9 WEEKS OF BAROQUE FESTIVAL

3 July | Friday 6:00pm – 10:00pm
BAROQUE NIGHT / KOZEL CASTLE
A programme of Baroque entertainment. Music, dance, theatre, aromas, a Baroque menu, Baroque fireworks. OPENING OF THE FESTIVAL.

Kozel Castle, the most visited monument in West Bohemia, is situated a few kilometres south of Pilsen. This at first glance modest hunting castle hidden on a hillside surrounded by a well-maintained park received its name from a legend about an old pagan custom of the Slavs. During equinox, our ancestors sacrificed a goat here in order to be reconciled with the gods and hope for a good harvest. Numerous archaeological findings scattered in the vicinity of the castle prove that due to its convenient location overlooking the river Úslava, this area was already inhabited prior to the arrival of Slavic tribes. Construction of the castle is dated back to the second half of the 18th century. It was a period of social changes, which is reflected in the construction style of the castle built as a country residence of the nobility. This unique neoclassical building, with its architecture and equipment showing the influence of local indigenous artistic traditions from the 18th century and of the French period of Louis XVI, is surrounded by a vast 40-hectare landscape park, which in some details is reminiscent of Vienna's Schönbrunn.

PROGRAMME
Symbolic opening of the festival 9 Weeks of Baroque | first evening
The inaugural evening of the festival will be dedicated to Baroque Night at Kozel Castle. After the opening ceremony of the evening programme, visitors can experience an unusual tour of the castle with musical accompaniment by the lute player Tereza Samsonová. The unique environment of the castle park will offer dance and theatre performances, fragrances of Baroque, exhibitions of falconry and the tasting of a Baroque menu. The programme will culminate in the Castle Baroque Ball presented by Hartig Ensemble, which will feature contemporary dances in a truly original form choreographed by Prof. Helena Kazárová and accompanied by the soloist Irena Troupová and musicians from Musica Florea. The entire evening will be concluded by Baroque fireworks from the workshop of Theatrum Pyrotechnicum from Český Krumlov.

6:00pm opening ceremony
6:20pm – 8:00pm guided tour of the castle with musical accompaniment, special programme in the castle park, tasting of Baroque cuisine, falconry exhibition, Baroque fragrances, theatre performances, acrobats and jugglers
8:30pm main programme: Castle Baroque Ball | Hartig Ensemble – historical dances
10:00pm Baroque fireworks

ARTISTS AND PARTICIPANTS
DANCE GROUP HARTIG ENSEMBLE
STUDIO DELL`ARTE
PILSEN FANFARE ORCHESTRA
ŽONGLÉROS
DANCE ENSEMBLE ARVENA
FALCONER MILAN STRAKA
PILSEN OBSERVATORY
PETRA HLAVATÁ | FRAGRANCES OF BAROQUE
TEREZA SAMSONOVÁ | LUTE
MARGARET SCHLEY-REINDLOVÁ | HARPSICHORD
TEATRUM PYROTECHNIKUM | BAROQUE FIREWORKS
TRIO NALADĚNO

Admission: CZK 300 | CZK 150
TICKETS AVAILABLE IN ADVANCE
Capacity: 300 places
Production: Pilsen 2015

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