classical music, harpist Kateřina Englichová and mezzo-soprano Karolína Berková-Bubleová, will perform in the concert series' latest installment, in a program titled "Fire and Water in Human Life." Their concert will feature music from Dvořák, Teml, Watkins, Revel, Trneček and Trnavský.

Englichová tells The Prague Post these particular pieces were chosen for their affinity with the theme of water and fire, which she calls "two very basic yet nevertheless powerful forces which apply to our life not only literally but also metaphorically."

"If you look at the pieces literally, you find some of them basically describing water or fire - like the fantasy in the theme of Vltava by Smetana, or the Fire Dance by Watkins. However, all music is about emotions, and you can find an infinite number of different feelings there. Whether you let in the feelings of water or fire is up to you," she says.

David Watkins' Fire Dance is certainly the most modern piece of music on the program, having been composed in 1961. It might also be the most vibrant. This dynamic piece for harp will showcase Englichová's skill as well as her talent for interpretation.

The performance will also feature a notable debut: Englichová's adaptation of Dvořák's Love Songs for harp will premier at the concert. This piece is especially suitable for the program, Englichová says, as Love Songs "has everything excellent music should have: tenderness - water - as well as strength - fire."

Dvořák composed Love Songs with a libretto by Gustav Pfleger-Moravský in 1889. These eight movements are some of the most romantic the beloved Czech composer ever created.

Ravel's Five Greek Folksongs will also be a highlight of the program. Five charming short texts, "Song of the Bride," "Over by the Church," "Which Gallant Compares With Me," "Song of the Lentisk Collector," and "Be Gay!" were translated from Greek originals by Michel Dimitri Calvocoressi and set to music by Ravel between 1904 and 1906. This joyous, evocative music contains both the emotional energy and the meditative stillness that characterizes "Fire and Water in Human Life." Englichová and Berková-Bubleová's interpretation are sure to capture the essence of Ravel's original, which is a favorite among vocalists.

Englichová is an award-winning harpist who began her studies at the Prague Conservatory in the late-1980s and continued with a Fulbright scholarship to the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. She has played with a number of elite international orchestras, including the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra and the Hong Kong Chamber Orchestra. In addition, she has given solo performances in Paris, Madrid and Berlin, among other cities. She debuted with the Czech Philharmonic in 2008.

Berková-Bubleová studied at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague and the Conservatorio di G. Verdi in Milan. Her singing career began in 2001, when she won the Dvořák International Singing Competition.

The concert series of music for expectant mothers was inaugurated in 2010 and features regular concerts at the Rudolfinum. The series was conceived as a way to combine the Suzuki method of music therapy with concepts from neonatology. Englichová is emphatic in her belief that music can have a positive effect on pregnant women, a fact to which she says her own status as a mother attests.

The concert is intended for expectant mothers, but tickets are available for all interested listeners. All fans of classical music will enjoy this thoughtfully selected program.

Stephan Delbos can be reached at
sdelbos@praguepost.com