Kühnův dětský sbor - Prague Philharmonic Children's Choir

Choir in Opera

It is hard to imagine the school scene from the Dvořák's Jakobin, frolicking of little foxes in Janáček's The Cunning Little Vixen or walking "toy soldiers" in Bizet's opera Carmen without the acting children. The Kühn's Children Choir evokes on this idea in the National Theatre in Prague. It was called in for co-operation for the first time in 1936 and since that time it is regularely performing in more than 40 opera, ballet and theatre performances, together with the co-operation with the State Opera of Prague in the early 90's. Let us remind the most frequent titles:

G. Bizet: Carmen, P. I. Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker, A. Dvořák: The Jacobin, L. Janáček: The Cunning Little Vixen, B. Martinů: The Miracles of Mary, The Greek Passion, The Chap-Book, G. Puccini: Bohéma, Tosca, etc. Let us not forget the children solo roles, especially in The Cunning Little Vixen and the difficult part of three geniuses in the Mozart's opera The Magic Flute.

The members of the Kühn's child chorale together with the chorus of the Czech National Theatre participated in some prestigious tours abroad (Moscow, Sofia, Amsterdam, Tokio, Valencia etc.) and were also invited in the solo performance in foreign opera performances (Janáček: The Cunning Little Vixen in italian Spolette, Massenet: Werther in Bologna, Bizet: Carmen, Berlioz: La damnation de Faust and The Cunning Little Vixen in austrian Bregenz, etc.).

It is important to note the membership of the chorale's members in recently created operas, which were presented in the National Theatre and the Kolowrat Theatre's scenes: The Walk Worthwhile directed by Miloš Forman (in the roles of graceful angels) and Tomorrow there will be…(comitted art piece about the process with Milada Horáková performed by famous opera singer Soňa Červená).

The number of the former members of the Kuhn’s Children Choir fulfilled their dreams come true and are engaged in opera as solo performers, conductors, directors or as the top members of orchestra and chorus collective professionals. Let us name at least Z. Košler, J. Bělohlávek, J. Průdek, Z. Kareninová, Z. Jankovský, R. Nachtigalová, Y. Škvárová, M. Bauerová, Z. Harvánek and J. Březina.

Kuhn’s Children Choir in The National Theatre

The Jacobin
The story depicting life in a small Czech town on the one hand and the return of a “suspicious” émigré to his homeland on the other, is often understood in a somewhat simplistic, hyperbolic manner. Yet it is rather borne – primarily owing to Dvořák’s musical genius – in an ambiguous atmosphere of melancholy, sentiment, humorous bird’s-eye view and self-irony. As in many other similarly tuned Czech dramatic works, here too all the accumulated and pointed conflicts end up in humble, conciliatory and amicable lesson-learning.

The Miracles of Mary
Bohuslav Martinů created this musico-dramatic work made up of four self-contained and contrasting parts in 1933 and 1934. Its central theme, inspired by medieval miracle plays and legends, is the benevolence and compassionateness of the Virgin Mary, and in the wider sense (and above all) womanhood – wise, foolish, sinful, vain, affectionate, self-sacrificing, munificent...

Carmen
The story of Carmen, a passionate Gipsy whose love can never be won for good and whose flighty life ends at the hand of a spurned lover, the soldier Don José, has captivated audiences worldwide for decades. Carmen is an opera abounding in sensuous and sultry melodies, which the stage director Jozef Bednárik has succeeded in shaping into a magnificent theatrical spectacle.

The Walk Worthwhile
The pivotal melody of the jazz opera is the love song “You are the most beautiful landscape I know”. It pervades the action at various points; at times poetically and lyrically serious, at others ironically parodic and satirical. Its sense within the scenic context – like a confession of love – also determines the play’s name: a walk through this landscape would be really well paid by the million pounds gained. In the mid-60s the authors Jiří Šlitr and Jiří Suchý were one of the most popular music-theatre duos, with their productions possessing an inimitable style, musical utterance and humour. Also born in this climate, in 1965, was their jazz opera buffa A Walk Worthwhile, which one year later was given cinematic form by the director Miloš Forman. Today, at least two of the protagonists of the successful theatre staging and film adaptation – Miloš Forman and Jiří Suchý – are reuniting at the National Theatre, forming alongside other artists a star-studded production team.

The Magic Flute
An imaginative opera in which fairy-tale and comic elements meld with sage philosophy and symbolism of the mysterious Masonic order, of which Mozart himself was a member. Let yourselves be borne away by the story of Prince Tamino and Princess Pamina, who overcome a series of obstacles and tribulations en route to common happiness.

The Nutcracker – A Christmas Carol
Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Nutcracker is one of the fixed stars of the classical repertoire of ballet ensembles. Since its premiere in 1892 it has undergone many changes in both the dramaturgical and choreographic conception, yet its popularity among children and adults alike has been constantly growing. The Hungarian choreographer and current artistic director of Deutsche Oper am Rhein Düsseldorf, Youri Vamos, was inspired by Charles Dickens’s fairy tale and introduced a new staging version of this ballet. The story takes place in 19th-century London and tells of the magic of Christmas in transforming human character.

Tomorrow there will be…
The prime impulse behind the origination of this work was the wish to create a feature–length music project for Soňa Červená. From the very outset, it was clear to us that we would focus on the fate of a distinct Czech woman. We soon arrived at the conclusion that we would be hard put to find a more significant, and in its sheer monstrosity more fascinating, theme than the one afforded by the communist show–trial of Dr Milada Horáková. At its beginning there was the endeavour of a totalitarian power to eliminate all non–communist heroes of the anti–fascist resistance; at the end gallows from which four people swung and a countless number of other fates devastated in the openly and spectacularly manipulated trial..

Kuhn’s Children Choir in The State Opera Prague

La Bohéme
The final decade of the 19th century witnessed the emergence of new themes in the world of Italian opera, inspired by the realistic literary production of the period. The moving story of love between the poet, Rodolfo, and Mimi, a tender young woman too delicate to be able to enjoy a long life, combined with a story of friendship of four young artists at Montmartre, was indeed an ideal theme for an opera.

Tosca
Love, jealousy, hate, death – these are the attributes of many operas and so it is with this, the most famous, opera by Puccini. It is set against the background of political strife in Italy in 1800. Dramatically it is once more an opera, which enthrals by its dramatic suspense and scenes imbued with passionate commotion and despair. Puccini’s music is matched to the drama.