 As its name implies, the arts agency B-ARTS, Production is one that works primarily in the field of serious music. It is engaged in the organization of concerts comprising classical music both orchestral and chamber, of assembled programmes of music from the genres of opera and operetta, and of opera performances. Its principal business partners are foreign arts agencies. The country with which it cooperates most frequently is Germany, other territories including Benelux, Switzerland, Austria, Italy and Japan. Its work within the Czech Republic includes the production of CD recordings in cooperation with the GZ Digital Media Lodenice Gramophone Company. The following are among the activities in which B-ARTS is engaged:
The Czech Chamber Philharmonic (artistic director Zdenek Adam; principal conductor Petr Vronsky) makes concert appearances abroad primarily in programmes of Baroque music, by far the most frequently performed of which comprises Vivaldi's 'Four Seasons' and Handel's 'Water Music' and has also been recorded on CD with the GZ Digital Media Lodenice . With the same recording company the ensemble has also released a CD comprising works by W.A. Mozart, by L.v. Beethoven, by M. Kokoska. Besides its recording projects with Lodenice, the orchestra has also made a CD recording of works by Schubert and Dvorak for the Austrian company Discover. In the year 2001 alone this chamber orchestra appeared in more than 80 concerts abroad. Important concert venues include the towns of Berlin (Philharmonie and Konzerthaus), Hamburg, Bremen, Dortmund, Essen, Freiburg, Brussels, Lucerne, Zurich, Villach, Salzburg and Linz.
The Prague Chamber Opera (principal conductor Jan Chalupecky) made its foreign performing debut with W.A. Mozart's opera 'The Magic Flute' in a production by Jan Stych with set designs by Petr Kolinsky and costumes by Olga Filipi. Since the date of its premire in December 1996 the production has been given on over 50 occasions in Germany and Austria, and in 1998 it was invited to Japan, where its six Tokyo performances met with exceptional success.
The Czech Symphonic Orchestra (principal conductor Petr Chromcak) has been making concert appearances abroad since 1994. Its most successful concert programme to date comprises Orff's 'Carmina Burana', of which it has given over 250 repeat performances. On its travels abroad the orchestra also performs works of Czech music, including Dvorak's Stabat Mater and Slavonic Dances, orchestral and choral numbers from Smetana's 'Bartered Bride', and movements from the same composer's 'Ma vlast' cycle of symphonic poems. During the period of this orchestra's existence it has been led by such important Czech conductors as Petr Vronsky, Jan Chalupecky, Frantisek Vajnar and Petr Chromcak, and foreign conductors to have worked with the orchestra include Hideaki Muto (Japan), Gido Knussel (Germany) and A. Fidesziss (Greece).
The Prague Festival Orchestra (principal conductor Karel Belohoubek) appears primarily as accompanist to singers from the Czech Republic and abroad. One of its most popular concert programmes, conducted by Frantisek Babicky and entitled 'Johann Strauss Gala', comprises celebrated Strauss works including arias for tenor and soprano and accompanied by ballet performances. Among the other highly successful concert programmes offered by this orchestra are its New Year's Concerts, and it is currently preparing two new operetta programmes for the forthcoming season: 'The Magic of Operetta' and a Shrovetide 'Carnival Concert'.
Other important aspects of the work of B-ARTS, Production include its participation in the Portuguese-German musical production 'Phantom der Oper', in 'Les Miserables', and - most recently - in the preparation of a new musical 'Lady Di', and with another of its German partners the agency is currently working on a production of F. Kreisler's operetta 'Sissi'.
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