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| Who | Cappella Mariana Vojtěch Semerád artistic director, tenor, medieval fiddle Hana Blažíková soprano and gothic harp Mélusine de Pas tenor medieval fiddle Jakub Kydlíček flutes Jaromír Meduna narrator |
| Where | Valtice Castle Chapel |
| Program | Guillaume de Machaut (cca 1300–1377) Jugement du roy de Behaigne (“Judgement of the King of Bohemia”) Ballads, virelais, motets, and courtly poetry Dress code: Semi-Formal |
The literary work The Judgment of the King of Bohemia by the renowned poet Guillaume de Machaut, accompanied by a stream of his music, will be performed by Jaromír Meduna and Capella Mariana in the castle chapel in Valtice as a celebration of medieval courtly lyric poetry.
Capella Mariana was formed in 2008, developing in one of the few domestic vocal ensembles specializing in the interpretation of medieval polyphony, Renaissance polyphony, and early Baroque vocal works. The ensemble operates under the artistic direction of Vojtěch Semerád and its members are internationally renowned singers who specialize in the interpretation of Baroque and pre-Romantic music.
In 2021, the ensemble made its debut at the Prague Spring festival with a unique programme entitled Kryštof Harant aneb Putování do Svaté země (“Kryštof Harant, or Journey to the Holy Land”), in coproduction with ensemble Constantinople and Saša Rašilov. The project enjoyed more than a dozen repeat performances throughout Europe, including an overseas tour to Canada, and its recording by Supraphon won the 2024 Anděl Award in the Classical Music category.
In 2021, Cappella Mariana became the resident ensemble of the Alamire Foundation. The artistic residency also included practical research at the Library of Voices, an innovative sound laboratory. The research focused on the relationship between musical sources, performance, and the historical spaces in which polyphonic music was originally performed.
The ensemble’s discography for Supraphon and Etcetera includes recordings with groundbreaking dramaturgy by unknown composers or compositions. The title “Johannes Tourout – Portrait of an Imperial Kapellmeister” is the first recording in the new Alamire Foundation Editions series, which presents the music of forgotten works by Franco-Flemish composers from the Central European region. The recording of rediscovered compositions by Jean Richafort, released by Musique en Wallonie, was awarded the Diapason d’Or award.
Vojtěch Semerád, tenor and artistic director of the ensemble Capella Mariana is a graduate of the Prague Conservatory, the Faculty of Education at Charles University in Prague (choir conducting) and the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris (baroque violin with Francois Fernandez). He is a finalist of the Telemann Competition in Magdeburg.
As a vocal soloist, Vojtěch Semerád is invited by renowned ensembles to perform at major international venues and festivals. He has appeared in opera productions including Händel’s Acis and Galatea, Lully’s Atys, Charpentier’s David et Jonathas, Charpentier’s Histoires Sacrées and Purcell’s Fairy Queen. He is a sought-after performer of the Evangelist in J. S. Bach’s Passions and oratorios. He has participated in more than 30 recordings, mainly for Deutsche Grammophon, Naïve, Harmonia Mundi, Passacaille, and Supraphon, and regularly records for Czech Radio.
As a violinist, he is a permanent member of the Collegium Marianum ensemble and performs in multi-genre and original projects.
Vojtěch Semerád is also involved in research focused on discovering vocal music from the 15th to 17th centuries in Central Europe.
Actor Jaromír Meduna was born in 1953 and, after graduating from Theatre Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, joined the Petr Bezruč Theater in Ostrava in 1977. After that, he accepted engagements in Příbram and Liberec, and from 1986 he was a member of the Prague City Theatres for 21 years. From 2008 to 2015 he worked at the Vinohrady Theatre. Nowadays, he is a freelancer and continues to work at the Viola Theatre. In addition to theatre, he appears on television and is involved in radio, dubbing, and artistic recitation. He is the recipient of the František Filipovský Award for voice acting and the Poděbrady Crystal Rose for his work in the field of recitation and the spoken word.
