Prague audience gathered at the Estates Theatre in 1787 to see the world premiere of Mozart’s Don Giovanni. On 25 October, opera lovers can see another piece from Mozart’s repertoire, La finta giardiniera. An Italian comic opera, which the composer wrote at the age of 19, has been staged by Ursel and Karl-Ernst Herrmann and conductor Tomáš Netopil.
Apart from the big opera premiere, the next few days are dedicated mainly to jazz. Eric Truffaz, “the Miles Davis of acid jazz”, will play his trumpet on Wednesday 7:30pm as part of the Other Music concert series at Palác Akropolis. Eric will present his most recent album Arkhangelsk.
For more jazz, return to Akropolis on Friday. Bembeya Jazz, the legendary Orchestra of Guinea, will perform their mix of traditional African music with modern jazz elements.
Or you can go to Přerov for the annual jazz festival where foreign jazz musicians play side by side with Czech and Slovak performers. The list of foreign guests this year includes US vocal sextet Take 6 and Count Basie Orchestra led by trombone player Bill Hughes. (22-25 October).
That’s not all for music. Juana Molina escaped from film to become one of the most outstanding Spanish-language musicians. The Argentinean singer and songwriter will present her latest album Un día at Lucerna Music Bar supported by Scottish singer Gareth Dickson. (Wednesday, 8pm)
James Blunt is returning to Prague after two years to present All The Lost Souls, a second album of his very successful career. The British singer is happy to be touring again. His Prague concert takes place at Tesla Arena in Holešovice next Monday.
No plans for Sunday night? Go try the Human Jukebox at Na Zábradlí theatre: You pick up a song from a book of about 1,000 songs of many genres from rock, rap, gospel to opera, musicals, to TV commercials, and Gail will sing it and she will do it unaccompanied and from memory. The performance starts at 7pm but Gail recommends to come one hour before and relax at the bar.
Abaton will host British drum and bass DJ Mampi Swift as part of the 5th Get Punked show on 24 October. The October edition of electronic music show Evolution Night has prepared a series of acts from Prague, Ostrava and Zlín as well as special guests Igorrr and –I snor from France for the same evening. (Club 106, 8pm)
La Fabrika in Holešovice will host masked dances and music known as Cham performed by Tibetan monks from the Tashi Lhunpo monastery as part of the Week of Tibetan Culture. More Tibet-related events take place at the New Town Hall this week through Monday.
Which US presidential candidate is better for Europe? If you have an opinion, join today’s debate hosted by the New York University in Prague (6pm). Invited speakers include Miloš Calda, head of the Department of American Studies at Charles University, Lukáš Sedláček, policy analyst for the Ministry of Defence, and publisher Erik Best.
Pass the Popcorn
Four new English-language movies will hit Czech theatres this week. Peter Greenaway’s Nightwatching is offering a look at Rembrandt’s romantic and professional life, and the controversy he created with the identification of a murderer in the painting The Night Watch.
Erik de Bruyn’s new film Nadine is addressing the problem some women may have in trying to manage both a professional career and motherhood. Nadine has career a but no child and her desire to have one makes her act against the law.
Woody Allen has directed more than 40 movies in about as many years. His latest one,
Vicky Cristina Barcelona, hits Czech theatres on Thursday. Two girlfriends on a summer holiday in Spain become enamored with the same painter, unaware that his ex-wife, with whom he has a tempestuous relationship, is about to re-enter the picture. Woody Allen’s
“sexiest movie ever” features Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall, Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz.
The Forbidden Kingdom tells a story of a teenage boy who discovers the legendary stick weapon of the Chinese sage and warrior, the Monkey King, and travels to ancient China to free the imprisoned Monkey King from an evil warlord. Rob Minkoff’s movie will please the core audience of Jet Li and Jackie Chan, who both appear in the movie, but won’t enthrall anyone over the age of 16, Hollywood Reporter says.
If none of the premiers catches your interest, you may want to go to Jihlava for the Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival to be held from 24 through 29 October. “Thinking Through Film” is the festival motto. What are we going to think about this year? The life and work of Hunter S. Thompson, the Philippine history of violence, a war report on a Christmas concert of Czech pop stars for Bosnian soldiers and the rapidly changing social and political scene in the US.
