by Vera LeFort
After seeing the beautiful architecture of Prague from afar for two days, we finally got to experience the inside of Prague’s Municipal House. After taking a tour of the city’s Jewish Quarter and admiring the endless architecture there as well, we ended the evening back at the Municipal House for a striking concert in Smetana Hall to close out our European Tour.
We started off the morning in a recital hall of the Municipal House, where we would be performing later that evening. We had the opportunity to hear a piano trio composed of musicians from the Prague Philharmonic and the Prague Opera. They played a selection of chamber pieces, several composed by Czech composers, including Smetana and Dvořák. We later learned that this was their first time playing together as a trio, but during their performance I was impressed by their communication style and how, while they were playing, they used body language to stay together and create a cohesive interpretation of the piece, while also being individually expressive. I appreciated how they leaned into music from Czech culture for us as an American audience because it gave us a first-hand experience of their classical music culture.
Later that morning, we met a guide and went on a walking tour of Prague’s Jewish Quarter. On the tour, we visited three synagogues, two of which are still active for prayer and one that serves as a museum and memorial open to the public. I found it very interesting to learn how this area was controlled by the Nazi party during the second World War, and how the Jewish community continued to show up for one another by keeping their culture alive through art, literature, music, and the practice of their faith.
Cover Photo: Vera LeFort