— Early Music Concert Series —
15–19 August 2017 (Tuesday–Saturday) — Bučovice château, Zámek 1, 685 01 Bučovice, Czech Republic.
The course is conceived as an intensive concentration of chamber ensembles, where a programme of 17th century music will be studied by the active participants under the guidance of lecturers and will be performed as a public site-specific concert at Bučovice château. The programming of the concert and the whole course will explore the contexts and contrasts in the music of, among others, Adam Michna de Ottradowicz and Emperor Leopold I of Habsburg.
The pitch at the course is a′=415 Hz. The tuning (temperament) will be specified before the start of the course.
Adam Michna of Otradovice (?1600–1676) and Leopold I of Habsburg (1640 1705) were both amateurs in the sense that music writing was not their source of income nor their main job. Adam Michna was an innkeeper and organist in Jindřichův Hradec, throughout his life he maintained close contacts with the local Jesuit college. Leopold was originally a second-born son destined for a spiritual career, but after the death of his brother in 1654, he became the successor to the Habsburg throne.
Michna’s music is well-nigh folkloric in the Czech Republic. His collections of songs in Czech, Česká mariánská muzika (Bohemian Marian Music, 1647) and Loutna Česká (the Bohemian Lute, 1653), which both comprise a series of songs that are very popular today, but also his Latin vocal works, are all based on folk melodies and pastoral music, which he skillfully combines with polyphonic and contrapunctural techniques and for the larger part also with a rich instrumentation. Recently, another wave of interest and great attention was caused by the unexpected discovery of the lost First Violin part of Loutna Česká, which was far more sophisticated than previously anticipated. On the basis of this, Adam Viktora reconstructed the Second Violin part, recorded a CD and prepared a Bärenreiter edition of the music.
In contrast, Emperor Leopold’s works are almost unknown to both musicians and listeners. Few know that he was a great lover of music, a gifted composer, and that he himself also played several instruments (harpsichord, violin, flute). He supported and cultivated himself mainly the Italian music, especially the opera. To this end, he set up a court theater (Hoftheater) in 1659, which was later rebuilt several times. His œuvre comprises more than 230 works, from smaller spiritual compositions and oratories over ballets to German music dramas (Singspiele). He also wrote much dance music and collaborated with the Italian composer Antonio Draghi on several operas. Leopold’s close friend and music teacher was Johann Heinrich Schmelzer (between 1620 and 1623 – 1680), who was appointed chapelmaster to the court after the death of Giovanni Felice Sanchez. It is no wonder, therefore, that the Emperor’s works often can be found included with Schmelzer’s more extensive compositions. Thanks to Schmelzer’s close contacts to the Archbishop of Kroměříž (Kremsier), their works are now in the music archive there. In Kroměříž we also find the music of Adam Michna (Sacra et Litaniae) and by other authors who masterfully combine local folk music with the styles of Italian opera and instrumental music as well as with Latin sacred music (Gottfried Finger, Antonio Bertali, Samuel Capricornus).
These contrasts will be the main source of inspiration for this year’s concert project in Bučovice. Leopold’s dance music will also be performed at the Hortus Magicus festival in Kroměříž on 2 September 2017.
The concert will include music from the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries (Claudio Monteverdi, Giovani Battista Alovisi, etc.), that is, from the time when Bučovice château was built. It was commissioned by Johann (called Šembera) von Boskowicz and Schwarzenberg (Jan Šembera Černohorský z Boskovic, cca. 1543 – 1597), one of the richest Moravian nobles of his time. The reliefs on the arcades (which show a number of musicians) are testimonies of a Renaissance culture; the fountain in the courtyard, of the mannerist style of the early Baroque.
The team of lecturers is made up of leading interprets of Early Music with extensive experience in working with chamber ensembles both from concert stages and from pedagogical practice. The coaching and teaching of the individual ensembles will be shared by all lecturers, regardless of their individual instrumental specialization. The lecturers will also, when permitted by time, dedicate themselves to individual students in order to improve selected technical aspects of the repertoire studied.
The course is open for singers and for all instruments suitable for the 17th century, especially violins, but also viols, traversos and plucked and keyboard instruments (harpsichord and positive organ are available). Woodwinds, sackbuts and other period instruments are welcome as well, but we won’t be able to offer individual technical advice from the lecturers.
The course participants can be students of specialized music schools, amateurs with at least basic previous experiences with old music, or young professionals. Participation is also possible with any historical instrument outside of the lecturers’ instrumental specializations. Those who do not have a historical instrument of their own can borrow one if possible and after prior arrangement.
Companions of active participants must fill out the application form.
Tuition fee | 3950 Kč |
---|---|
Board for 4 days | 720 Kč – 1200 Kč |
Accommodation for 4 nights | 800 Kč – 4000 Kč |
Total | 5470 Kč – 9150 Kč |
See the detailed price list below.
Zámek 1,
68501 Bučovice,
Czech Republic
Lessons will be in the renaissance
château in Bučovice
.
It is a unique building in the late Italian renaissance (mannerist) Style (1575–1585),
the courtyard features arcaded loggias and a newly renovated and fully operational fountain
from 1635, and the château contains many reliefs and paintings, some with musical themes.
Lunch and dinner can be ordered in the café in the château (Kavárna na zámku, restaurant Litovel). The meals must be selected from the fixed menus before the course.
We offer several options for accommodation:
Former dormitory, grammar school | Hotel Arkáda | Pension Rustico | |
---|---|---|---|
Address (with map) | Součkova 483 | nám. Svobody 32 | Slavkovská 58 |
Walking distance | 650 m (10 min) | 150 m (2 min) | 550 m (9 min) |
Wheelchair accessible | No | Yes † | No |
Room size | 2-bed | 2- and 3-bed | 2- and 3-bed |
Sanitary facilities | In the corridor | At the room | At the room |
Access to kitchen | No ‡ | No | Yes |
Wi-fi / WLAN | No | Yes | Yes |
† Hotel Arkáda has an elevator, there is a wheelchair accessible toilet on the ground floor.
‡ A full kitchen is not available (being refurbished), only a room with refrigerator and a water kettle.
Former dormitory, grammar school | Hotel Arkáda | Pension Rustico | |
---|---|---|---|
Accommodation for 4 nights | 800 Kč | 1720 Kč | 2000 Kč |
— single room | 1200 Kč | 3440 Kč | 4000 Kč |
Breakfast for 4 days | Not offered | Included | 480 Kč |
Lunch and dinner for 4 days | 720 Kč | ||
Tuition fee | 3950 Kč ca. 155 € |
||
Total with full board | 5470 Kč § ca. 215 € § |
6390 Kč ca. 251 € |
7150 Kč ca. 281 € |
— single room | 5870 Kč § ca. 231 € § |
8110 Kč ca. 319 € |
9150 Kč ca. 359 € |
§ The prices for the dormitory are without breakfast.
If you do not use the offer for accommodation and food, the price will be reduced correspondingly. The exact amount is shown when you fill out the registration form.
The team of lecturers is made up of leading performers of early music with extensive experience in concert halls and in educational work with chamber ensembles. The responsibility for coaching the ensembles will be shared between all teachers, regardless of which instrument they specialize in.
Marta Kratochvílová studied flute at the Conservatory in Pardubice and then at the Janáček Academy of Performing Arts in Brno. In 2000 began her studies in France at the Conservatoire National de Région de Strasbourg, where she specialized in baroque and renaissance flute with Jean-François Alizon and Nancy Hadden, and chamber music with Martin Gester and Patrick Blanc. She has participated in masterclasses and workshops by prominent figures such as Paul McCreesh, Barthold Kuijken, Jan Latham-Koenig and Sir Neville Marriner. In France until 2010, she played baroque and renaissance flute extensively in the ensembles Le Parlement de Musique Strasbourg, Bohemia duo and NotaBene. She also performed renaissance workshops (Ferrara, Munich, Stuttgart, Basel) with a consort of traverso players from Strasbourg.
Today she lives in the Czech Republic and performs regularly throughout Europe. She appears in mostly chamber and solo projects with artists such as Jan Čižmář, Karel Fleischlinger, Joel Frederiksen, Martin Jakubíček, Petr Kolař, Ján Krigovský, Marcin Świątkiewicz, Marc Vonau, Petr Wagner, and with the ensembles {oh!} Orkiestra Historyczna and Plaisirs de Musique, of which she is a founding member. She is also artistic leader of the renaissance flute consort Tourdion.
As a teacher with many years of experience she is invited to presentations and masterclasses throughout Europe; she teaches also privately baroque and renaissance traverso playing and interpretation.
Teaching languages: CS, FR, (DE), (EN).
Barbara Maria Willi studied harpsichord in Freiburg and Strasbourg, followed by post-graduate studies of performance practice, harpsichord and fortepiano with Nikolaus Harnoncourt at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. In 1995 she won the “Prix d’encouragement – special mention” award in the International Harpsichord Competition in Bruges. She is currently professor at the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Brno and Head of the newly created Department of Organ and historical interpretation (KVHI).
As a harpsichordist and pianoforte player, she performs with renowned artists such as Sergio Azzolini, Martina Janková, Jana Boušková, Doron Sherwin and Jos van Immerseel. She has performed at major venues, for instance the Rudolfinum in Prague, the Opera House in Zürich, the Concertgebouw in Utrecht, and the Konzerthaus in Vienna. Together with the famous British violinist John Holloway and lutenist Nigel North, she recorded newly discovered sonatas by J. H. Schmelzer from the music collection in Kromeříž (Kremsier). This recording was awarded the prize of the German Music Critics and made headlines in the USA.
In 2000, she realised a Händel project with the mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožená and the countertenor Thierry Grégoire at the Concentus Moraviae festival. The TV broadcast of this project won the prestigious Golden Prague 2000 prize. Another major music critics prize, the French “Choc du monde de musique”, was awarded to a record “Salve Mater„ with Schola Gregoriana Pragensis and the leading Belgian vocal ensemble Capilla Flamenca.
In 2005, she was jury member at the International Harpsichord Competition within the Prague Spring festival. In Brno, she founded “Barbara Maria Willi presents”, a successful concert series with Early Music. She is also guest artistic director of the international music festival Concentus Moraviae.
Teaching languages: DE, EN, FR, CS, PL.
Jan Čižmář is a versatile performer focusing on historical plucked instruments. He performs regularly in Europe, Asia and the USA with ensembles such as Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and Capella Cracoviensis, and under conductors such as Frans Brüggen, Christopher Hogwood, Giovanni Antonini, Yannick Nézet–Séguin and Christina Pluhar. He appears also as soloist with of baroque and renaissance repertoire, and is the artistic leader of the ensemble Plaisirs de Musique.
After graduation in guitar and musicology in his native Brno he studied at the Royal College of Music in London, where he began playing the lute in the class of Jakob Lindberg. He continued his studies at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague with the teachers Nigel North, Joachim Held, Mike Fentross and Christina Pluhar.
He was the founder and editor of the Czech guitar magazine Kytara and contributes regularly to other musical periodicals. He is also intensely involved with publishing and research activities in the field of early music.
Jan Čižmář taught lute and related instruments at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice in Poland; currently he is teaching at the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts (JAMU) in Brno and at the Academy of Ancient Music at Masaryk University in Brno. He regularly gives courses and masterclasses in Europe and overseas.
Teaching languages: CS, EN, PL, DE, (FR).
Born in Prague, Petr Wagner studied cello at the Prague Conservatoire with Josef Chuchro. This was followed by studies in musicology at the Charles University in Prague and at the Royal Holloway University of London. There he was introduced to viola da gamba by Richard Boothby, later continuing with Jaap ter Linden at the Akademie für alte Musik Dresden. He completed his studies of viola da gamba with Wieland Kuijken at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague.
As a soloist, chamber and continuo player, Petr has appeared at numerous European festivals, such as Queen Elizabeth Hall/Southbank Early Music Series London, Festival Île-de-France, Festival Art et Spiritualité (Troyes/France), Mexico City Shakespearean Festival, Prague Spring, Festival Mitte Europa, Forum Musicum Wrocław and Concentus Moraviae. He performed with leading musicians, for instance Jacques Ogg, Andrew Parrott, Konrad Junghänel, Sirkka-Liisa Kaakinen, Shalev Ad-El, Wilbert Hazelzet and Philip Pickett, and with the New London Consort, Capella Cracoviensis, Musicians of the Globe, Concerto Palatino, Orfeo Orchestra, Collegium 1704, Solamente naturali, Musica Florea and others.
In 1998 Petr Wagner founded Ensemble Tourbillon which focuses on 17th and 18th century repertoire, with music by Couperin, Bach, Marais, Rebel, Purcell, Finger, Fischer and Händel.
Petr Wagner has recorded solo CDs that have won enthusiastic reviews and reception world-wide. His recordings of Pièces de Viole by Charles Dollé and the complete works for viola da gamba by Gottfried Finger are considered some of the most important gamba recordings worldwide. In 2011, Petr Wagner’s world premiere recording of Pièces de Viole by Roland Marais was released by ACCENT label and has immediately received very warm acceptance (Choc du mois / CLASSICA, Diapason etc). In 2013, a new CD Gottfried Finger: The Complete Music for Viola da Gamba Solo with Petr and his Ensemble Tourbillon was released by ACCENT.
Petr taught viola da gamba at the Music Academy in Wrocław; he currently teaches, among other places, at the Academy of Ancient Music in Brno.
Teaching languages: CS, EN, DE.
Number of active participants per course |
47 | total | 30 | Bučovice |
---|---|---|---|---|
35 | Kunín | |||
(18 | Bučovice + Kunín) | |||
Number of active participants by country of residence |
47 | total | 27 | Czechia |
6 | Slovakia | |||
6 | Poland | |||
4 | Austria | |||
2 | Mexico | |||
1 | Germany | |||
1 | Switzerland | |||
Active participants’ age | 70 | Oldest participant | ||
29 | Average age | |||
26 | Median age | |||
19 | Most common age | |||
15 | Youngest participant |
Number of active participants per course |
52 | total | 25 | Bučovice |
---|---|---|---|---|
35 | Kunín | |||
(8 | Bučovice + Kunín) | |||
Number of active participants by country of residence |
52 | total | 33 | Czechia |
4 | Germany | |||
3 | France | |||
3 | Slovakia | |||
2 | Poland | |||
2 | Italy | |||
1 | Austria | |||
1 | Switzerland | |||
1 | Sweden | |||
1 | Hungary | |||
1 | Ukraine | |||
Active participants’ age | 56 | Oldest participant | ||
28 | Average age | |||
26 | Median age | |||
22 | Most common age | |||
13 | Youngest participant |
Bučovice is a town in the South-Eastern part of the Czech Republic (South Moravian Region).
Austria (state border) | 48 km | to the South | ||
Slovakia (state border) | 30 km | to South-East | ||
Prague (capital of Czech Republic) | 1,300,000 inhabitants | 230 km | to North-West | |
Brno (head of South Moravian Region) | 380,000 inhabitants | 30 km | to the West | |
Bučovice (town) | 6,500 inhabitants | |||
✈ | Brno
Tuřany Airport (IATA: BRQ) Budget airlines: Ryanair (London Stanstead), Wizz Air. |
23 km | to the West | |
Taxi from airport, tel. +420 542 321 321 (cca. 900–1100 Kč / 33–40 €) | 29 km | driving distance | ||
Bus/train from airport (cca. 50–90 Kč / 2–4 €, 5–6 tariff zones, tickets from automat in arrival hall or from newspaper stand in departure hall). | ||||
✈ | Wien
Schwechat Airport (IATA: VIE), Vienna (Austria) Budget airlines: Niki, EasyJet, Eurowings (many destinations), Germanwings, airBaltic, Norwegian Air, Pegasus, Vueling, … |
120 km | to the South | |
To get from Schwechat Airport to Bučovice, take:
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✈ | Milan
Rastislav Štefánik Airport (IATA: BTS), Bratislava (Slovakia) Budget airlines: Ryanair, SmartWings (many destinations), Wizz Air (Skopje). |
110 km | to the South | |
To get from Bratislava Airport to Bučovice, it is usually fastest to take:
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Other bus/train connections from airport (cca. 250–500 Kč / 9–18 €, usually 3–3½ hours) | ||||
Bučovice train station (line 340 Brno – Uherské Hradiště – Bylnice) | 600 m | to the South | ||
Bučovice bus station | 250 m | to the South | ||
Note, some buses stop in front of the train station but not at the bus station. |
Map of Bučovice can be found here. (House no. 1 = château, náměstí Svobody 32 = Hotel Arkáda.)
The event is organised by:
Hudební lahůdky, z. s. Cacovická 729/50 CZ–61400 Brno-Husovice IČO: 22719458 Chairman: Jan Čižmář |
E-mail: kontakt@hudebnilahudky.cz Phone: +420 606 222 416 Web: www.hudebnilahudky.cz ![]() |
The Ensemble course: 17th century music – Adam Michna & Co. enjoys the auspices of the Minister of Culture of the Czech Republic Mgr. Daniel Herman and the Governor of the South Moravian Region JUDr. Bohumil Šimek.
For goodwill and pleasant cooperation we thank the municipality Bučovice, Bučovice château (wardeness Ms. Jana Burianková, the National Heritage Institute) and hotel Arkáda.