One of the joys of the Year of Czech Music has been the opportunity to hear lesser-known works of the Czech repertoire, which reaches well beyond the Czech lands. For its season opener, the Prague Philharmonia served up a particularly tasty selection that paired two popular standards with a sojourn to Slovakia courtesy of Vitězslav Novák with an uncommon serenade by Karel Husa, who spent much of his working life in America.
With Chief Conductor Emmanuel Villaume on the podium, even the familiar pieces had a fresh, international flavor. His treatment of the overture to Smetana’s opera Tajemství (The Secret) brimmed with energy, a sharp, smart preview of a comedy that in many equals the composer’s better-known Prodaná nevěsta (The Bartered Bride). Villaume captured the spirit of the music with a modern flourish, opening with big brass that gave way to silken strings and then a lively uptempo run to a power-packed conclusion.
Novák’s Slovak Suite depicts scenes from Slovak villages that the composer visited around the turn of the 20th century. It would be easy to pass this off as light-hearted folklore, but Villaume handled the suite with great care and respect, lending each of the five scenes atmosphere and depth. The opening “At Church” had warmth and radiance, setting up a charming contrast with the bright, playful “Among Children.” “The Lovers” offered a subdued, layered interlude, and again, a powerful contrast with “The Ball,” a whirlwind featuring blistering work by the violins in double time. Villaume imbued the finale, “At Night,” with powerful emotional expression, finishing with a sophisticated blend of harp and woodwinds that invoked an impressionist setting.
A long intermission was required to set up the stage for Husa’s Serenade for Wind Quintet, Strings, Xylophone and Harp, which placed the Belfiato Quintet center stage, surrounded by the orchestra. The neat musical fit between the chamber ensemble and orchestra was no surprise, as the wind players are all members of Czech orchestras (including the Prague Philharmonia). But even in that context the interplay was notably tight, with overlapping lines and traded phrases crisp and clear, and shared melodies pulsing with rhythm and vitality. And the wind passages were sensational, offering piercing virtuoso harmonics and sonorities. Musically the piece is wide-ranging and complex, and Villaume showed an expert hand in keeping it integrated and accessible.
Dvorak’s symphonic poem The Golden Spinning Wheel is heard often in Prague, which may be why this version sounded a bit disjointed. Individual sections and motifs came to life with color and verve, and the pacing was perfect, allowing the music to breathe and gather momentum. But overall the piece lacked a narrative flow, coming off instead like a series of short scenes with abrupt cuts to the next one. And while the large symphonic dimensions that Villaume gave it fit the format, ultimately they seemed oversized for what is basically a fairy tale, with the sound growing cluttered in a rousing finale.
But that was the exception. For most of the night, the sound was clean and transparent, with standout work from shimmering strings and glowing woodwinds. And the music transcended its national origins, showcasing Romantic pieces that stand tall among other work of that period, and 20th-century contributions which convincingly demonstrated that in terms of invention and appeal, Czech music has no boundaries.
