The CNSO crossed the Alps

An Alpine Night on Prague Proms concert on July 14 brought two different music experiences. Extremely inventive compositions by Richard Strauss and Gioachino Rossini were complemented by Leopold Mozart's rustic music inspired by the mountains.

"I do not like the Alps" conductor Libor Pešek told us during an interval. And he referred to the Europe's highest mountains. On the contrary, his appetite for making music and overall refinement was apparent as we are accustomed in Pešek's performances.

The overture to Rossini's William Tell opened the concert. The beautiful, filigree piece with the finale that most of us are familiar with. This music is often being selected by film directors to accompany their films, and it also appears in advertisements. What a hilarious stunning piece. An Alpine Symphony by Richard Strauss was no doubt the highlight of the evening. The CNSO performs or records this symphony quite often and apparently in an immense quality.

Meanwhile, the Alpine horn had probably its premiere in Smetana Hall. The instrument was used by the shepherds to communicate with each other through large valleys. Quite apparently, father of Wolfgang Amadeus composed his Sinfonia Pastorella for alpine horn and strings with the intention to depict life in the Alps. The easily flowing music without unnecessary ideas as if averts the sheep to scatter all over the slopes. The most interesting about this piece thus remains an unusual solo instrument. This has become traditional on Prague Proms - an unusual combination of frisky ideas. By the way the traditional St. Bernard Dog was greeting the audience at the entrance to the concert hall.

The soloist on the Alphorn, Italian Carlo Torlontano, considers his performances as a mission: “I have to spread the sound of this unusual instrument across the world” he said after the performance, a night before he left Prague for another performance in Estonia.