The opening concert took place at the
Municipal House, Prague. Photograph:
Katie Binns
This year's Prague Spring festival promises to be a remarkable celebration of the past, writes Katie Binns from the Czech capital.
Prague has architectural splendours spanning a thousand years. Walking around the "golden city of spirals" admiring medieval, baroque and renaissance buildings I can feel the history breathing down my neck. Fittingly the Spring Festival, celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, places emphasis on remembering the past. The opening last night - on the eve of the anniversary of Bedrich Smetana's death, father of Czech music - began with a historical replica of the first ever Prague Spring concert. Performances of Dvorak's Symphony No 7 and lesser-known works by Josef Foerster and Otakar Ostrcil did not disappoint.
The commemoration of historical events and ties continues throughout May. Highlights include a celebration of Mozart´s anniversary (just in case you had forgotten) and the 100th anniversary of the birth of Shostakovich. Dmitri Shostakovich was closely involved with Prague and the festival, where most of the premieres of his wartime and post-war symphonies were heard - often in the composer's presence.
This year the festival has added a special presentation of Slovak music to its programme. Once again the reasons for this are historical. Czech and Slovak cultures have been closely connected for 200 years, some argue longer: their languages are similar and the two cultures practically belong to one another. "Since important Slovak anniversaries are during all the years that end with a six, it was decided 2006 was appropriate", said the festival's director Roman Belor. It all ties in beautifully.
As does the weather. Locals believe May is the prettiest month after surviving the long cold winter. It's true, the sun and blossoming trees make Prague perfect for festivities and music making. But even in this festival climate Prague cannot drop its serious agenda. For the first time ever the celebrations extend beyond the capital to former Jewish ghetto Terezin. Between 1941 and 1945, 150,000 Jews were held here, most not surviving the war. While inside, 150 prisoners managed 16 performances of Verdi's Requiem. Inspired by this, US conductor Murry Sidlin will blend Verdi's masterpiece with images of Terezin and narratives from surviving members of the Terezin chorus to produce a work called Defiant Requiem: Verdi in Terezin. Remembering the past does not get more intense than this.
~ The Spring Festival continues until June 3 2006.
