During my short time in Prague, I attended six different performances, including an impromptu Bohemian sing-along outside a church. I’m not sure if those musicians were pros, but all of the others had world-class musicians performing in World Heritage spaces. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see a performance in these two venues, the National Theater or Rudolfinum.
Klementium
The Klementium was built as a Jesuit college. Later it was used as an observatory, library, and university. At one point the famed Mozart graced its halls with his presence. One of those halls is the gorgeous Mirror Chapel under the National Library. In this glorious sanctuary, a small string ensemble with a harpsichord and soprano soloist treated us to some heavenly music on Christmas Eve. A main portion of the program was Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, which I had never heard without a full symphony. They didn’t need it. A solo violinist magnificently played the melodies of the seasons. She effused the whole hall with magic as her bow ran across the strings. I’m sure Mozart would have approved.
Spanish Synagogue
On Christmas night we attended a performance in the ravishing Spanish Synagogue. Bolero, selections from Carmina Burana, traditional Jewish songs, and more massaged our ears. Again, a small ensemble, I think five strings, and a prima donna performed and filled the space with wonder. The soloist sang flawlessly and with such richness. Who knew “O, Fortuna” could be a solo? I’ll share more about this synagogue in a post about the Jewish Museum of Prague.
San Salvador
We attended an organ performance in San Salvador just to stay warm. This church sits at the Old Town side of Charles Bridge. We had been wandering around the city and wanted to warm up while we waited for our performance at the Klementium. They had tickets, so we went in. The lovely church filled with heavenly music as the organ, accompanied by a violin and soprano soloist, played a selection of Christmas carols and other classical standards. This baroque church is beautiful inside. I particularly enjoyed the angels sitting at the top of the capitals over the front of the sanctuary. The altar and lectern are also interesting being very modern. They contrast to the baroque decoration and add a new train of thought showing in a very modern way the solar system and an atom.
The Magic Flute at the National Marionette Theater
The last performance we attended was really fun. Prague prides itself on its marionettes and puppets. The National Marionette Theater preserves this legacy. Having just seen “Don Giovanni” in Beijing the week before, I wanted to see “The Magic Flute,” a show I have personal connections to. As with all of the performances we saw, it was only an hour-long program, so the opera was cut down. However, all of the highlights graced the performance, which included a professional audio recording of the music and expert puppetry performed live in the theater. This was the perfect performance for children, and there were many there. It was also fun for adults.
Christmas Mass in Old Town Square
On Christmas Eve, I hoped to attend a midnight mass in Prague. The city is known for its magnificent churches. However, they were few and far between. Also, at the end of the day, none of us wanted to stay up much later for such a thing. Instead, we learned of a Christmas mass to be given in Old Town Square around 9:00 p.m. We got there a bit early and waited as a crowd of hundreds filled the space. An orchestra took the stage with chorus. It was not a traditional mass with the priest doing his parts. Instead, it was just the musical portion of a Czech mass. I didn’t understand it, but it was lovely. As we watched, snow fell giving a perfect Christmas Eve memory.
I’m told Prague always has a full schedule of performances in the churches and theaters around the city, no matter the time of year. Be sure to partake of this culture when visiting this amazing city.
