The Czech Republic - Eastern Europe - page 249

mellow lamps of Charles Bridge and Malá Strana. Others seek the dark caverns of a
fine jazz club or the black light and Day-Glo of a hot dance club.
But Prague's longest entertainment tradition, of course, is classical music.
A safe bet is Mozart's Don Giovanni, usually presented about twice a month in its
original 2-centuries-old home, the Estates' Theater. This production, which has mod-
ern accents, can be choppy, but the beautifully restored setting makes even a mediocre
performance worth attending.
Serious music lovers are better off at one of the numerous performances of the
Czech Philharmonic at the Rudolfinum, the Prague Symphony Orchestra at
Obecní d * m, or top chamber ensembles at salons and palaces around the city. A pipe
organ concert heard while sitting in the pews of one of the city's baroque churches can
be inspirational.
TICKETS Events rarely sell out far in advance, except for major nights during the
Prague Spring Music Festival or a staging of Don Giovanni in the high season. To secure
tickets before arriving, contact the travel bureau C edok in Prague, at Na P r íkop ê 18,
Praha 1 ( & 224-197-777; www.cedok.cz). You can also contact the Prague ticket
agency Ticketpro, Klimentská 22, Praha 1 ( & 296-329-999; www.ticketpro.cz).
Large, centrally located ticket agencies are Prague Tourist Center, Rytí r ská 12,
Praha 1 ( & 296-333-333 ), open daily from 9am to 8pm; Bohemia Ticket, Na
P r íkop ê 16, Praha 1 ( & 224-215-031; www.bohemiaticket.cz), open Monday to Fri-
day from 10am to 7pm, Saturday from 10am to 5pm, and Sunday from 10am to
3pm.
THE PERFORMING ARTS
While performances of Mozart's operas at the Estates' Theater are probably the
visitor's best overall choices because of the setting, the National Opera, performing in
the gold-crowned 19th-century National Theater, remains the country's best-loved
company.
The Prague State Opera (Státní opera Praha), in the aging State Opera House
near the top of Wenceslas Square, has reorganized after its 1992 split with the
National Opera and now concentrates primarily on Italian classics, though a few
Czech favorites are included each season.
CLASSICAL MUSIC
This small capital boasts three full orchestras, yet all are financially strapped, so the
repertoire tends to be conservative, with most concerts providing popular time-tested
works. You can get information about all of them at the ticket agencies listed above.
Tickets range from 100K c to 600K c ($4.15-$25/£2-£12) during the regular season
and up to 2,000K c ($83/£40) for the opening night of the Prague Spring Festival.
You can find dozens of concerts by the full orchestras or chamber groups each month,
but the pickings are thin in July and August, when the musicians are on their holiday.
CLASSICAL CONCERTS AROUND TOWN
When strolling, you'll undoubtedly pick up or be handed lots of leaflets advertising
chamber concerts in churches, museums, and other venues. These recitals and choral
arrangements usually have programs featuring a classical and baroque repertoire, with
an emphasis on pieces by Czech composers. The quality varies, but the results are usu-
ally enjoyable. Tickets range from 100K c to 350K c ($4.15-$15/£2-£7) and can be
purchased at the churches' entrances or sometimes from hotel concierges.