The 27th Made in Prague Festival is a long-established arts festival showcasing Czech culture in London.

New to the festival, I made my way to the Prince Charles Cinema in Soho last Saturday to attend a special gala screening of the film Il Boemo.

 Il Boemo translates as The Boemian or The Czech, and relates to Czech musician, Josef Mysliveček, who was a celebrity operatic composer in Italy during the 1760s and 1770s. During this period, audiences in Naples, Venice and Padua couldn’t get enough of him. Most of his twenty-six seria operas were a huge success. The San Carlo opera house, patronised by the King of Naples, was the focal point of his music production.

You can be forgiven for knowing little of this composer. I had barely heard of him. I was keen to know why his career had suddenly floundered after this stratospheric fame and why he had died penniless aged forty-four.

Writer and film director, Petr Václav, who has researched Mysliveček and who has even produced a documentary on the composer before making the film, has sought to resuscitate his memory and  has created an epic historical drama, on par with Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon or Milos Forman’s Amadeus.  

As you would imagine, Václav’s oeuvre was a visual delight, with ravishing ‘Italian’ scenes shot in the Czech Republic. Beautiful baroque interiors were artfully lit, giant murals loomed in the frame and the costumes were lavish. As well as the glitter, Václav was keen to display the greed and grime of aristocratic circles.

In his role as Myslivecēk, Czech pop star and actor, Vojtēch Dyk was well cast. Dyk’s pop star status no doubt prepared him for the role as dandy, lover of women and music. Tall, athletic and eager to please, he cut a fine figure in his brocaded turquoise frock coat.

On the night in question, Dyk was due to appear in the Q&A session following the film. There was a noticeable drop in energy when the bad news that he was ill, was announced by the festival director. His disappointed fans had to make do with a film Dyk had made from his sick bed. Even sick, he was utterly disarming!

Mysliveček is not only depicted as a charmer on screen. He is also a lost romantic figure, searching for the perfect score and by extension – love.

Mysliveček’s musical achievements, his gift for expressive, inventive vocals, were brought out in the opera scenes. Lighting up the stage was the famous soprano of the time, La Gabrielli as she came to be called by her fans– interpreted by the imperious Barbara Ronchi. Soprano Emöke Baráth and countertenor, Philippe Jaroussky, both opera stars in their own right, also took part in the film.

The glorious scores were conducted by Václav Luks and played by his magnificent orchestra Collegium 1704. The sound quality was impressive in the cinema and closing my eyes, I was transported to an 18^th century opera house where the intensity of vocal performances ran right through me.

The highlight for many of us was the Mozart encounter. Mysliveček meets the fourteen-year-old Mozart in Bologna. The boy, whilst greatly admiring his older mentor, decides to riff with Mysliveček’s score. Philip Hahn in the role of the child genius was quite brilliant. See him on YouTube!

Mysliveček and Mozart were to remain friends till Mysliveček’s death (we know this because of their correspondence). Mozart learnt much from Mysliveček, and his early operas and even Marriage of Figaro would bear the hallmark of his mentor.

A fantastic film for opera fans and lovers of historical drama!

KH

Il Boemo written and directed by Petr Václav was shown at the 27^th Made in Prague Festival which continues. For more information www.czechcentre.org.uk #MadeinPragueFestival

The soundtrack of Il Boemo on Warner Classics on the Erato label.