Music
The Prague Spring
International Music Festival is a fine musical tradition. Every
year, the festival starts on 12 May – the
day Smetana died in 1884 – and the opening
concert always features his cycle of symphonic poems, My
Country. Prague Autumn, in September, is a
shorter and less intense music festival, which still features Czech
and international performers.
Dance
Classical ballet is prevalent at the major theatres but modern dance
companies, with their experimental and multimedia techniques, offer
a more exciting evening. Ponec,
Husitská 24A, Prague 3 (telephone: (02) 2481 7886) a performance
space owned by the dance company, Tanec
Praha, presents a constantly varied programme of Czech and international
companies.
Folklore shows with energetic dancing and music with colourful costumes
have not lost their exuberance or high standards under the demands
of tourists. Restaurace U Marcanu, Veleslanínská
14, Prague 6 (telephone: (02) 3536 0623), hass a year-round show
with a traditional Czech dinner for a reasonable fixed price. Summer
shows are presented at the Divadlo na Klárove,
Nábreží Edvarda Beneše 3, Prague 1 (telephone:
(02) 2171 1611), and Divadlo u hasicu, Øímská
45, Prague 2 (telephone: (02) 2422 7693).
Film
Most foreign films in Prague are screened in their original language.
The best cinema for films, as well as experimental and late-night
programmes, is 64 U Hradeb, Mostecká 21,
Prague 1 (telephone: (02) 5753 1158). Lucerna
(telephone: (02) 2421 6972), for all its faded glory, retains an
atmospheric Art Deco movie palace. Cinema Broadway,
Na pøikopì 31, Prague 1 (telephone: (02) 2161 3278),
is the best for epic films. MAT Studio at Karlovo
námìstí 19, Prague 1 (telephone: (02) 2491
5765), shows Czech films with English subtitles at 2200.
South of Smíchov is the Barrandov Studio. It was built by
Václav Havel’s grandfather after World War I and became
the centre of the Czech film industry. Czech directors, camera operators
and technicians were soon in demand across Europe.
Prague is also a major location for filming. Amadeus
(1984), Mission Impossible (1996), Les
Miserables (1998), From Hell (2001) and
Frankenstein (2003) are just a few of the many
feature films filmed there.
Music
Music has been regarded as an important part of education, both
through the schools and town musicians, whose jobs included teaching
as well as performing. From its formation in the late 18th century,
the Prague Conservatoire has been a world class
training centre for musicians and composers. Behind the big four
Czech composers – Smetana, Dvoøák,
Jánaèek and Martinù
– lie hundreds of others, whose talents ranged from good to
near great.
Mozart was more highly regarded
in Prague than he was in Vienna and every famous
composer and virtuoso was always welcomed with open arms, with conductors
of the Prague opera including Weber, Mahler
and Zemlinský.
Tickets can be purchased at Èedok (see Tourist Information)
and Ticketpro,
Rytíøská 31, Prague 1 (telephone: (02) 2161
0162; email: etix@ticketpro.cz).
Ticketpro accepts credit cards but does not book for the bigger
classical venues. Bohemia
Ticket International (BTI), Na pøikopì 16, Prague
1, is the only ticket agency that will accept ticket purchases from
abroad (telephone: (02) 2422 7832; email: order@ticketsbti.cz)
although those who choose to do this can expect a higher booking
fee.
Prague has two world-class orchestras. The Czech
Philharmonic is at the neo-classical Rudolfinum, Alšovo
nábøeží 12, Prague 1 (telephone: (02)
2489 3311). The Prague Symphony Orchestra has now
returned to its restored home at Smetana Hall of the Obecní
dùm, Námìstí Republiky 5, Prague
1 (telephone: (02) 2200 2101; fax: (02) 2200 2100; email: info@obecni-dum.cz).
The standard opera repertoire can be heard at the State
Opera, Wilsonova 4, Prague 2 (telephone: (02) 2422 7266). The
Estates Theatre,
Ovocný trh, Prague 1 (telephone: (02) 2421 5001), where Don
Giovanni was first performed, still presents Mozart operas. Czech
repertoire is presented at The
National Theatre (Národní Divadlo), Národní
2, Prague 1 (telephone: (02) 2490 1111 or 2490 1668).
Theatre
Misery Loves Company, Celetná 17, Prague
1 (telephone: (02) 2480 9168), presents high-quality productions
of international plays and Czech works in English translations.
They are active in the summer at the reconstructed Globe
Theatre, Výstavištì, Hološovice,
Prague 7 (telephone: (02) 2271 1515).
There are about seven companies presenting shows combining music,
dance and 3D effects with black (ultraviolet) light features, known
as Black Light Theatre. Performances go from classical to rock and
all the companies are excellent. These include All
Colours Theatre, Rytíøská 31, Prague 1
(telephone: (02) 2161 0173), The
Black Light Theatre, Jiøí Grossmann Theatre, Václavské
námìstí 43 (telephone: (02) 2421 9812), The
Black Theatre Prague, Na pøikopì 10 (telephone:
(02) 2224 4358), Image, Image Theatre,
Paøížská 4, Prague 1 (telephone: (02)
2231 4448), Black Light Theatre of Frantisek Kratochvíl,
Národní 25, Prague 1 (telephone: (02) 2108 5287),
Ta Fantastika, Palác Unitaria, Karlova 8,
Prague 1 (telephone: (02) 2222 1367), and The Black Light
Theatre of Prague of Jiøí Srnec, Divadlo
Reduta, Národní tøída 20, Prague 1 (telephone:
(02) 2493 3487). |
