Shortly after the 1968 Soviet invasion of Prague, in the former Czechoslovakia, composer Karel Husa felt so enraged by the assault that he wrote Music for Prague 1968 while residing in the US.
A powerful composition, Husa completed the piece in less than two months and dedicated it to the people of Prague. Originally banned by the Communist government, Music for Prague went unheard in its namesake city until the 1989 election of a non-Communist government.
PHOTO COURTESY OF TAIPEI SIRENS WINDS CONCERT BAND
Now one of the most popular pieces in Husa's repertoire, Music for Prague has been performed numerous times around the world and will be presented this evening by The Taipei Sirens Winds Concert Band
Tonight's performance is the spring offering of the Sirens quarterly concert series (based on the four seasons). While this is not the first time they have performed Husa's famous piece, it is a first under the direction of Zhang, who having studied the Czech composer's work for some time, believes it to be a monumental work for wind music.
"It is a challenging piece of technical music. As a 20th century composition it is not written in traditional tonal music and demands a great deal of its musicians," Zhang said. Correspondingly it conveys a great deal of emotion to its listeners by using music to recreate the atmosphere of fear during the Soviet invasion.
While Husa's is not the only piece of music being performed tonight, it is the evening's main attraction. Zhang also promises a diverse collection of music that includes selections from celebrated works such as Bill Whelan's Riverdance, Franz Lehar's The Merry Widow and Ghosts by Stephen McNeff, which tells the life-stories of seven ghosts notorious throughout European history. As a special appearance the Sirens have also invited Yan Ching-shyan
"We are aiming for diversity so we chose a range of pieces and hope to present an alternative program to a regular band concert," Zhang said.
Performance notes:
What: Taipei Sirens Winds Concert Band will perform Music for Prague 1968 tonight at 7:30pm at the National Concert Hall (
Where: The National Concert Hall is located at 21-1 Zhongshan S Rd, Taipei (
How much: Tickets range in price from NT$200 to NT$700 and can be booked through the box office at (02) 2343 1364.
The US war on Iran has illuminated the deep interdependence of Asia on flows of oil and related items as raw materials that become the basis of modern human civilization. Australians and New Zealanders had a wake up call. The crisis also emphasizes how the Philippines is a swatch of islands linked by jet fuel. These revelations have deep implications for an invasion of Taiwan. Much of the commentary on the Taiwan scenario has looked at the disruptions to world trade, which will be in the trillions. However, the Iran war offers additional specific lessons for a Taiwan scenario. An insightful
It’s only half the size of its more famous counterpart in Taipei, but the Botanical Garden of the National Museum of Nature Science (NMNS, 國立自然科學博物館植物園) is surely one of urban Taiwan’s most inviting green spaces. Covering 4.5 hectares immediately northeast of the government-run museum in Taichung’s North District (北區), the garden features more than 700 plant species, many of which are labeled in Chinese but not in English. Since its establishment in 1999, the site’s managers have done their best to replicate a number of native ecosystems, dividing the site into eight areas. The name of the Coral Atoll Zone might
On Monday morning, in quick succession, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) released statements announcing “that the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and General Secretary Xi Jinping (習近平) have invited KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) to lead a delegation on a visit to the mainland” as the KMT’s press release worded it. The KMT’s press release added “Chairwoman Cheng expressed her gratitude for the invitation and has gladly accepted it.” Beijing’s official Xinhua news release described Song Tao (宋濤), head of the Taiwan Work Office of the CCP Central Committee, as
Polling data often confirms what we expect, but sometimes it throws up surprises. When examined over time, some patterns appear that speak to something bigger going on. In this column, whenever possible, Formosa’s polls are used. Despite the sometimes cringeworthy antics of Formosa’s Chairman, Wu Tzu-Chia (吳子嘉), the data produced includes detailed breakdowns crucial for analysis. It has also been conducted monthly 11-12 times a year for many years with many of the same questions, allowing for analysis over time. When big shifts do occur between one month and the next it is usually in response to some event in
RSS