These regular guests of leading European festivals performed in Český Krumlov with their project Homage to Jan Dismas Zelenka. The audience at the Baroque Theatre at the chateau heard a selection from the Responsories of Jeremiah the Prophet and the Responsories for the Holy Week written by the most significant Czech baroque composer, nicknamed “Czech Bach”. Václav Luks together with his musicians confirmed that in the field of historically performed interpretation of baroque music his ensembles belong to the very top. The basic prerequisite of knowledge of the period practice was accompanied by excellent dispositions of individual members of the ensemble, who shone both in concertante and solo composed parts of the program. “In my opinion Zelenka is a composer who requires the interpreter to become acquainted with him thoroughly. Not only with his work but also with his life. Zelenka’s music is unique as it straightforwardly connects his own emotionality with musical expression. His personality is so distinctive, original and complicated that its characteristic features are reflected in his works which is something unique in the baroque context as we did not know this until the Romantic period. We dedicate ourselves to Zelenka’s music in the long term – the year 1704 in the name of the ensemble is the year when Zelenka appeared on the music scene – and the gradual discovering and becoming acquainted with this composer is naturally also reflected in our interpretation,” said the artistic leader of the ensemble Václav Luks. Jan Dismas Zelenka worked at the Royal Court in Dresden and his manuscripts were stored in the Regional Library of Saxony in Dresden. Is the interpretation of these works connected with any technical or interpretative problems? “Zelenka’s manuscripts remind me of Leoš Janáček’s manuscripts a little – his musical imagination and energy is so strong that it can be said that the head is faster than the hand. Therefore the notes are scribbled and sometimes it is difficult to understand what he had in mind. As far interpretation is concerned, his early pieces are extremely difficult in terms of expression and those from the later period are, in addition, also technically demanding, on the edge of the abilities of orchestras and singers of that period.” The experience from the concert was intensified by the authentic atmosphere at the Baroque Theatre, which is one of the best preserved chateau theatres in the world. “We love to come back to the local Baroque Theatre because the setting is fantastic not only visually but also acoustically. We once again found out that in the 18^th century they were really able to build spaces in such a way so that they do not hide anything and so that the human word can be perfectly understood.”  And how can baroque music make an impression on today’s audience according to Václav Luks? “This music connects high demands on artistic quality – the composers of the period never gave up on the idea of an ideal – and at the same time this music is comprehensible. These two aspects have never been connected again in the history of music. I often hear visitors of concerts saying, ʻI don’t understand it at all but I really liked it.ʼ And this is the point. We interpreters have to understand it but the audience can just enjoy baroque music without being experts in this field.”