Prague Welcomes Mozart on his Birthday

IN THE ESTATES THEATRE: Guests at a performance at the Estates Theatre (Stavovske Divadlo), where in 1787 Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart premiered his 'Don Giovanni' opera. Prague is hosting a year-long program of exhibitions and concerts in ho Sean Gallup/Getty Images

This year, the annual concert marking the birth of the great Austrian composer Amadeus Wolfgang Mozart, will, fittingly, be performed by lyric soprano Adriana Kucerová on the stage of the Estates Theatre in Prague, Mozart’s most beloved theater.

On Jan. 27, the young Slovak singer and the Orchestra of the National Theatre Opera will perform, under the baton of Tomáš Netopil, Mozart masterpieces like “Don Giovanni—Ouverture,” “La finta semplice—Ninetta’s aria from Act 3 “Sono in amore,” Ilia’s aria from Act 3 “Zeffiretti lusinghieri” of Idomeneo, and Symphony No. 25 in G minor.

The Estates Theatre was among Mozart’s dearest musical venues in Europe. He was so inspired by this theater that he chose to premiere both The Marriage of Figaro there in 1786 and Don Giovanni in 1787.

The Estates Theatre, which is part of the National Theatre of Prague, is considered one of the most beautiful buildings in Europe. Opening in 1783, it was an expression of the Enlightenment principles—that a theater accessible to the common man is a moral institution demonstrating the cultural level of the nation.

It is no wonder that Mozart became so fond of it—it reflected the innocence and purity of his own music.

Adriana Kucerová echoes those sentiments, but this time in reference to the music of Mozart. She stated for The Prague Post, “I have to say, I love Mozart. It’s so pure, so clear. Really difficult to sing properly, you need discipline and great technique. But everyone should sing Mozart.”

Adriana Kucerová Making a Splash

The gifted Slovak soprano graduated from the School of music in Bratislava, studied at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de danse de Lyon, and at the University for Music and Drama in the Slovak capital. In 2004 she became a member of the Slovakian National Theatre in Bratislava.

In 2005 the young talented singer won the high class Belvedere award and has been dashing forward ever since in an unprecedented career, including a fabulous debut in 2006 at the Salzburger Festspiele as Serpetta (“La finta giardiniera” by Mozart:), winning great praise at Munich’s Staasoper where she acted as Sophie in Massenet’s “Werther,” and then as Ninetta in Mozart’s opera “La finta semplice” at Theater an der Wien in Vienna.

In 2008, Kucerová was featured on opera stages in Paris, Geneva, London, Vienna, and Munich. She made her debut at the Prague Spring festival, singing Handel and Mozart last year as well.