Related articles
MailboxMailbox
In Mailbox this week: Hašlerky one more time, response on Facebook,
differences between sound and text in Radio Prague's programmes. Listeners
quoted: Tom Caprioli, Justyna Joanna Jot, Siegfried Rambaum, Martin Vala. More
SpotlightSummer Czech language courses in Dobruška
For many Czechs, the eastern Bohemian town of Dobruška evokes the Czech
National Revival, a time when the Czech language was on the verge of
extinction. A local merchant, immortalized in the novel F.L.Vek by the
Czech writer Alois Jirásek, worked tirelessly in and around Dobruška to
promote the Czech language and literature. Today, a different kind of Czech
revival is taking place in the town. For the last 20 years, Prague’s
Charles University has been organizing summer language courses for expats
at this particular venue.
More
SpecialBedřich Smetana's "My Country" - a symphonic poem to the nation
October 28 is an important holiday in the Czech Republic as the day that
the Czechoslovak - and thereby Czech - nation was born out of the ashes of
the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918. That moment of independence was the
triumph of a hundred-year mission to rebuild a national identity out of a
dozen generations of Austrian rule. It is called the Czech National
Revival, a cultural movement that re-awoke interest in Czech history, gave
a new lease to the Czech language and pushed Czech art, and particularly
music, to the forefront of Europe. As we mark the independence of
Czechoslovakia, I’d like to take you through one of the greatest musical
manifestations of the National Revival, and that is the symphonic cycle
Má
Vlast, or My Country, by Bedřich Smetana. More
Current AffairsAnnual opera festival underway in Bedřich Smetana's hometown
The East Bohemian town of Litomyšl has a lot to boast of, from its UNESCO
World Heritage status to its lively year-round atmosphere. Nonetheless,
what this town of 10,000 most frequently boasts of is that it is the
birthplace of the composer Bedřich Smetana, and since 1949 it has been the
home of a major music festival that bears his name. Now in its 60th year,
Smetana's Litomyšl Festival continues to draw some of the biggest
personages in classical music.
More
Current Affairs50th Smetana’s Litomyšl opening with new production of the Bartered Bride
Wednesday sees the opening of the 50th Smetana’s Litomyšl International
Opera Festival. During the annual event, composer Bedřich Smetana’s
home
town in east Bohemia is transformed into a paradise for music lovers, and
not only opera buffs – Smetana’s Litomyšl also takes in various other
musical forms. More
Current AffairsMa Vlast by Bedrich Smetana celebrates 125 years since its premiere
The familiar sound of harp opens the cycle of six symphonic poems entitled
Ma Vlast or My Country, written by one of the most famous Czech composers
Bedrich Smetana. This Monday marks exactly 125 years since its remarkably
successful premiere at Prague's Zofin Palace in 1882.
More
Current AffairsLitomysl Festival fills Smetana's birthplace with the best of opera and classical music
Smetana's Litomysl International Opera Festival is the largest open-air
classical music festival in the Czech Republic. Eva Urbanova launches the
traditional Smetana's Litomysl International Opera Festival on Friday; the
popular Czech soprano is now celebrating twenty years of a most impressive
career. Dita Asiedu takes a closer look at the important annual event:
More
MailboxMailbox
This week in Mailbox: We look at where you can get a good Czech version of
Bedrich Smetana's Ma Vlast. Mr Topolanek's less than civil behaviour has
also drawn your ire and we also hear about the impact of increased police
security on Prague's metro system. Listeners quoted: Bezazel Feraht ben
Rabah, Mike Bruce, Lynda-Marie Hauptman, Aloisie Krasny, Consuelo Nguyen
and Colin Rose.
More
Letter from PragueMa vlast, the Czech Republic's unofficial national anthem
There's no doubt that Ma vlast - or My Country - by Bedrich Smetana is the
most popular piece by this composer among Czech as well as foreign
audiences. The whole cycle of symphonic poems is played mostly on special
occasions, such as the opening concerts of the Prague Spring festival.
More
+1
