Smetana's Litomysl Opera Festival 15 June - 1 July 2007

PROGRAM

Friday 15 June 2007, 20:00 hrs, Litomysl - 2nd Litomysl Castle Courtyard
EVA URBANOVA GALACONCERT
A festive opening concert celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Czech operatic diva's career.
The program consists of arias, duets and chorals from the from the following operas: B. Smetana: The Bartered Bride, Dalibor; A. Dvorak: Rusalka; A. Boito: Mefistofele; P. Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana; G. Puccini: Tosca, Turandot; and others.
Performed by: Eva Urbanova - soprano, Oleg Kulko - tenor, Prague Philharmonic Choir, Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Ondrej Lenard

Saturday 16 June 2007, 16:00 hrs, Litomysl - Smetana Hall
THE FIGHT WITH THE ANGEL
Bedrich Smetana: String Quartet no. 2 in D minor
Sylvie Bodorova: The Fight with the Angel (melodrama for a male voice and a string quartet)
Lubos Fiser: Adieu, My Love (for soprano, piano and string quartet)
Antonin Dvorak: Piano Quintet in A major, op. 81
Performed by: Otakar Brousek sen. (recitation), Iveta Jirikova - soprano, Jan Simon - piano, Wihan Quartet

Saturday 16 June 2007, 21:00 hrs, Litomysl - 2nd Litomysl Castle Courtyard
Leos Janacek: RAKOS RAKOCZY
A scenic collage to motifs inspired by the ballet of the same title.
Bohuslav Martinu: BOUQUET OF FLOWERS
Premiere. Produced for Smetana's Litomysl festival. A cycle composition for solo, mixed and children's choir and a small orchestra to folk texts using an original dance approach.
Performed by: Soloists, children and mixed voice choir, Hradistan Dance Group, Bohuslav Martinu Philharmony Zlin
Choreography: Ladislava Kosikova
Director: Alena Vanakova
Conductor: Roman Valek

Sunday 17 June 2007, 21:30 hrs, Lanskroun - Provost Church of St. Wenceslas
CHURCH NOCTURNE
A sacred music composed program.The program includes work by Jacobus Handl-Gallus, J. Campanus-Vodnansky, J.S. Bach, Anton Bruckner
Performed by: Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno
Conductor: Petr Fiala

Monday 18 June 2007, 20:30 hrs, Litomysl - Respirium of Litomysl Teaching Institute
THE TRAVELLING FIDDLERS I.
A concert of a remarkable world-music ensemble.
Old Czech songs, ethno-chansons from Slovakia and Ukraine.
Performed by: Czaldy-Waldy Quartet

Tuesday 19 June 2007, 18:00 hrs, Litomysl - Lidovy dum
Otmar Macha: THE ANIMALS AND BANDITS
Jiri Teml: THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES
Two one-act operas for the youngest audience.
Performed by: Kuhn children choir, instrumental ensemble
Conductor: Jiri Chvala

Wednesday 20 June2007, 19:00 hrs, Litomysl - Church of the Raising of the Holy Cross
Johann Sebastian Bach: ORGAN MASS
Dogmatic chorals from The Third Part of his piano exercises.
A project forming a part of the long-standing festival cycle dedicated to J. S. Bach.
Performed by: Edita Keglerova - harpsichord, Jaroslav Tuma - organ

Thursday 21 June 2007, 19:00 hrs, Chrudim - The Curch of Assumption of the Virgin Mary
Vitazoslav Kubicka: THE TOUCH OF CHRIST
A scenic performance of the contemporary spiritual opera by libretto of Vitazoslav Kubicka and Eva Bachletova.
A Czech premiere.
Performed by: Peter Cingel (Jesus), Eva Hornyakova (Maria), Nao Higano (Japanese tourist), Maria Koledova (Rachel), Eva Suskova (Chavva), Martin Mikus (Michael); Mixed voice choir Anima Cantanda, Bratislav Chamber Soloists
Conductor: Adrian Kokos

Friday 22 June 2007, 21:00 hrs, Litomysl - 2nd Litomysl Castle Courtyard
Bedrich Smetana: THE KISS
A two-act opera. Libretto by Eliska Krasnohorska.
Premiere. Co-production of the National Theatre Prague and Smetana's Litomysl. Performed in the Czech original. English and German subtitles.
Performed by: Opera ensemble of the National Theatre in Prague
Director: Marian Chudovsky
Conductor: Oliver Dohnanyi

Saturday 23 June 2007, 16:00 hrs, Litomysl - Museum of Antique
THE TRAVELLING FIDDLERS II.
A cross-section of secular work from various European nations spanning several centuries and Czech folklore tradition.
Performed by: Zuzana Lapcikova - dulcimer, Male Vocal Quartet Q VOX

Saturday 23 June 2007, 21:00 hrs, Litomysl - 2nd Litomysl Castle Courtyard
Bedrich Smetana: THE KISS
A two-act opera. Libretto by Eliska Krasnohorska.
2nd premiere. Co-production of the National Theatre Prague and Smetana's Litomysl. Performed in the Czech original. English and German subtitles.
Performed by: opera ensemble of the National Theatre in Prague
Director: Marian Chudovsky
Conductor: Oliver Dohnanyi

Sunday 24 June 2007, 18:00 hrs, Litomysl - 2nd Litomysl Castle Courtyard
Antonin Dvorak: St. LUDMILA, op. 71
Oratorio for solos, choir and orchestra to the text of Jaroslav Vrchlicky.
Performed by: Adriana Kohutkova (Ludmila), Tomas Cerny (Borivoj) and other soloists; Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno, Brno Philharmonic Orchestra
Choirmaster: Petr Fiala
Conductor: Leos Svarovsky

Monday 25 June 2007, 19:00 hrs, Litomysl - 2nd Litomysl Castle Courtyard
CONCERT BY POPULAR REQUEST - IN THE WORLD OF CHILDREN
Karel Svoboda: Three Nuts for Cinderella
Camille Siant-Saens: The Carnival of the Animals (A great zoo fantasy)
Jan Hammer jr.: The Terribly Sad Princess (a fairy-tale film suite)
Martin Bottcher: Vinnetou
John Williams: Harry Potter
and other famous melodies from fairy-tales, bed-time stories, children films and series.
Performed by: Soloists, reciters, choir, Zofin Palace Grand Orchestra
Conductor: Frantisek Preisler

Tuesday 26 June 2007, 18:00 hrs, Litomysl - Smetana's Hall
Benjamin Britten: THE LITTLE SWEEP
A children's opera consisting of a prologue and one act. Libretto: Eric Crozier. Performed in the Czech language.
Performed by: Children's Opera Prague
Director: Lubor Cukr
Conductor: Robert Jindra

Wednesday 27 June 2007, 19:30 hrs, Litomysl - 2nd Litomysl Castle Courtyard
Sergei Rachmaninov: Concert for a piano and an orchestra no. 3 d moll, op.
Carl Orff: CARMINA BURANA
A world famous cantata of secular songs for solo voices and a choir with orchestral accompaniment.
Performed by: Eugene Indjic - piano (USA), Prague Symphony Orchestra FOK
Conductor: Jiri Krout

Thursday 28 June 2007, 19:00 hrs, Litomysl - 2nd Litomysl Castle Courtyard
Richard Wagner: A RING WITHOUT WORDS
Full-length suite of symphonic music from Wagner's operatic tetralogue The Ring of the Nibelungen.
Performed by: Orchestra of the National Theatre Prague Opera Ensemble
Conductor: John Fiore (USA)

Friday 29 June 2007, 21:00 hrs, Litomysl - 2nd Litomysl Castle Courtyard
Giacomo Puccini: MANON LESCAUT
A four-act opera. Performed in the Italian origin.
Performed by: Tiziana Caruso (Manon), Luciano Mastro (Des Grieux), Opera of the Moravian-Silesian National Theatre in Ostrava
Director: Michael Tarant
Conductor: Alessandro Sangiorgi (Italy)

Saturday 30 June 2007, 16:00 hrs, Litomysl - Smetana Hall
Domenico Cimarosa: MAESTRO DI CAPPELLA
Intermezzo giocoso performed by Maestro Richard Novak.
Also in the program: Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B minor, BWV1067, Henry Purcell: Suite in D minor, Edvard H. Grieg: Suite from Holberg's Time, op. 40
Performed by: Bohuslav Martinu Chamber Orchestra
Artistic director: Lubomir Cermak

Saturday 30 June 2007, 21:00 hrs, Litomysl - 2nd Litomysl Castle Courtyard
Giacomo Puccini: MANON LESCAUT
A four-act opera. Performed in the Italian origin.
Performed by: Eva Drizgova-Jirusova (Manon), in negotiation (Des Grieux), Opera of the Moravian-Silesian National Theatre in Ostrava
Director: Michael Tarant
Conductor: Alessandro Sangiorgi (Italy)

Sunday 1 July 2007, 18:00 hrs, Litomysl - 2nd Litomysl Castle Courtyard
STARS OF OPERATIC SKY - TORSTEN KERL(Germany)
A closing gala concert of the famous German tenor Torsten Kerl.
A program of arias and operatic duets from C.M. Von Weber: Der Freischutz; P. Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana; R. Leoncavallo: Pagliacci,; P. I. Tchaikovski: Queen of spades; E. Korngold: Die tote Stadt; R. Wagner: Die Walkure; and others.
Performed by: Torsten Kerl - tenor, Elena Batoukova - mezzosoprano, Prague Philharmonia
Conductor: Alexander Joel (to be confirmed)

THE RIGHT TO CHANGE A PROGRAM AND PERFORMERS IS RESERVED.

Important Notes:

•	Tickets pre-sale will be launched at beginning on 7 March 2007.
•	Tickets will be distributed by end-March 2007.

Smetana's Litomysl Opera Festival Program 16 June - 4 July 2006

Smetana's Litomysl Opera Festival Program 17 - 4 July 2005

Smetana's Litomysl Opera Festival Program 17 - 27 June 2004