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Czech MusicEncore: Jaroslav Jezek 1906-1942 - a great Czech composer who defies categorization

29-08-2004 | David Vaughan, Patricia Goodson

Jaroslav Jezek Jaroslav Jezek is one of the legends of Czech 20th century music. His jazz composition "Dark Blue World" lent its name to a film, released in 2001, about Czech pilots serving in Britain's Royal Air Force during the Second World War. The film powerfully evokes the atmosphere of the time, thanks not least to Jaroslav Jezek's music on the soundtrack.  More

Czechs in HistoryJan Werich - Czechoslovakia's "wise clown"

07-01-2004 | Kay Grigar

Welcome to Czechs in History. Today we look at the famous Czech actor Jan Werich, who never lost his ability to laugh or his sharp social awareness, even through two world wars. Known throughout his career as the "Wise Clown" his body of work is said to symbolize Czech intellectual humour. He has been crowned as a phenomenon of the first Republic amongst such revered names as Masaryk, Capek and Bata and has also been called the backbone of Czech modern theatre. Today we'll take you briefly through the phases of Werich's complex life and career. You'll hear how his fusion of music and intelligent text earned him the name of "liberator of theatre" in Czechoslovakia.  More

ArtsArts news, New memorial of Voskovec and Werich

31-10-2003 | Pavla Horáková

Jiri Voskovec and Jan Werich Welcome to this week's Arts. In today's edition: Prague pays its debt to the unforgettable duo of Czech comedians Jan Werich and Jiri Voskovec, as a proper gravestone has been raised at last at the Olsanske cemetery in Prague above their graves. More on that a little later on, but first we start with the arts news.  More

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