Plugging in at Prague Spring's tribute to the theremin

By Frank Kuznik, 28 May 2019

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“the presentation was strikingly traditional and the sound seamless”

Reviewed at Rudolfinum: Dvořák Hall, Prague on 24 May 2019

Haydn, String Quartet no. 22 in G major, Op.17 no.5, Hob III:29

Martinů, String Quartet no. 3, H 183

Rataj, æther (World premiere)

Martinů, Butterflies and Birds of Paradise H.127

Martinů, Fantasia for string quartet, piano, oboe and theremin, H 301

Carolina Eyck, Theremin

Alžběta Jamborová, Oboe

Karel Košárek, Piano

Bennewitz Quartet

The Bennewitz Quartet at Wigmore Hall

Hazel Rowland, 29th December

The Bennewitz Quartet perform works by the Viennese masters Schubert and Webern, and by their Czech compatriot Dvořák, with varying degrees of success.

***11

Theremin magic and a sinister toyshop at the BBC Proms

Mark Pullinger, 4th August

Carolina Eyck uncovers the dark art of playing the theremin and John Storgårds conducts Kaija Saariaho's Vista and Shostakovich's enigmatic final symphony.

***11

When time stands still: the Philharmonia revisits Strauss

Jessica Duchen, 4th June

The Philharmonia, Santtu-Matias Rouvali and Benjamin Grosvenor shine in the recreation of an all-Strauss extravaganza that was conducted in 1947 by the composer himself.

****1

Staatskapelle Dresden’s sonic alchemy at the Elbphilharmonie

Mengguang Huang, 2nd June

From the earthy joy of Meistersinger to the sublime textures of Debussy, Daniele Gatti channels the Dresdeners' legendary, layered warmth into an unforgettable evening of pure acoustic luxury.

****1

Ambition meets the Philharmonie: Peltokoski and Kantorow in Paris

Laurence Vittes, 2nd June

Two prodigies, with a surplus of imagination and more interest in the moment than in creating long arcs of music, join the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse in Paris.

****1

Jurowski marks Hans Werner Henze’s centenary at the Elbphilharmonie

Mengguang Huang, 31st May

Vladimir Jurowski and the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin deliver a lean, razor-sharp exploration of captivity and survival, balancing Beethoven’s and Brahms’ structural clarity against the devastating, high-fidelity distortion of Henze’s Ninth Symphony.

****1

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Frank Kuznik

Frank Kuznik is the former Editor-in-Chief and Culture Editor of The Prague Post, Central Europe’s premier English-language weekly newspaper. He currently divides his time between Prague and his hometown in the US, Cleveland, where he covers northeast Ohio's dynamic classical music scene. In Prague he is an habitué of the Rudolfinum, National Theater, State Opera and other storied classical music venues, and an unabashed fan of Czech music.