PRAGUE (Reuters) – British violinist Daniel Hope has given a concert with a difference – performing on a floating stage on the Vltava river in the centre of Prague, bringing some welcome musical relief to Czechs weary of soaring coronavirus infections.
Some spectators had seats on the makeshift platform, while others sat in boats or stood on the shore and on a nearby bridge to enjoy the outdoor concert on Saturday evening.
Hope, accompanied by Prague’s Epoque Orchestra, performed “Vivaldi Recomposed” by Max Richter, a reinterpretation of the Italian composer’s famous ‘Four Seasons’.
Against the backdrop of Prague Castle and overlooked by the imposing National Theatre complex, Hope and the orchestra also performed a new version of Czech composer Bedrich Smetana’s ‘Vltava’, which is named after the river.
The concert was part of the ‘Strings of Autumn’ annual festival of classical music.
The Czech Republic is currently battling a sharp increase in COVID-19 infections and the health minister said on Sunday the government could declare a state of emergency if cases continue to rise.
(Reporting by David Cerny; Writing by Robert Muller; Editing by Gareth Jones)
