Portál Pražana
Live classical music concerts to celebrate Municipal House reopening
Prague Symphony Orchestra, also known as 'FOK', for 'Film-Opera-Koncert', is preparing the event 'Roušky se odkládají, salónky ožívají' ('Masks are put aside, halls are coming to life') in cooperation with the Municipal House. The event will make the reopening of the Municipal House a unique experience on the 25th of May from 6pm to 8pm. Halls that are usually accessible to the general public only on special occasions and with paid guided tours will come to life with free, short multi-genre concerts by Prague Symphony Orchestra's members.
The festive reopening of the Municipal House is the first opportunity for music lovers to enjoy live concerts after the closure of concert halls and ballrooms due to the coronavirus pandemic. Admission is free and the new health and safety measures must be complied with. The Municipal House’s halls will serve as venues for performances of chamber ensembles composed by FOK orchestra members, as well as solo performances of individual orchestra members.
The Municipal House is an architectural gem made by Antonín Balšánek and Osvald Polívka, and is one of Prague’s most important buildings in the Art Nouveau style. Apart from the famous Smetana Hall, there are many smaller halls with rich interiors decorated with breath-taking frescoes, stuccos and furnishings. The most famous is Lord Mayor’s Hall, decorated by Alfons Mucha. Everything in the hall, from frescoes to stained glass, was designed by this exceptional artist. Three of the nine key meetings between representatives of the last Communist government and representatives of the Civic Forum, led by Václav Havel, took place in the Red and Oriental Hall and in the Municipal House Confectionery.
Visitors can look forward to special concerts in the splendid and rarely accessible halls whose significance far exceeds the borders of the Czech Republic.