The National Theatre of Brno (NdB) has a full schedule of opera, ballet and theatrical performances, including many productions marking the 250th birthday of Ludwig Van Beethoven. Credit: Ctibor Bachratý.
Brno, Nov 1 (BD) – There are few people who are instantly recognizable by four simple musical notes that they composed: Dah dah dah daaaaaaah.
Most people will not know that the three quick notes and the longer fourth are the powerful beginning of the 5th Symphony in C Minor, but they will most likely instantly recognize it as the work of the composer Ludwig Van Beethoven. Those four notes live on as shorthand for classical music. They are an easy way to establish tension. And the iconic intro has even appeared on The Simpsons.
Beethoven, who died in 1827 in Vienna, is a giant of culture. To celebrate that fact, NdB Ballet and Janáček Opera produced a celebration of his life to coincide with the 250th anniversary of his birth in 1770, although the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic moved it to this fall as the 251st anniversary.
The new date for the premiere is November 13th at the Janáček Theatre. There will also be performances on November 14th, 16th, 20th, and 21st. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
According to the NdB website: “The original ballet ‘Beethoven’ is inspired by the life and work of a musical genius and has the ambition to appeal not only to the ballet audience but also to lovers of opera and Beethoven’s orchestral and chamber music.”
“Beethoven” will showcase the choreography of Mário Radačovský, the Artistic Director for NdB Ballet. It builds upon a Beethoven-themed production that he created in 2015 for a ballet ensemble in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with a completely new design specifically for NdB Ballet, including several non-traditional arrangements, such that the performers will be brought closer to the audience on the proscenium and the front of the stage to provide a more intense experience.
This new production will also feature the soloists and the company of the NdB Ballet, as well as the soloists and choir of the Janáček Opera, the orchestra of the Janáček Opera and the piano virtuoso Jiří Hrubý.
The musical dramaturgy was created in collaboration with the choreographer and conductor Jakub Klecker. It will feature Beethoven’s symphonic works, including the 5th, 6th, 7th and 9th symphonies, and several piano sonatas. The author of the artistic concept of scenography, in collaboration with the choreographer, is the renowned Brno artist Jaroslav Milfajt. The costumes were designed by Ľudmila Várossová, who, like the set designer, has collaborated with the NdB Ballet several times.
NdB is again regularly performing opera, ballet and plays. Click here to see the website for the complete schedule, ticket information and more details.
Safeguards are still in place to protect against the transmission of COVID-19. Click here for more information.
Janáček Brno 2020 — in 2021
COVID-19 is increasingly factoring into decisions that people make in their daily lives, yet, the National Theatre of Brno plans to push on in order to perform as many operas, ballets and stage plays as possible.
This month, the Janáček Brno 2020 events that were canceled by an earlier wave of the coronavirus pandemic will be performed.
The list of performances of the Janáček Brno 2020 festival that were moved to this fall include:
5 November 2021, 7pm – The Greek Passion (Řecké pašije), Janáček Opera of the National Theatre Brno
7 November 2021, 7pm – The Greek Passion (Řecké pašije), Janáček Opera of the National Theatre Brno
13 November 2021, 7pm – Tomáš Král and Ivo Kahánek’s Recital at Villa Tugendhat
19 November 2021, 7pm – The Greek Passion (Řecké pašije), Janáček Opera of the National Theatre Brno
20 November 2021, 7pm – Concert of the Prague Philharmonic Choir, Besední dům
26 November 2021, 7pm – Destiny (Osud), Janáček Opera of the National Theatre Brno (performance and stream for OperaVision)
27 November 2021, 7pm – Destiny (Osud), Janáček Opera of the National Theatre Brno
30 November 2021, 7pm – Pavol Breslik and Róbert Pechanec Recital, Reduta Theatre
These performances will serve as a nice bridge to the next edition of the biennial international festival.
“The concerts will be an invitation to the Janáček Brno 2022 festival that will take place from November 2nd to 20th, 2022, with advance ticket sales starting on 30 November 2021,” said Jiří Heřman, the Artistic Director of the Janáček Opera of the National Theatre Brno.
Go to https://janacek-brno.cz/en/ for more information.
