CZECH REPUBLIC: Medieval and modern brass bells sound out in Prague ahead of the Saint Wenceslas feats celebrations

Record ID: 187169

  • Title: CZECH REPUBLIC: Medieval and modern brass bells sound out in Prague ahead of the Saint Wenceslas feats celebrations
  • Date: 27th September 2012
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Czech) LORETA CHIMES PLAYER RADEK REJSEK SAYING: "The difference between these two chimes is fundamental. In the Loreta tower there is an historical instrument from the 17th century but this one is an instrument that is only a few years old and you can really feel the technical shift. The difference is, above all, in the mechanical resistance and tuning."
  • Embargoed: 12th October 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Czech Republic
  • Country: Czech Republic
  • Topics: Arts
  • Reuters ID: LVAHX0JVGWXQHN8CME6M5HA6DLL
  • Story Text: The feast of Saint Wenceslas, which celebrates the founding of the Czech state, kicked off on Tuesday evening (September 25) with a bell-off between the medieval bells of Prague's Loreta church and a modern, travelling carillon.
    The portable carillon, an instrument consisting of at least 23 cast bronze bells, was built by Petr Rudolf Manousek as a concert Carillon after seven years of planning and construction.
    This is the only one portable carillon in Eastern Europe and the second largest in the world.
    "You can play anything on it - this carillon has no musical limits. It is possible to play classical or modern music, I think it works very nicely with jazz. The carillon very often plays together with another musical instruments or orchestras," Manousek said.
    The baroque Loreta Church near Prague Castle is well known for its chimes which play every hour and then also on special occasions like celebrations or concerts.
    Their home is in the bell tower built in1693. The bells were constructed by Amsterdam clockmaker Claudius Fremy and first sounded out on August 15, 1695. The bells have two systems - one is managed by a clock, the other can be managed by a musician who can play a variety of songs limited to five octaves.
    "The difference between these two chimes is fundamental. In the Loreta tower there is an historical instrument from the 17th century but this one is an instrument that is only a few years old and you can really feel the technical shift. The difference is, above all, in the mechanical resistance and tuning," Loreta chimes player Radek Rejsek, said from outside the church.
    The Loreta bells' more modern companion, the portable Carillon holds 57 brass bells of differing sizes, weighing a total of 4,950 kilograms.
    The bells are placed into a special construction and then placed on a specially designed truck.
    "For me to play on this carillon and these bells is very inspiring because this has everything in it - this is meant what the musician wants to -because this is a big piano, it is an organ because you play as well with the feet and it is also a little celesta (small keyboard) because it can play very light so it has all the dreams of a musician in it. It is wonderful," Dutch Carillon player, Boudewijn Zwart during his Prague concert.
    Zwart has his own, small and "only" three-ton carillon which he will play during a state celebration concert at St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague on Thursday.
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