‘A Summer’s Eve’ in Prague

Most classical music fans think of Mozart and Dvorak as being worlds apart – Mozart at the pinnacle of 18th-century classicism, and Dvorak the champion of 19th-century romantic nationalism.

But “Mozart on a Summer’s Eve” will bring the two together in concerts at Manito Park Tuesday and Wednesday.

“We’re calling this year’s concert ‘Mozart in Prague – From Vienna’s Castles to Prague’s Parks,’ ” says Verne Windham, director of the annual summer performances put on by Connoisseur Concerts.

This connection is easy to make. Mozart enjoyed huge success in Prague, and Dvorak, being a native son of Bohemia, is another object of pride there.

“Besides, we have to have an excuse every few years to perform Dvorak’s ‘Wind Serenade,’ ” Windham adds.

Soloists for next week’s concerts are coloratura soprano Dawn Wolski and her husband, violinist Mateusz Wolski.

Mateusz Wolski has just completed his first season as the Spokane Symphony’s concertmaster and as first violinist in the Spokane String Quartet.

Earlier this year, Dawn Wolski was a winner in Russia’s Zara Dolukhanova International Art Song Competition and sang a series of recitals in Poland and Russia. Her most recent performances in Spokane were in Spokane Opera’s production of Mozart’s “The Impresario.”

Both are graduates of the Manhattan School of Music, where they met. Mateusz Wolski came to the United States from his native Poland, and Dawn Wolski is from Washington, D.C.

“For years I’ve wanted to include the violin as a soloist for one of our Mozart concerts in the park,” Windham says. “And Mateusz is such a cool soloist, and the fact that he and Dawn are married is in keeping with a tradition of husband-and-wife soloists we’ve had in the past, made this an inspired choice.”

Dawn Wolski will sing three arias by Mozart and songs by Dvorak.

“She will sing the most famous Dvorak song, ‘Songs My Mother Taught Me,’ and three of Dvorak’s Marvin Duets, in which Dawn will do the soprano part and Mateusz will sing the alto part on his violin,” Windham says.

Mateusz Wolski will play Fritz Kreisler’s arrangement of the Rondo from Mozart’s “Haffner” Serenade and Henryk Wieniawski’s “Legend.”

Windham has tightened the Prague-Vienna connection with the inclusion of the Adagio and Finale from Franz Krommer’s Concerto for Two Clarinets, Op. 91, performed by soloists Daniel Cotter and James Schoepflin.

Krommer was a Czech-born composer who spent most of his adult life in Vienna, and was thought of as a serious rival of Beethoven.

In addition to the soloists and Windham, the Connoisseur Concerts Ensemble will include oboists Bethany Schoeff and Gary Plowman, hornists Roger Logan and Megan Slater, bassoonists Luke Bakken, John Reid and Alexander Reid, and cellist Cheryl Carney.

“Most of the arrangements of the pieces not originally for wind ensemble are done by Roger Logan,” Windham says, “but the orchestra part to Krommer’s Concerto for Two Clarinets is by Cris Garza, who helps me with the Youth Orchestra.”

Windham will open the concerts with an arrangement of Mozart’s Overture to “The Marriage of Figaro” for winds, and close with Dvorak’s Serenade for Winds, Op. 44.

Gertrude Harvey, Connoisseur Concerts’ executive director, describes the seating arrangements for those planning to attend:

“We are offering tables for eight at $200 for those who would like to invite friends or family join them,” Harvey says. “Or you can purchase a $25 ticket for a table setting for a single individual. Both these include coffee and a gourmet dessert prepared by Luna restaurant.

“If you want to come early to have a picnic at your table, you can come as early as 5:30,” she says. “Both types of table settings require advance tickets.

“For those who want to sit on their blanket or on the lawn just to enjoy the music and their own food and drink, the tickets are $10 and can be purchased in advance or at the park.”