Trip to Prague ( 布拉格之旅 ) 1 – Music Festival

I went to Prague with a friend recently. It’s fortunately in the timeframe of Prague Autumn Music Festival, a newer event comparing to the well known Prague Spring Music Festival. Although the later is a much bigger one and has been running for long time, Prague Autumn Music Festival has begun to draw more attentions in recent years, and also began to have many International presents.

I’ve attended a performance by Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra. I booked the ticket months ago online. My friend decided to join the trip later, but the ticket were sold out after we arrived at Prague, which is rare, since there are so many cencerts going on each night in all concert halls and churches. VRSO has been recognized as one of the most versatile orchestras in Austria. It performed symphonic fantasia From Italy, op. 16 of 1887 by Richard Strauss that night. This piece is new to me, and I liked it for its variations in passionate outburst and quiet beautiful story telling. There is man vocal soloist singing in this piece as well. It’s performed by Wolfgang Holzmair. He is new to me, and relevant new to the field as well, who has a full and beautiful voice. I should say his voice combines high quality and rich emotion, which is quite enjoyable and touching. He plays in recital around world since 2003. The performance was in Rudolfinum concert hall, as illustrated in following pictures.

There are about 90 people in the orchestra that night, where I recognized 9 oriental female players, mostly in strings, no oriental male recognized though.

We’ve also attended an opera performance in State Opera, i.e. German Opera. It is the most beautiful opera house in Prague, as illustrated in the following pictures. The 1^st two pictures are downloaded from Internet. What performed that night was Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi. Although the major pieces singing by the leading male and female characters are very familiar (singed frequently by Pavarotti and Sutherland), this is the 1^st time for me to hear this whole opera, and realize where these songs were coming from. This opera has been performed in Venice, Italy about one hundred and fourty years before staged around the world in recent years. It’s performed by Prague State Opera that night, and I’m very impressed by the performance. Especially, both of the leading male and female characters have outstanding voice, which are not comparable to the opera performed here. I guess the reason may be that music and opera are part of peoples’ life in Prague, they live and breathe them, so to be the perfectionists on them.

  







The following picture was taken in front the Theatre of the Estates, one of the three opera houses in Prague. I didn’t get chance to attend a performance in National Theater (another opera house) this time, though I’d love to.

As suggested by other folks, we went to Black Light Theater to see the authentic local form of art. The Black Light Theater spreads out in many locations across Prague, usually have an entrance on street, not too fancy like opera houses or concert halls. We saw the show named Fause, which is a combination of musical, dance, comedy, high tech light effects, and old stories. It uses the contrast of dark and light creating visual effects for the most characteristic elements in the performance. Following is one of its photos downloaded from Internet.

[Flamenco_Girl]

回複jennytomato的評論:

Jenny,
布拉格是挺值得一遊的。自打從社會主義陣營走出開放於世界以來，它的旅遊人口逐年上升，物價也是。不過既使是現在，除旅館和旅館內的東西比較貴，其它還是比美國便易，更比歐盟其它國家便易得多。

[jennytomato]

知道了，是秋天。看美景又可以聽那樣質量的音樂會，你真的不虛此行。東歐的物價現在如何啊？

[Flamenco_Girl]

回複CHIHUO的評論:
書記啊，這“英格烈士”隻因我答應了把遊記給這裏的朋友看的。你的鼓勵使我覺得去 Gym 沒白去。堅持是不易。

[Flamenco_Girl]

謝謝杜姐，書記，小花和飛飛的美言。說實話，一般我還是樂於拍“到此一遊”照的。可到了布拉格，大部分時間我隻想拍景色，覺得把自己放進去有礙畫麵。

[飛飛~]

你這張新照片真好，布拉格的建築確實是如MELLY所說“外表莊嚴，內飾富麗堂皇”。

[戈壁小花]

看到你了好有氣質耶，羨慕！

[土村大家庭]

哎喲雜都是英格烈士啊
但是俺特別喜歡你的照片啊
一看這身材和氣質簡直沒治拉
就知道你會跳舞身材雜保養的這麽好啊
斯姐說的對
站那兒同背景融為一體啦!!!

[DUMARTINI]

你好氣質..站那兒同背景融為一體啦!!!

[Flamenco_Girl]

回複簫笛的評論:
簫笛, what I meant was "outstanding", maybe I picked wrong word. I changed it to avoid confusion. Thanks.

[簫笛]

感謝美文介紹，但我有點沒理解下麵這段：
Especially, the leading male and female characters have inequitable voice, which are not comparable to the opera performed here. I guess the reason may be that music and opera are part of peoples’ life in Prague, they live and breathe them, so to be the perfectionists on them.
既然那的百姓離不開音樂就象空氣對他們一樣，那麽男女主角不對等的音質(或 音量 亦或 音色)對這些完美主義者(是聽眾吧？如果我沒理解錯)一定影響很大。但你的猜測似乎沒說明問題(到底這些聽眾對男女主角有還是沒有意見？)。

[Flamenco_Girl]

回複melly的評論:

Yah, it seems like so in this picture, but in real scene, most time you will feel funny and a little silly as well.

[melly]

回複Flamenco_Girl的評論:
The last picture is very impressive. I like the colors and the atmosphere of mystery. It reminds me of ancient Egypt, the tombs and ghost-like figures. :-) Ha, too much imagination.

[Flamenco_Girl]

Yes Melly, it's a great trip, except physically challenged for how long we were on our feet. I planed the date so to get extra for Prague visit, though it's enjoyable enough even without Autumn Music Festival. Yes, I like opera. Actually, I like almost all forms of performing art and art in general. For architecture, you should go to Prague and Paris. I'll post more pictures toke from this Prague trip.

[melly]

Wow! What a wonderful trip! I really admire you.

Sounds like you enjoyed opera very much. Was it one of reasons for you to visit there?

The opera houses you posted here were very impressive. I love architectures in Europe. 外表莊嚴，內飾富麗堂皇。I wish I could tour Europe some day in the future.

You look fabulous. I am expecting more about your trip.