After an uncertain preparation period, Filharmonie Brno will be going ahead with the annual festival of orchestral music in the grand setting of Špilberk Castle, taking place this year from August 11th-21st. Photo: Courtesy of Filharmonie Brno.
Brno, Jul 6 (BD) – Brno’s prestigious showcase of orchestral music performances will go ahead this year from August 11th-21st, in the grand setting of Špilberk Castle.
According to Marie Kučerová, Director of Filharmonie Brno, preparations for the festival were fraught with uncertainty, over how many people could attend, what hygiene conditions would be required, and even whether the festival could go ahead at all.
“In the end, everything seems to have turned out well,” said Kučerová. “Most importantly, there was no more uncertainty in the final phase, so we did not have to improvise or find alternative solutions.”
The festival will feature the normal classical concerts, but also other performances ranging from folklore to film music to rock. Filharmonie Brno will perform twice at the festival – at a magnificent, celebratory opening concert on August 11th, and a week later with the multimedia project “Pictures from the Exhibition”.
“When we rehearsed it at Janáček Theater in March, and then coronavirus started ruining everything hour by hour, we immediately agreed this summer date with chief conductor Dennis Russell Davies and visualization artist Cori O’Lan so they could both come. At the time, we had no idea what would happen in August, we just knew that we wanted to perform the concert for a real audience,” said Kučerová.
The opening concert on August 11th will feature Beethoven’s Wellington’s Victory, Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, and Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. Five days later, the Ondráš Military Art Ensemble will present its project kRok za kRokem in the large castle courtyard.
“The unusual mix, inspired by different musical and dance styles, is firmly rooted in traditional folklore to show the audience a symbolic image of human life,” said David Dittrich, Director of the Music Marathon Festival, which co-hosts the concert on August 16th.
As in previous years, the festival will also feature music from films, this year with the Moravia Brass Band adding Holst’s Planets to a selection of film scores arranged for brass orchestra on August 18th. At the final concert on August 21st, musicians from the Czech National Symphony Orchestra will perform a selection of orchestral versions of songs by the Czech rock band Pražský výběr.
To buy tickets for the festival, and for more information on the programme, visit the Filharmonie Brno website. Tickets start from CZK 90.
