PKF - LOBKOWICZ series: Ravel. Debussy. Beethoven

Wednesday, June 14, 2023, 19:00

The seventh year of the PKF — LOBKOWICZ Donor Series will sparkle with a virtuosity and will present the greatest talents from the contemporary world music scene again. We are inviting you to the intimate and special ambience of the Lobkowicz Palace at Prague Castle which enables the PKF — Prague Philharmonia to share its artistic enthusiasm and vision with those who are fascinated by the never-ending stories of the art. In 2023 you will be able to enjoy four evenings in an unrepeatable atmosphere, surrounded by the unique Lobkowicz collections, during which we will recount some fascinating stories about the search for beauty and harmony in the art and in the whole society. We will lead you straight to the heart of the PKF — Prague Philharmonia orchestra. 

Performers:
Emmanuel Villaume — conductor
Emmanuel Ceysson — harp

Program

Maurice Ravel
Introduction and Allegro

Claude Debussy
Dances for Harp and String Orchestra

Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 2 in D Major Op. 36

Evening Programme:
18.00    Welcome drink and tour of the exhibition 
18.30    Stories from the Arts — How Beethoven ‘milked’ the Bohemian nobility
              Petr Slouka, Musicologist and Curator of the Lobkowicz Music Archive
19.00    Concert by the PKF – Prague Philharmonia and soloists in the Imperial Hall 
19.15    Meeting the artists with refreshments provided by the head chef of the Lobkowicz Palace 

Ravel and Debussy: two names that best represent the French music scene of the early 20th century. Each of them developed their own unique style: Ravel excelled in elaborate details, while Debussy's fleeting harmonies were close to the style described as musical Impressionism. However, both composers rejected the Impressionist label, even though they are often mentioned in the history of music as the most important representatives of this trend. Without doubt, both significantly influenced the shape of music in the 20th century.

Ludwig van Beethoven played a similarly formative role in the 19th century — and in the development of European music in general. His symphonies are regarded as one of the absolute pinnacles of classical music. Nine masterpieces in this genre secured Beethoven forever the title of one of the greatest symphonists ever. The Symphony No. 2 in D major does not yet bear all the hallmarks of the composer's later more romantic style, but it does offer a unique insight into his still purely classical early work. 

Charming and extraordinarily gifted: these are some of the attributes that music critics ascribe to the harpist Emmanuel Ceysson. A successful member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and an award-winning soloist, he showed his extraordinary talent from early on: age 16, he impressed the teachers at the entrance exams at the Paris Conservatoire. The winner of competitions, such as the ARD Munich and the USA International Harp Competition, he has performed with a number of orchestras, including the Bavarian Radio Orchestra and the Orchester National de Lyon.