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SpecialMusic of the First Republic
The independence of Czechoslovakia, which we celebrate each October 28, was
the result of a movement of many decades, and when at least it came, in
1918, after four hard years of war, the joy must have been very palpable.
There are so few alive today who can remember that period, but it is
certainly not lost to us, and one of the ways we can relive it is through
the music of the day.
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Sunday Music ShowSunday Music Show
Today’s Sunday Music Show looks back at the work of a great Czech
musician – a man of musically royal blood – who died last week at the
age of 81: the inimitable Josef Suk, a violinist who set the standard for
how Czech classical music is played everywhere in the world. Here to paint
a picture of how the maestro was regarded at home and abroad, and to
illustrate his import to classical music, is music journalist and critic Dr
Petr Veber, who heads the department of classical music at our sister
station Vltava. More
SpotlightPolička – high times and hard times in the heart of the Czech Republic
It is often noted that the Czech Republic lies in the heart of Europe; what
then lies at the heart of the Czech Republic? Well, there are pastures,
woods and hills, a history of war and conquest, a strong musical heritage,
excellent lager and a small town called Polička, where all of the above
can be experienced. More
Czechs in HistoryThe brief but monumental life of composer Vítězslava Kaprálová
The story of Vítězslava Kaprálová’s is one of a 25-year-old girl who
had a career in music of five years. However, even today, 70 years after
her death, there are societies and ensembles dedicated to her, her music is
still performed and rerecorded and she remains an inspiration to many as a
tragic but heroic figure, particularly for many female composers and
conductors. Among them is the composer Sylvie Bodorová who studied at the
same conservatory as Kaprálová, in Brno. More
SpotlightPolička – high times and hard times in the heart of the Czech Republic
It is often noted that the Czech Republic lies in the heart of Europe; what
then lies at the heart of the Czech Republic? Well, there are pastures,
woods and hills, a history of war and conquest, a strong musical heritage,
excellent lager and a small town called Polička, where all of the above
can be experienced.
More
ArtsNew opera brings show trial of Milada Horáková to the stage
Coming up in this week’s Arts – a new opera that’s just premiered in
Prague based on Communist Czechoslovakia's most notorious show trial. On
June 27th, 1950 Milada Horáková - a democratic MP and campaigner for
women's rights - was hanged on trumped-up charges of treason and espionage,
despite appeals for clemency from world figures including Winston Churchill
and Albert Einstein. This is the first attempt to bring one of the darkest
periods of Czechoslovakia’s past to the stage.
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Czech MusicEncore: A sad loss for the Czech musical scene
In this edition of Encore we mourn the loss of two major figures on the
Czech classical musical scene, and we enjoy a Smetana Trio recording of
Martinu, that reminds us that not everything that came out of the 1950s was
atonal and dissonant.
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Czech MusicEncore: Music for the movies - from the Emperor of Abyssinia to the Count of Monte Cristo
For this edition of Encore we go to the movies, looking at two contemporary
composers who have approached the art of composing for film from very
different angles. More
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