Czech Embassy Celebrates Relations with Georgia

REVIEW

Exactly 25 years ago, the Czech Republic started diplomatic relations with the Republic of Georgia. For this special occasion, the Czech Embassy in Tbilisi hosted a classical concert by two famous Czech musicians showcasing their skills in the Roman Catholic Church of St. Peter and Paul. 

Chosen as the perfect location for a classical rendition of the famous composers of our time, the church was filled to its last spot, forcing latecomers to carve out a standing place at the back. Cellist Marek Novak performed alongside organist Martin Maximilian Kaiser, creating a harmonic Czech duo to perform European composers. Spanning a wide range of different periods, the program included 12 renowned artists hailed in the world today. From Johann Sebastian Bach and Antonio Vivaldi to Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, the program included everything the heart desired. Additionally, lovers of classical music were able to enjoy Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni, Jan Křtitel Vaňhal, Charles Gounod, Zakharia Paliashvili, Bedřich Antonín Wiedermann, Max Bruch, and Girolamo Frescobaldi.

The two musicians created a melancholic and nostalgic atmosphere in the baroque-ornamented church, plunging the audience into the pure imagination of historic and long-forgotten times. For over an hour, music lit up the hearts of the listeners, reminiscing librettos reproduced by thousands of artists over the previous century. Often, a personal touch was clearly noticeable in their rendition, peppering up the well-known tunes.

Marek Novak graduated from the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague and performed for the best Czech orchestras, such as Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice, the Hradec Králové Philharmonic Orchestra as well as with the Czech Castle Guard and Police Orchestra. Since 2013, he has been working in the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra and has been a member of the Czech Philharmonic since 2006. 

Martin Maximilian Kaiser went a different path, as he finished his PhD in Chemistry and pursued the organ as a private endeavor. Music has been in the spotlight since his childhood. He studied piano privately under Professor Věra Vlková at the Conservatory in Teplice and he has been enthusiastically playing organ since he is sixteen. He regularly gives concerts in the Czech Republic as well as abroad. Strongly engaged in the academic side of music, his research activities focus on the life and work of Professor Bedřich Antonín Wiedermann, the greatest Czech organ virtuoso of the 20th century. 

By Benjamin Music