Dvořák's Prague

International Music Festival.

Since 2008, Dvořák's Prague has offered more than two weeks filled with beautiful music and extraordinary cultural events inspired by the life and creative legacy of one of the greatest musical geniuses in the world. Bringing Dvořák to Prague might seem as groundbreaking as introducing owls to Athens, which is why the festival organizers say they do not want Dvořák's name in the title for no reason. The festival is not meant to be just a showcase of consecutive concerts, whose appeal is enhanced by the names of renowned performers. The program's intention is for the works of Antonín Dvořák to resonate in historical contexts, alongside the Master's pieces, which are part of the core repertoire of all renowned ensembles and soloists, as well as works that concert audiences do not hear regularly. There are many of Master Dvořák's opus that have entered the general consciousness only over time. This is due to both musicologists and, especially, performers who have embraced Dvořák's works as part of their repertoire. One such example is Dvořák's Piano Concerto in G minor, which has shone in performances by Svjatoslav Richter, Rudolf Firkušný, Ivan Moravec, Gerhard Oppitz, or Sir András Schiff, just as brightly as Brahms or Tchaikovsky's concerts. Therefore, the list of musicians performing at Dvořák's Prague is rich with world-class interpreters. Together with the festival visitors, they pay tribute to the most performed and recognized Czech composer globally. The festival program, which is divided into various thematic series, is dominated by the Dvořák Collection, a series focused on presenting and recording major thematic wholes of Dvořák's work. Thanks to Dvořák's Prague, the complete symphonic works, as well as vocal-instrumental pieces and operatic premieres, have been performed. Thus, the program includes not only the New World Symphony or Stabat Mater but also neglected works such as The Heirs of the White Mountain, American Flag, or the operatic debut Alfred and the first setting of the opera The King and the Charcoal Burner within the Opera in Concert series. Over the years, the festival's dramaturgy has also turned its attention to musical forms by Antonín Dvořák that are not spectacular at first glance but do not lag behind orchestral, choral, and solo works in terms of purity and intimacy of musical expression. In 2020, a significant portion of Dvořák's piano works was performed during a day-long concert marathon, complemented by two full-length piano recitals. The patron and one of the protagonists of this project, Ivo Kahánek, subsequently recorded the entire piano repertoire on CD at the initiative and with significant support from the Academy of Classical Music and Dvořák's Prague – this happened after more than 50 years. In the same year, the festival moved towards the complete performance of all chamber works, starting with piano quartets and piano trios, to present the complete quartet works of Dvořák in current editions.