ISSEM Valtice | 1.7. - 9. 7. 2023

Greetings to all lovers of beautiful music, dance and acting! You won’t believe it, but if you study the contemporary aesthetics in today’s schools, you may get the lesson that BEAUTY as an aesthetic category has a secondary, even outdated and backward meaning. It is said to be insufficient to name the dramas of life, especially of modern man. I’ve always disagreed with this, for the pushing aside of beauty in the arts is more an act of “modern” pride, which really isn’t very beautiful or joyful.

Fortunately, our summer school has always gone the other way. Perhaps that is why I received a message from Slovakia a short time ago that “The Summer School in Valtice is truly God’s work!” May it remain so for as long as possible and also in its “small” 35th anniversary this year, when great teachers from the Czech Republic and abroad will join forces again. They should be thanked in advance, because they come to Valtice not for the love of money, but for the love of music and beauty. This year’s line-up will again be enriched by several new faces, especially Romana Agnel (French renaissance dance), Lucie Dušková (Traverso) and Ondřej Tichý (Drama-class for youth), but you can also look forward to many proven “stalwarts”; a list of all teachers and classes can be found here.

Unfortunately, this year also we will not do without some restrictions, this time in the form of “occupation” of the Castle Riding Hall for a long-term exhibition. Most of the concerts and performances will therefore be directed to the Spanish Stables. This also applies to the final performance, which will be in the spirit of BEAUTY AND DREAM, and will bring together several classes under the patronage of Laurent Charoy from France. The accompanying concerts will open with a selection from Jan Dismas Zelenka’s melodrama Sub olea pacis et palma virtutis from 1723 performed by the ensemble Musica Florea. This anniversary will be reflected in some of the other concerts and activities, but you can also look forward to music from the Middle Ages and other periods during the now legendary tutor’s concerts.

See you in Valtice!

Marek Štryncl