The first time: the Golden Sixties
In the past, the US tours of the Czech Philharmonic were often influenced by the political climate. Although the Communist regime regarded the orchestra and its art as a top-quality “export item”, the United States could hardly become a fixture on the concert map of any ensemble from the Soviet bloc. No wonder then that the first ever US concert tour took place as late as mid-1960s, in October and November 1965. The Czech Philharmonic was conducted by Karel Ančerl, Václav Neumann and Martin Turnovský, and its tour was a definite success, a fact confirmed by its repeat a mere two years later.
The plans for further transatlantic tours were put to rest for some time due to the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1968 and the following period of “normalization” – effectively a full restoration of the authoritarian Communist regime. The tour no. 3 took place as late as 1981 under the artistic leadership of Václav Neumann and Zdeněk Košler. In the 1980s the Czech Philharmonic visited the US two more times, in 1984 and 1987. On both of these tours, some concerts were conducted by Jiří Bělohlávek.
Post-Velvet tours
The first US tour in the new, democratic era following the Velvet Revolution of 1989 took place very soon after the regime change, in 1990. The orchestra was conducted by Jiří Bělohlávek, its chief conductor at the time. This tour’s memorable moments included a concert in Carnegie Hall or a gala concert on United Nations Day, 24 October 1990, held in the UN headquarters in New York.
In the new millennium there have been four North American tours. During the two strings of concerts in 2000 and 2003, the orchestra was led by Vladimir Ashkenazy, and the critics expressed appreciation for its unique sound. The tenth anniversary tour in 2004 was unusual in that the Czech Philharmonic was conducted by a foreign conductor, Andrey Boreyko, and played exclusively the music of Antonín Dvořák. The eleventh series of US performances took place in 2008 under the baton of Leoš Svárovský.
The current twelfth tour represents another important step of the Czech Philharmonic toward its goal of joining the top ten world orchestras. Its eleven concerts feature works by Antonín Dvořák, Leoš Janáček, Josef Suk or Ferenz Liszt. The orchestra is joined by the French pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet and two of its concerts will also feature the Prague Philharmonic Choir.
…The Sixth [Prokofiev] is a work that ought to be heard more often, especially in a performance of the quality the Czechs brought to it. The orchestra is known for its wind section and they outdid themselves with beautifully blended ensemble work and countless solo turns. Also outstanding were the strings, whose warm, focused sound was a delight in itself, their themes often embellished with droplets of color from the harps. The brass, too, shone throughout, with an especially strong contribution from the tuba and trombones that provided the muscular foundation for the full orchestra’s well-wrought climaxes…
Review of the concert – New York, Carnegie Hall, 23 February 2003 / Dan Davis, Classicstoday.com
A great piece. And as a collector of historic concert programs and a native of Cleveland I was delighted to see the program from the Czech Philharmonic’s 1965 concert at Severance Hall in Cleveland. You can’t show too many historic photos and images in an article like this. More please.