Smetana's Litomysl Opera Festival 14 June - 8 July 2012

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FESTIVAL PROGRAM "Hommage to the Persteins - Music in Architecture"

Thursday 14 June and Friday 15 June · 19:30 hrs · Litomysl - 2nd Litomysl Castle Courtyard
CEREMONIAL OPENING CONCERT
Bedrich Smetana: Wallensteins Lager, op. 14, symphonic poem
Claude Debussy: La Mer (The Sea), L. 109, three symphonic sketches
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Concerto no. 1 in B-flat minor for piano and orchestra, Op. 23

Saturday 16 June · 17:00 hrs · Svitavy - Fabrika Cultural Centre
FAZIL SAY - OFF-SITE CONCERT
Recital by a world-class pianist. The programme will feature, for example, Johann Sebastian Bach, Bedrich Smetana and the performer's own compositions.

Saturday 16 June · 21:00 hrs · Litomysl - 2nd Litomysl Castle Courtyard
Bedrich Smetana: THA BARTERED BRIDE
Comic opera in three acts to the libretto by Karel Sabina

Sunday 17 June · 19:30 hrs · Litomysl - 2nd Litomysl Castle Courtyard
STATRS OF THE OPERATIC SKY - MARCELLO GIORDANI
Gala concert by a famous American tenor - the first in the Czech Republic!

Monday 18 June · 18:00 hrs · Litomysl - 2nd Litomysl Castle Courtyard
Jiri Teml: THE DEVIL AND KATE or THE HELL IN HELL
Premiere of a children musical for soloists, choir and instrumental ensemble, libretto by Jan Tuma.

Tuesday 19 June and Wednesday 20 June · 21:00 hrs · Litomysl - 2nd Litomysl Castle Courtyard
PAVEL ŠPORCL - LA FOLIA
Violin virtuoso's project to the Baroque theme. The programme will include A. Vivaldi, J. B. Lully and a so far unknown violin concerto by J. K. Vanhal (staged in cooperation with Znojmo Music Festival).

Thursday 21 June · 19:00 hrs · Litomysl - 2nd Litomysl Castle Courtyard
PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION
Aaron Copland: The Promise of Living from the opera The Tender Land
Xi Wang: Czech premiere of a piece composed to mark the 40th anniversary of the ensemble
Antonín Dvoøák: Carnival Ouverture, Op. 92
Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition

Friday 22 June · 21:00 hrs · Litomysl - 2nd Litomysl Castle Courtyard
Giacomo Puccini: LA BOHÉME
Festival premiere of the magnum opus of verismo in opera. Opera in four acts, libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa.

Saturday 23 June · 11:00 hrs · Litomysl - Chapter Church
CONCERT TO THE THEME: B-A-C-H
Organist Jaromir Tuma and his guests interpret the music by J. S. Bach and composers inspired by him and his work.

Saturday 24 June · 16:00 and 21:00 hrs · Litomysl - 2nd Litomysl Castle Courtyard
JAROMIR NOHAVICA - CONCERT
A concert of a popular folk interpret.

Sunday 24 June at 18:00 hrs and Monday 25 June · 19:30 hrs · Litomysl - 2nd Litomysl Castle Courtyard
CONCERT BY POPULAR REQUEST - DARK BLUE WORLD OF J. J.
The most popular songs and orchestra pieces from theatre performances, revues and films by Jiri Voskovec, Jan Werich and Jaroslav Jezek.

Tuesday 26 June · 19:00 hrs · Litomysl - 2nd Litomysl Castle Courtyard
KANAGAWA UNIVERSITY SYMPHONIC ORCHESTRA
Concert of a renowned Japanese youth wind orchestra from Yokohama.
The programme will include also the Czech premiere of Prayer Music No. 1 - Dirge for Orchestra, written by Masaru Kawasaki thirty years after the bombing of Hiroshima.

Wednesday 27 June · 21:00 hrs · Litomysl - 2nd Litomysl Castle Courtyard
BOHEMIA BALLET
Gala evening featuring the best choreography from the ballet ensemble repertoire.

Thursday 28 June · 19:30 hrs · Litomysl - Smetana House
MUSIC AND WORD
Lubos Fiser: Speaking to Music (melodrama for recitation, piano and strings to the lyrics by J. Pilka)
Jiri Pauer: Swan Song (for baritone and chamber orchestra to the lyrics by A.P. Chekhov)
Sylvie Bodorova: Kafka's Träume / Kafka's Dreams (melodrama for recitator and orchestra to the Czech and German texts by F. Kafka)
W. A. Mozart: Symphony No. 35 in D major KV 358 "Haffner")

Friday 29 June and Saturday 30 June · 20:00 hrs · Litomysl - 2nd Litomysl Castle Courtyard
Geroges Bizet: CARMEN
Opera in four acts; libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy.

Saturday 30 June · 17:00 hrs · Lanskroun - Dean Church of St. Wenceslas
FOUR SEASONS - OFF-SITE CONCERT
Arcangelo Corelli: Concerto grosso da chiesa
Antonio Vivaldi: Four Seasons and other compositions of the Italian Settecento

Sunday 1 July · 18:00 hrs · Litomysl - 2nd Litomysl Castle Courtyard
HOMMAGE TO THE PERSTEINS - RADEK BABORAK AND VIENNESE CLASSICS
Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 7 in C major, Hob. I: VII "Le midi"
W. A. Mozart: Horn Concerto No. 4 in E-flat for horn and orchestra, KV 495
Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 "Fate"

Sunday 1 July · 21:00 hrs · Litomysl - Chapter Church
SIMONA SATUROVA - GLORIA
Arias and songs by Baroque masters; featuring also G. F. Händel, J. S. Bach, Tarquinio Merula, Antonio Caldara and others.

Wednesday 4 July · 20:00 hrs · Litomysl - 2nd Litomysl Castle Courtyard
THOMS HAMPSON - LINGUA ANGELORUM
World premiere of orchestra songs by composer Sylvia Bodorova dedicated to one of the prominent contemporary baritones.

Thursday 5 June, Friday 6 July and Saturday 7 July · 21:00 hrs · Nove Hrady Chateau - Gardens and Granary
Henry Purcell: THE FAIRY QUEEN
Evening programme in the Nove Hrady rococo chatelet with an opera performance to the libretto based on Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. The production was staged for the unique local Baroque open-air theatre, some parts of the opera will be performed in other areas of the chateau. The ticket price includes entry, refreshments and transport from Litomysl and back.

Friday 6 July · 21:00 hrs · Litomysl - 2nd Litomysl Castle Courtyard
Antonin Dvorak: THE JACOBIN
A new production of the opera in three acts that has been very well received by the audience and critique alike, libretto by Marie Cervinkova-Riegrova. Saturday early evening performance for parents with children.

Saturday 2 July · 21:00 hrs · Litomysl - 2nd Litomysl Castle Courtyard
Gisueppe Verdi: LA TRAVIATA
Marie Fajtova in the leading role of the opera in three acts set to a libretto by Francesco Maria Piave based on La dame aux camélias.

Saturday 8 July · 18:00 hrs · Litomysl - 2nd Litomysl Castle Courtyard
CLOSING GALACONCERT - THE BIGGEST SYMPHONIC TRIVIA
Works by C. Saint-Saëns, C. M. von Weber, R. Strauss, A. Khachaturian, Z. Fibich, Ch. Sinding, R. Binge, N. Rimsky-Korsakov, A. Piazzola, J. Offenbach
Final: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: The Year 1812, Festival Ouverture in E flat major, Op. 49 with cannon fire

THE RIGHT TO CHANGE A PROGRAM AND PERFORMERS IS RESERVED.

Important Notes:

•	The final program for Smetana's Litomysl to be announced by 24 February 2012.
•	Tickets pre-sale will be launched on 2 March 2012.
•	Tickets will be distributed by end-March 2012.