Entertainment - Prague and the Czech Republic - page 146

mozart, Smetana, Dvořák, and more
The three major composers connected with Prague—Mozart,
Smetana, and Dvořák—all have museums dedicated to their lives
and work in the city.
During his frequent visits to Prague, Austrian Wolfgang
Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) stayed with his friends in the
beautiful, small, Neoclassical Villa Bertramka, now the Mozart
Museum. Surrounded by a peaceful garden, the villa preserves
the time when the Salzburg prodigy felt more appreciated in
Prague than in Austria. Intimate concerts are held some after-
noons and evenings, either in the garden or in the small concert
hall (110 Kč, daily April-Oct 9:30-18:00, Nov-March 9:30-17:00,
Mozartova 169, Praha 5; from Metro: Anděl, it's a 10-min walk—
head to Hotel Mövenpick and then go up alley behind hotel; tel.
257-317-465, www.bertramka.cz).
A statue of Bedřich Smetana (1824-1884), the father of
Czech classical music, is seated in front of his museum, listening
intently to the rapids of the Vltava River near the Charles Bridge
(50 Kč, Wed-Mon 10:00-17:00, closed Tue, Novotného Lávka,
Praha 1, tel. [phone]). Like Richard Wagner in Germany,
Smetana aimed to stir the Romantic nationalist spirit of the
Czechs. His finest work, the cycle of symphonic poems called My
Country (Má Vlast), was inspired by places and myths important
to the Czech people. Vltava, the most beautiful of the poems, is
played to get your attention as trains arrive in stations.
he Prague Castle Orchestra, one of Prague's most enter-
taining acts, performs regularly on Castle Square. This trio—Josef
on flute, Radek on accordion, and Zdeněk on bass—plays a lively
Czech mélange of Smetana, swing, old folk tunes, and 1920s caba-
ret songs. Look for them if you're visiting the castle (see page 105)
and consider picking up their fun CD. They're also available for
private functions (mobile [phone], [e-mail]).
Serious music-lovers should consider Prague's two top
ensembles: The Czech Philharmonic, which performs in the clas-
sical Neo-Renaissance Rudolfinum (on Palachovo Náměstí, in the
Jewish Quarter on the Old Town side of Mánes Bridge), and the
Prague Symphony Orchestra, based in the gorgeous Art Nouveau
Municipal House.
Both orchestras perform in their home venues about five
nights a month from September through June. Most other nights
these spaces are rented to agencies that organize tourist concerts
of varying quality for double the price (see the beginning of this
section). Check first whether your visit coincides with either
ensemble's performance.
One advantage of a tourist concert is that it allows you to