Reviews

Nationalism is no sin at the Dvořák's Prague festival, which opens every year on the composer's birthday with a mission to celebrate and keep alive the legacy of Bohemia's favorite son.

Buoyed by an enthusiastic hometown crowd, Hrůša came back for three encores (more dances, from Dvořák and Brahms). Literally jumping on the podium, he cut a much livelier figure than he did during his formative years in Prague. The orchestra was equally energized, reflecting a dynamic rapport and confirming a cultural connection that transcends borders and time.

You know the music is flowing and musicians are on the move again when an Italian orchestra inaugurates the new season in Prague. A good one, too – the Filarmonica della Scala, with no less a luminary than Andrés Orozco-Estrada on the podium.