The Wranitzky Festival
Nová Říše, August 9-10, 2008
Festival report
In early August 2008, the small Moravian town of Nová Říše and its beautiful Premonstratensian monastery were the gracious hosts of the first Wranitzky Festival, a cultural event spanning two days that celebrated the
lives and works of two of its native sons
- Paul and Anton Wranitzky. Over one hundred guests attended events organized by the Nová Říše Culture Society in collaboration with The Wranitzky Project.
The festival started with the unveiling ceremony of a memorial plaque mounted in front of the birthplace and childhood home of both composers.
Shortly after, Dr. Stanislav Tesař of the Masaryk University in Brno presented a lecture about the Wranitzkys place within the town's history. Immediately following, the monastery was open for a guided tour, the highlight being the exhibit of Wranitzky documents and Eighteenth Century musical instruments.
The inaugural concert was given in the monastery's beautiful concert hall and performed by the Stamic Quartet, featuring chamber works by both Paul and Anton Wranitzky. The program included the third quartet, in D, from op. 26/16 by Paul, as well as the first quintet from the op. 29 set. For this first known modern performance of this virtuosic quintet, the Stamic Quartet was joined by violist Karel Plocek of the Gideon String Trio.
After intermission, the Stamic Quartet was joined by solo cellist Petr Nouzovský for a performance of Anton Wranitzky's rousing string quintet op. 10.
The following afternoon, the Gideon String Trio presented a program that featured two works by Paul Wranitzky - the A minor trio from an early set and the second trio of op. 17. Beethoven's early trio in G, op. 9, no. 1, closed the program, reminding the audience of both Wranitzky brothers' connection to their more famous contemporary.
TV report from the festival
Czech television covered the event, and a ten minute segment on the festival and the Wranitzky brothers was broadcast in Notes on channel ČT2, September 30th. The program is available online here 
, with the report on the festival starting at 22:20. At this moment it is only available in Czech, but there are many extensive sound clips from the concerts.
Photos from the festival
Unveiling of the memorial plaque by Wranitzky Project members Jim Ackerman, Lukáš Krajíček, Daniel Bernhardsson and Robert Bonkowski with Nová Říše vice major František Vácha looking on. Photo: Miloš Kratochvíl
Making a toast for the newly unveiled memorial plaque. Photo: Miloš Kratochvíl
Nová Říše citizens attending the festival inauguration. Photo: Miloš Kratochvíl
Stamic Quartet performing in the Monastery concert hall. Photo: Miloš Kratochvíl
Gideon String Trio performing.
Photo: Vojtěch Krajíček
The beautiful Premonstratensian monastery of Nová Říše. Photo: Vojtěch Krajíček
View over Nová Říše. The house marked with W is the Wranitzky birth house. Photo: Lukáš Krajíček
Links
Nová Říše Culture Society - NOKUS