Bassoonist Phillip Hill with colleagues from the Prague Summer Nights
festival.
<https://www.flickr.com/photos/24844563@N04/36417403991/in/dateposted-public/>
A band concert in the lower gardens of the Prague Castle, given by the
Castle Guard band. They were *good*. They are an important ceremonial
unit, and play at many official events. I talked to several of them
afterwards. All I had to do was point to myself and say the Czech word
for "bassoon," and I was family.
<https://www.flickr.com/photos/24844563@N04/36555682505/in/dateposted-public/>
The Municipal House is an architectural paean to Czech nationalism.
Virtually every decoration and detail is made of native Czech materials,
and often has symbolic meanings rooted in tradition or folklore. This
mural and a companion depict several important Czech writers. The
composers Smetena and Dvorak are at right.
<https://www.flickr.com/photos/24844563@N04/36555682735/in/dateposted-public/>
This mural appeals to Slavic solidarity:
<https://www.flickr.com/photos/24844563@N04/36158802640/in/dateposted-public/>
A door handle in the form of a stylized brass eagle.
<https://www.flickr.com/photos/24844563@N04/35746406453/in/dateposted-public/>
A lace curtain:
<https://www.flickr.com/photos/24844563@N04/36417404381/in/dateposted-public/>
A view of the Rudolfinum (symphony hall) from the adjacent bridge. You
can see many statues of composers on the parapets.
<https://www.flickr.com/photos/24844563@N04/35721058974/in/dateposted-public/>
There is a great story about these statues. Unfortunately, it isn't
true, but it should be, so I'll tell it anyway. It comes from a novel,
"Mendelssohn Is on the Roof," by Jiří Weil. After the Nazis took over
Czechoslovakia, Richard Heydrich ordered the statue of Felix Mendelssohn
to be removed (Mendelssohn had been a practicing Lutheran, but his
grandparents were Jewish). Two Czech workers, supervised by an SS
officer, were given the task. The statues were not labeled, so they
decided to knock down the one with the biggest nose. Just before they do
so, they discover that they are about to destroy the statue of Hitler's
idol, Richard Wagner. (In reality, the Rudolfinum never had a statue of
Wagner, and Mendelssohn is still there).
Enjoy!
--Peter
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