Dvořák’s Prague will present Rusalka. With the Czech Philharmonic and Semyon Byckov
Semjon Byčkov will perform Dvořák’s Rusalka three times at Dvořák’s Prague
| photo:
Dan Materna,
MAFRA
The show will be opened by the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by South Korean conductor Myung-whun Chung. He will replace Valeriy Gergiev, whose festival has been canceled due to his reluctance to reject Russian aggression in Ukraine. After 33 years, The Clevelend Orchestra will come to Prague to play works by Richard Strauss under the baton of its boss Franz Welser-Möst.
The London Royal Philharmonic Orchestra will perform with conductor Vasil Petrenko and pianist Lukáš Vondráček, the final concert on September 25 will belong to the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and conductor Daniel Harding.
An extraordinary achievement will be a triple concert performance of Dvořák’s Rusalka, staged by Semjon Byčkov with the Czech Philharmonic. Rusalka will be sung by Asmik Grigorianová, Prince Dmytro Popov, Vodník Jan Martiník, Ježibabu Jamie Bartonová and Foreign Princess Jana Kurucová. “Every world opera house could envy us for this cast,” says the show’s director Jan Simon.
Behind Dvořák to Vary
Star instrumentalists include pianist Martha Argerich, trumpet player Sergei Nakarjakov and cellist Truls Mork, who will play Dvořák’s Cello Concerto in H minor with the Munich Philharmonic.
Antonín Dvořák’s string quartets will be given a lot of space. “This will be the first part of a multi-year project to complete them,” says director Simon. The project is curated by the world-famous Pavel Haas Quartet, who has invited other Czech and foreign ensembles to collaborate. In addition to Dvořák’s quartets, there will be works by other authors, including Rafael Kubelík, whose composition is overshadowed by his conducting activities.
The Family Day and such a trip in the footsteps of Antonín Dvořák are also prepared for this year. He will go to Karlovy Vary. “This is where Antonín Dvořák first met his publisher Fritz Simrock, and the continental premiere of his New World Symphony took place here,” explains Simon.