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From the ArchivesPaul Robeson in Prague: paying homage to Dvořák and socialism
In last week’s From the Archives we featured Martin Luther King,
interviewed by Czechoslovak Radio in 1963. But Dr King was not the first
civil rights campaigner to address Czech and Slovak radio listeners. Four
years earlier, in June 1959, Paul Robeson came to Prague, to take part in
an international left-wing cultural congress. Robeson was a man of many
talents – singer, actor, athlete, writer and civil rights activist. He
never concealed his sympathies with the communist regimes of the Eastern
Bloc, and his political views – combined with the colour of his skin –
earned him virtual pariah status in many sections of the US political
establishment. This culminated in 1950 when he was refused a passport. More
PanoramaDžíny, hamburgry and komputry: is Czech under threat from English?
‘English is attacking Czech from all sides’ one newspaper columnist
recently despaired, while others talk of Czech’s ‘battle for
survival’ in a world in which ever more English is spoken. From terms
like ‘setobox’, ‘vygooglovat’ and ‘mobil’ on the one hand to
words like ‘sorry’, ‘byzy’ and ‘lůzr’ on the other, English
does seem to be making an impact on today’s Czech. But are these English
borrowings really a threat to the Czech language, or do they enrich it
instead? I asked some Czechs for their opinion: More
One on OneChristopher Harwood – professor of Czech at Columbia University
Christopher Harwood is a lecturer in Czech at Columbia University in New
York. When I met him at his office on Columbia’s Upper West Side campus,
we discussed Czech literature, the difficulties of learning Czech, and how
Professor Harwood himself had become good enough at the language to teach
it at one of the world’s leading universities. More
Sunday Music ShowAntonín Dvořák - a personal tribute
On this week’s Sunday Music Show we mark the birthday of Antonín
Dvořák, who would have 170 candles on his birthday cake this year.
Unfortunately he only lived to the age of 63, enjoying a career of about
four decades, but he saw the kind of success in his day that few composers
could dare to hope for. Today’s show is a personal tribute to one of the
greatest masters of Western musical history. More
SpotlightCzech Museum of Music celebrates Dvořák's 170th birthday
It’s September, and all other anniversaries aside, that means the
birthday season of the genius Antonín Dvořák. Had the Czech musical
maestro lived to his deserved age he would be 170-years-old this month,
and
music-lovers and –ologists are marking the occasion with all due
enthusiasm. Alongside the Dvořák festivals and radio tributes this month
there is also the uniquely interesting, interactive Dvořák exhibition at
the Czech Museum of Music (Karmelitská 2, Malá Strana), which is our
destination in this week’s Spotlight. More
PanoramaCzech expats from around the world come to Dobruška to connect with their heritage
Every summer the north-east Bohemian town of Dobruška turns truly
cosmopolitan, opening its doors to Czech language students from around the
world. The Czech language summer school organized by Charles University
lasts for a month and is specially tailored for Czech expats and people who
have developed an interest in the Czech language and culture.
More
PanoramaDictionary of Communist Totalitarianism decodes the language of propaganda
How did communist propaganda brainwash people? What were the most frequent
words used in the communist press? And was it at all possible to learn any
real news from the censored newspapers? These are some of the questions a
team of Czech linguists is trying to answer in their Dictionary of
Communist Totalitarianism. More
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