Baroque Opera Stars 2013 — 2014
2nd season
Collegium 1704 prague baroque orchestra
Václav Luks | conductor
Presented by Collegium 1704 in collaboration with the Czech Philharmonic
The second year of the Baroque Opera Stars series will offer an expanded view of the world of opera of past centuries with respect both to time and genre. Our attention will be focused on the latter half of the 18th century, and besides Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Josef Mysliveček, we naturally will not be overlooking Christoph Willibald Gluck, whose 300th birthday is to be celebrated in 2014. Besides the continuation of the tradition of Christmas and Easter concerts, with a performance of Zelenka’s melodrama Sub olea pacis et palma virtutis we will be newly introducing the performing of works for the stage in concert versions at the Rudolfinum. A concert titled Between a Dream and Reality will take us to the world of the heroines of Italian bel canto from the early 19th century, and will remind us of how thoroughly the art of bel canto (“beautiful singing”) is grounded in the Italian vocal traditions of the 17th and 18th centuries.
 29. 10. 2013
Bella mia fiamma
Martina Janková | soprano
Collegium 1704
Václav Luks | conductor
W. A. Mozart
L'amerò, sarò costante | opera Il Re pastore KV 208
Deh, vieni, no tardar | opera Le nozze di Figaro KV 492
Mi tradì quell'alma ingrata | opera Don Giovanni KV 527
Bella mia fiamma, addio KV 528
J. Mysliveček — Sinfonia in g
Tergi, o caro, pianto amaro | opera Calliroe
This encounter of musical geniuses consisted not only of the similarity of their means of expression and feeling for drama, but also of their lifelong friendship. From W. A. Mozart’s letters to his father Leopold, we learn of the deep respect that he felt towards Mysliveček, and of how deeply he was moved by the bitter fate of his sick friend. Mozart was the sole source of support for Mysliveček during his difficult times in Munich in 1777. Three years later, Mysliveček died in Rome, and Mozart may have reminisced about his Czech friend during his later successful visits to Prague.
 19. 11. 2013
J. D. Zelenka
Sub olea pacis et palma virtutis ZWV 175
Collegium 1704 & Collegium Vocale 1704
Václav Luks | conductor
The coronation of Emperor Charles VI as King of Bohemia in 1723 in Prague was an event that drew the attention of all of Europe. The gala performance of the opera Costanza e fortezza by the imperial court composer J. J. Fux attracted the musical giants of the Old World to Prague, and sitting next to each other in the enormous orchestra conducted by A. Caldara were the composers J. J. Quantz, F. Conti, L. Weis, F. Benda, and J. D. Zelenka. Zelenka, favorite of the Bohemian nobility, was entrusted with the creation of a work that
constituted the second highpoint of the celebrations and a counterpart to the coronation opera. In terms of its purpose, impressive character, and conception, the allegorical scenic melodrama Sub olea pacis is an extraordinary work not only in the context of Zelenka’s music, but also in the context of the history of Czech music.
 17. 12. 2013
Christmas concert
G. F. Händel — Messiah HWV 56
Roberta Mameli | soprano
Franziska Gottwald | alto
Eric Stoklossa | tenor
Tobias Berndt | basso
Collegium 1704 & Collegium Vocale 1704
Václav Luks | conductor
In August and September of 1741 while still in London before his departure to Ireland, Georg Friedrich Händel composed in the course of just 24 days a work that has become one of the most renowned monuments of European musical culture. Few works in music history have enjoyed such celebrity as Messiah, Händel’s most famous oratorio practically since its premiere on 13 April 1742 in Dublin.
 18. 2. 2014
Between Dream and Reality
Raffaella Milanesi | soprano
Collegium 1704
Václav Luks | conductor
T. Traetta – Ombra cara amorosa | opera Antigona
G. Donizetti – Ardon gli’incensi | opera Lucia di Lammermoor
V. Bellini – Ah, non credea mirarti | opera La Sonnambula
G. Rossini – Assisa al pie‘ d’un salice | opera Otello
How should one understand what is a dream and what is reality to a soul living in the agitation of such extreme feelings, from the most fervent passion, or the choice between life and death, to the sorrow of misunderstood innocence? Heroines, like prisoners of their own hearts, are rescued and carried away by endless, timeless melody to us, to our souls, so as to permit our participation in their journey towards the deepest and most secret feelings.
 18. 3. 2014
Il divino Boemo
Vivica Genaux | mezzosoprano
Collegium 1704
Václav Luks | conductor
J. Mysliveček
Care luci nei mirarvi | opera La Nitteti
Ti parli seno amor | opera Farnace
Ch. W. Gluck
Le belle immagini d’un dolce amore | opera Paride ed Elena
Finchè un zeffiro soave | opera Ezio
Che disse?...Addio miei sospiri | opera Orfeo ed Euridice
Featured is the music of two composers who gathered their first musical experiences in Bohemia, and who went on to be admired all over Europe for their artistry and to leave an indelible mark on the history of opera. Ch. W. Gluck, whose 300th birthday we are commemorating in 2014, has long been honored as an operatic reformer and as one of the most important composers of the latter half of the 18th century. Josef Mysliveček, on the other hand, still awaits the full recognition he deserves as a master of composition in the opera seria genre, and this performance promises many surprises.
 15. 4. 2014
Easter Concert
J. S. Bach
St. Matthew Passion BWV 244
Topi Lehtipuu — Evangelist | tenore
Collegium 1704 & Collegium Vocale 1704
Václav Luks | conductor
Following J. S. Bach’s St. John Passion in 2013 is a continuation of the Easter concerts at the Rudolfinum with the great Passions by the same composer. This legendary composition, the historic performance of which by
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy in 1829 became a symbol of the renaissance of Bach’s music in the early 19th century, is generally regarded as the very greatest work of the oratorio repertoire. Returning to Prague after a year, this time in the central role as the narrator of the story of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ, is the charismatic Finnish tenor Topi Lehtipuu.
Collegium 1704 & Collegium Vocale 1704
Václav Luks | conductor
19.30
Rudolfinum, Dvořákova síň
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