Song Recital I

Eight song recitals in the 2023/2024 season will increase the diversity of the National Theatre Opera's repertoire. The morning concerts on the stage of the Estates Theatre will follow the successful performance of Schubert's Winter Journey in January 2023, during which we tested not only the acoustic possibilities of the space usually reserved for performers. Close proximity of performers and audience allows for an intense reciprocal experience of the recited pieces and an extraordinary experience enhanced by the venue itself – an otherwise hidden setting of the theatre stage and the surroundings of Old Prague itself.
It is exactly the long musical history linked to these premises that the recital dramaturgy is based on, which in the spring weeks even expands its scope in line with the Year of Czech Music 2024 and will include other groups of composers. It will showcase the works by Richard Wagner, Carl Maria von Weber, Franz Liszt, František Škroup, Ladislav Dusík, Bedřich Smetana, Antonín Dvořák, Leoš Janáček, Vítězslav Novák and Pavel Haas.
Apart from the renowned soloists of the National Theatre Opera, we have invited Prague Conservatory and HAMU students to join in, because we believe that supporting their talent is an important investment in the future of our musical culture and a welcome diversion, especially in presenting young, still little known voices. To ensure an extraordinary experience, we have partnered with C. BECHSTEIN EUROPE s.r.o., which is one of the most prestigious manufacturers of pianos which Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner, among others, used to play in the past.

Programme:

Dramaturgical introduction

František Škroup: String Quartet No. 1 in F major, Op. 24 (Ševčík Quartet)
                   
Bedřich Smetana: First Songs (T. Papoušková, M. Šrejma)        

Bedřich Smetana: Evening Songs (M. Šrejma)  
     
Richard Wagner: Wesendonck Lieder (Š. Pučálková)

Song Recitals 2023/2024:

Song Recital I
23. 9. 2023
Wagner  –  Škroup – Smetana
Štěpánka Pučálková, Tereza Papoušková, Martin Šrejma, piano: Zdeněk Klauda
Ševčík Quartet

Song Recital II
7. 10. 2023
Foerster – Weber – Liszt 
Michaela Zajmi, Tamara Morozová, cello: Bledat Zajmi, piano: Zdeněk Klauda, Martin Levický
Jaroslav Mejsnar & Krása Quartet

Song Recital III
28. 10. 2023
Kittl – Titl – Blodek
Michaela Zajmi, Lukáš Bařák, piano: Bronislav Procházka

Song Recital IV
11. 11. 2023
Škroup  –  Rösler  –  Dusík
Yukiko Kinjo, Josef Moravec, piano: Lucie Pirochová

Song Recital V
17. 2. 2024
Tomášek  –  Voříšek
Magdaléna Hebousse, Yukiko Kinjo, Anna Moriová, Josef Moravec, piano: Martin Levický

Song Recital VI
23. 3. 2024
Kalivoda  –  Veit
Arnheiður Eiríksdóttir, Daniel Matoušek, piano: Zdeněk Klauda

Song Recital VII
20. 4. 2024
Dvořák  –  Suk – Novák
Markéta Klaudová, Michaela Zajmi, Josef Moravec, piano: David Švec

Song Recital VIII
18. 5. 2024
Janáček  –  Haas  –  Raichl
Marie Šimůnková, Martin Šrejma, Roman Vocel, piano: Lucie Pirochová