By Kim Se-jeong
Staff Reporter
When it comes to diplomacy, diplomats rarely play the role of event organizer. More often than not, they are invited to events involving their own countries, and are amazed by them.
That's exactly what happened to Czech Ambassador Jaroslav Olsa Jr. and his wife Michaela Vovkova last week.
The ambassador showed up at Seoul Arts Center without lofty expectations, for, as he has repeatedly claimed, he has always been a bigger fan of literature and film than classical music.
Olsa presented a bouquet of flowers to a member of the Prague Chamber Orchestra - which consists of nearly 30 performers -behind the stage prior to the performance, wishing them the best of luck for the evening.
Two hours later, after being thrilled and excited alongside the enthusiastic audience, he went backstage again ― this time with his wife ― to really greet and thank them.
The orchestra was invited by Toyota Motor Korea to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Toyota Classics.
The 58-year-old orchestra played works by Mozart, Rossini, Beethoven, Bartok and two Czech composers ― F.A. Mica and Antonin Dvorak.
Canadian-Czech conductor Charles Olivieri-Munroe led the orchestra, and Soprano Marie Fajtova captivated listeners with her voice.
"I was personally pleased that the aria by probably the most beloved Czech composer in Korea, Antonin Dvorak, was performed in original Czech language.
It gave the audience a chance not only to enjoy a great performance by Czech artists and lovely music by a Czech composer but also the beauty of the Czech language," the ambassador said.
A CD shop that he dropped into also caught his attention.
"During intermission I was in the shop, positively shocked by the great selection of Dvorak (some 40 CDs) and Smetana (20 CDs)."
Dvorak (1841-1904) is an iconic Czech musical figure. The internationally renowned composer spent his formative years in what is now the Czech Republic until 1892, when he set out for the United States, attracted by an offer from the National Conservatory of Music in New York City.
But he is known to have missed his motherland, especially the train station in Prague where he used to spend hours watching people and listening to the sound of trains.
He wrote his famous Symphony No.9, "From the New World," in 1893 in New York. This piece was played in Pyongyang last February by the New York Philharmonic.
Bedrich Smetana (1824-1884) is another well-known Czech composer. Like Dvorak, Smetana identified himself closely with Czech nationalism, reflecting it through his musical works.
"Prague is really well-known for its classical music performances, so a lot of Czechs understand classical music as an integral part of their daily lives," Olsa said, explaining what could have inspired Dvorak and Smetana.
"As a schoolboy, I went to many classical music concerts as a usual part of our curriculum. While in Prague, I rarely go to concerts, but abroad listening to Czech music and musicians is a kind of a feast, something I usually take for granted."
A Czech children's choir, Bambini di Praga, will also be in Korea at the end of this month.