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MailboxMailbox
Today in Mailbox: post-war persecution of ethnic Germans, politicians'
infidelity, Czech jazz music. Listeners quoted: Rudolf Pueschel, Karin
Roos, Pat Barry.
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Czechs in HistoryJaroslav Jezek: 100 years since the birth of a Czech musical legend
This week marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Jaroslav Jezek, a man
whose musical compositions from the late 1920s and 1930s have stood the
test of time. Critics agree that Jaroslav Jezek belongs to the canon of
the First Czechoslovak Republic, and his short life mirrors that of many
of his artistic contemporaries: educated in Prague during the interwar
era, Jaroslav Jezek achieved fame in his homeland before being forced to
flee Czechoslovakia with the advance of the Nazis in 1938, and he spent
his last years in exile in the United States.
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Czech MusicEncore: From the Blue Room to the meaning of life - two very different modern Czech composers.
Today we enjoy a CD of works by Jaroslav Jezek. He was a Czech composer of
the inter-war period who made a huge impression on Czech musical culture,
and this recording features his own piano, still in place in Jezek's
famous "Blue Room". We also engage in some "Philosophical
Dialogues" with contemporary composer, Oldrich Korte, whose works
confront some of the basic questions of our existence.
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ArtsVoskovec & Werich - enduring symbols of pre-war Czechoslovakia culture
The great Czech actor and comedian Jan Werich was born 100 years ago this
past Sunday. Together with his life-long friend and long-time acting
partner Jiri Voskovec (also known as George Voskovec) - who was just a few
months younger - he made the so-called "Liberated Theatre" of
the
1920's and 1930's famous — it remains an icon of pre-war Czechoslovakia
culture. Voskovec and Werich were pioneers of avant-garde theatre, but
also gifted comedians, singers and writers. More
Current AffairsActor, comedian and writer Jan Werich was born 100 years ago
Jan Werich, one of the most famous and best-loved Czech actors and
comedians would have turned 100 this Sunday. Werich is probably best-known
for his theatre performances but he also appeared in many films and wrote a
number of books, including children's fairy tales. Looking back, Werich's
life and work seem to have faithfully mirrored the twists and turns of
history that the whole Czech nation went through in the 20th century.
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Czechs in HistoryJan Werich - Czechoslovakia's "wise clown"
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.
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