Programme

Mozart’s Don Giovanni, the “opera of operas,” will be performed in Albrechtice near Český Těšín in a unique arrangement for a clarinet ensemble led by Irvin Venyš. The unusual instrumentation – two clarinets, two basset horns and bass clarinet – reveals the colours and structures of the score with remarkable clarity and plasticity. Instead of a dramatic stage, an intimate chamber space emerges, where melodic lines, subtle nuances and the darker shades of Mozart’s music come vividly to the fore. The project also features the original modern text Don G by the German author Bernhard Kösling, delivered in a staged narration by actor Jan Šťastný, giving the story a contemporary and interpretatively open dimension. The performance combines the virtuosity of leading Czech players – Irvin Venyš, Jana Dvořáková, Karel Dohnal, Igor Františák and Leo Dvořák – with a fresh perspective on one of the iconic works of classical opera. Don Giovanni becomes an intimate chamber drama full of passion, irony and depth.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791): Don Giovanni, K. 527
– arrangement for clarinets, basset horns and bass clarinet (with the original modern text Don G by Bernhard Kösling)

Jan Šťastný – narrator

Czech Clarinet Ensemble
Irvin Venyš – clarinet, artistic director
Jana Dvořáková – clarinet
Karel Dohnal – basset horn
Igor Františák – basset horn
Leo Dvořák – bass clarinet