He has performed on stages all over the world from New York to Beijing and, many years ago, earned the epithet "one of the best violinists in the world". This time, Prague fans of classical music were one of the lucky ones to hear the spectacular Daniel Hope accompanied by the Czech ensemble Epoche Orchestra perform the compositiom Vivaldi - Recomposed. They were listening from the floating scene, from pedal boats and from the Legion Bridge.
This time, however, the extraordinary musical experience wasn't the only thing through which the concert of the international festival Strings of Autumn attracted visitors. The organizers have done a great job dealing with the coronavirus measures, thanks to which the Hope for Prague concert took place in a very unusual place - on a floating stage right on the Vltava river. There was no shortage of breathtaking views!
"Never in history have we organized an outdoor. And it's quite a miracle,"
commented the founder of the festival Marek Vrabec. We can't but agree - it was a miracle indeed!
The floating stage was located right on the river between Střelecký Island and the National Theater. Seagulls were flying overhead, trams criss-crossed the Legion Bridge. Some visitors were watching the concert from pedal boats rather than chairs. Drawn by the music, random passers-by gathered on the bridge and on the street by the National Theater. The atmosphere was completed by a breathtaking panorama of Prague Castle on the backdrop.
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Pohled na plovoucí scénu ze strany od Národního divadlaSource: Linda Veselá
Classical music for all age groups
In addition to ladies in evening gowns and gentlemen in suits, people in jeans and sneakers also came to listen to Daniel Hope. These were often much younger, but no less enthusiastic. The entire audience listened breathlessly until the very last tones, whereupon a generous round of applause erupted and there seemed to be no end to it.
It is this very scene from Saturday's concert that best demonstrates what makes Vivaldi - Recomposed, a modern version of the Four Seasons, so unique - it is captivating for both fans of traditional classical music and the younger generation.
Prodej pozemku 1200 m2, Praha, Praha 5
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It's said that the composition was created as follows: the composer Max Richter scratched seventy-five percent of Vivaldi's source material and started working with the rest in his own way. It was first performed on October 31, 2012 at the Barbican Center in London, and the soloist was, just like this time, Daniel Hope. However, the recording of the composition had appeared in the classic charts on iTunes in the USA, Great Britain and Germany several months earlier.
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Pohled na obrovské množství divákůSource: facebook.com/strunypodzimu
Hope himself is considered one of the best contemporary violinists in the world. His teacher was none other than the legendary Yehudi Menuhin - a miraculous violinist about whom Einstein had once proclaimed that his music proves that God must exist.
The first time Hope presented the Four Seasons in a new coat to Czech audience was at the Strings of Autumn in 2013 in Rudolfinum. And it was a huge success! Last Saturday was no difference:
"We want to send a message to the world that there is hope. That every crisis will end one day,"
added Vrabec. The festival will resume with more concerts in November. And we can't wait to see star musicians, such as counterattorist Andreas Scholl, guitarist Vinicius Cantuari and others.
