Reviews

A live concert by Collegium Marianum is always a beautiful experience, and for the accommodating listener, the only question is usually whether he will leave simply satisfied, nourished in his soul or positively electrified and enthused.

Harmonie, October 16, 2020, Marc Niubò

Thanks to their stylish voices and great vocal technique, the singers are among the most sought-after names for concerts of 17th and 18th century music. In addition, their voices are also very well matched, as we had opportunity to hear today in several duets (I basked in the amazing colour of the sound, especially in the piece "Tui Nati vulnerati").

Opera Plus, October 7, 2020, Kateřina Pincová

The very first song confirmed for the listener this ensemble’s reputation for both the high technical maturity of its individual players and the depth of their mutual interplay, and this feeling perhaps only intensified during the remainder of the concert.

OperaPlus, September 18, 2020, Kateřina Pincová

The key personality of the evening was the aforementioned violinist (Lenka Torgersen).
She played with great technical mastery (with both hands), sensitivity to the character of often quite eccentric pieces, stylistic authenticity and, on top of all that, an unwavering emotional engagement. I would place her performance on an equal footing with the best baroque violinists in Europe.

Harmonie online, March 31, 2019, Luboš Stehlík

If the website of the Collegium Marianum ensemble states that its Baroque Evenings belong to "the most original music projects of the metropolis", it is no boast, but a statement of fact. The programming of the concerts is designed to bring together musical rarities and well-known pieces under an attractive theme so that the whole event is coherent and meaningful. And the audience responds accordingly.

OperaPlus, March 7, 2019, Dita Hradecká

The concert was brilliantly conceived in terms of programming and interpretation.
The highlight of the evening was not only the playing of Jana Semerádová, alternating three different period flutes, but also in no small measure the voice of the Belgian soprano Lore Binon, crystal clear, precise, pleasant and all the while true to the style.

KlasikaPlus.cz, March 5, 2019, Petr Veber

The whole evening had a nice gentle humour and a great deal of musical adventurousness, as even the Coffee Cantata is rarely recorded, and the other works have no recordings at all. Everything fitted together perfectly and the Collegium Marianum orchestra seemed to draw its inner spirit and cohesion from the flute of its artistic director Jana Semerádová.

Harmonie online, March 7, 2019, Jindřich Bálek

The baroque evenings of the Collegium Marianum ensemble continue in their attractive series of programmes that uncover more and more "nooks and crannies" of early music for listeners to enjoy while placing them in interesting contexts. All this along with refined interpretation.

OperaPlus, March 19, 2019, Helena Havlíková

The Cappella Mariana in the Church of St. Salvator at the Convent of St. Agnes induced in a captivating way the meditative flow of Renaissance polyphonic music, in no small part through its excellent intonation. The impressive conclusions of the pieces, in contrast to the silence that followed, allowed the listener to absorb the spiritual and uplifting atmosphere that this music carries within its essence.

Harmony online, April 12, 2018, Lucie Hradilová

With the renowned Collegium Marianum ensemble, you can be sure that even lesser-known or forgotten composers will be given due attention and will not remain in the shadow of more famous names.

OperaPlus, March 16, 2018, Eva Polívková

The musical performance of the leader of the Collegium Marianum ensemble, Jana Semerádová, was of high quality. It drew in the audience with its subtle shades of expression and confirmed that in terms of the quality of individual musicians and how they perform together as a unit, this ensemble, which marks its twentieth anniversary this year, has reached a high level.

IDNES, November 27, 2017, Věra Drápelová

As usual, the musical performance strived towards perfection. It is hard to believe the energy and range of effects that this group of only ten members was able to produce. The artistic director Jana Semerádová stood at the conductor's stand that evening, while also performing the flute part for some parts of the opera.

OperaPLUS, 27 November 2017, Eva Polívková

The evening was stylistically coherent and as truly British in style as one could hope for.

Harmony online, March 7, 2017, Michaela Freemanová

The concert itself was a source of such pleasurable feelings that it could last forever, at least as far as the audience was concerned. The artistic director Jana Semerádová revealed in her introduction that the ensemble marks its twentieth anniversary this year and that they will therefore celebrate – and how else but with music. One can only wish them an infinite future!

OperaPLUS, February 21, 2017, Eva Polívková

As always, the artistic director Jana Semerádová selected an original programme and as usual had a magic touch. Telemann's Magnificat in G captivated listeners from the first note. The ensemble's orchestration, comprising strings, two baroque transverse flutes, two oboes, bassoon and positive organ, created a wide range of colours and dynamics. Their interplay was perfect, the joy of making music ever present and contagious, and the deep and poetic lyrics translated and provided for review.

OperaPLUS, 30 December 2016, Eva Polívková

For each concert Bach's music seems to become the Sun around which various planets orbit at a greater or lesser distance, or, if you will, a universe of its own that can accommodate an infinite number of galaxies. Jana Semerádová, the artistic director of the ensemble, has once again developed the programme for this constellation, and her selections frequently take audiences on highly adventurous historical expeditions.

OperaPLUS, April 15, 2016, Dina Šnejdarová

The Collegium Marianum ensemble, under the direction of Jana Semerádová, always sounds measured while displaying an extraordinary musical liveliness. Moreover, as a flute soloist, Jana Semerádová displays both nobility and ingenuity, in that she not only plays technically well, but also articulates every phrase legibly and in an interesting way.

OperaPLUS, March 11, 2016, Jindřich Bálek