For the first time in its 75-year history, the Prague Spring International Music Festival finds itself in a situation where it will be unable to present its concert program as planned.
“It is difficult to foresee which restrictive measures will still be in place at the time this year’s Prague Spring is due to start and, for understandable reasons, we cannot expect a mandatory standpoint from the relevant bodies of the state administration. The Prague Spring has therefore decided to seek an alternative so that music may continue to bring hope to its listeners during this troubling situation,” says festival director Roman Bělor.
The festival is putting together approximately ten concerts for live broadcast, available free of charge via the Prague Spring website.
Selected concerts will also be included in the schedules of Czech Television, the festival’s General Media Partner, and of Czech Radio, which has accompanied the festival since it was founded in 1946.
Smetana’s My Country, a pivotal work of the festival, cannot be performed live on the 12th of May; however, the Prague Spring is in discussions with Czech Television regarding the proposal to include in the broadcast a recording of one of the exceptional performances from previous years. The program for the Closing Concert was original to have included Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. Understandably, this will no longer be possible given the large number of people involved in planning and performing this concert amidst the restrictions in force. “In association with the Czech Philharmonic, we are thus considering an alternative closing program. However, the original idea remains uppermost in our minds: the concert is to be an ʽode to joyʼ,” stresses festival director Roman Bělor.
“We are making efforts to secure a revised or alternative program for concerts which were scheduled for the Prague Symphony Orchestra, the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, the PKF – Prague Philharmonia and Collegium 1704. We are doing everything in our power to allow Czech artists to be given an opportunity in this alternative version of events, and to ensure that cultural life is not brought to a complete standstill,” maintains Roman Bělor.
Information for ticket holders
All ticket holders will be fully reimbursed. “As in the case of other cultural events which are dependent on ticket sales, we leave it to the discretion of the audience as to whether they wish to donate part of their returned admission fee to the Prague Spring – as support for the alternative program, which will be accessible free of charge, and for the festival’s future projects,” concludes festival director.
