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From the ArchivesJaroslav Ježek in defence of jazz in 1934
The theme tune for this series is from a song called Aesop and the Ant, and
it was composed by one of the legends of twentieth century Czech music.
Jaroslav Ježek died in wartime exile in New York at the age of just 35. He
is best known for the songs he composed for the famous pre-war satirical
cabaret, the Liberated Theatre, and he was also one of the pioneers of
Czech jazz, fearlessly crossing the borders between popular and classical
music. In November 1934, the young composer – he was 28 at the time -
came into the radio and talked about jazz. More
Music ProfileV+W+J - three letters that changed the history of Czech music
In this month's Music Profile, we go back in time to the 1930s and the
Liberated Theatre, where political satire and dadaist cabaret collided
head
on to a soundtrack of the latest scorching hot American jazz and blues.
The
music: near-blind piano virtuoso & composer Jaroslav Ježek. The
words:
avant garde merry pranksters Jan Werich and Jiří Voskovec. Tune in to
Music Profile to find out more. More
From the ArchivesJaroslav Jezek in defence of jazz in 1934
Jaroslav Jezek, who died in wartime exile in New York at the age of just
35, is one of the legends of twentieth century Czech music. He is best
known for the songs he composed for the famous pre-war satirical cabaret,
the Liberated Theatre, and he was also one of the pioneers of Czech jazz,
fearlessly crossing the borders between popular and classical music. In
November 1934, the young composer – he was 28 at the time - came into the
radio and talked about jazz. More
SoundCzechClothes make a man
You're listening to SoundCzech - Radio Prague's own Czech language series
in which you'll learn useful phrases through song lyrics. Today we'll hear
a song from the 1930s by the comedians and playwrights Jan Werich and
Jiri Voskovec, with music by Jaroslav Jezek. It is called "Saty
delaj cloveka" which incidentally, is the phrase we are
going to learn today.
More
MailboxMailbox
Today in Mailbox: Music on Radio Prague. Listeners quoted: Pat Barry,
Canada; Jacqueline Berting, Canada; Georgine Nadeau, Canada; Mukesh Kumar,
India.
More
MailboxMailbox
Today in Mailbox: post-war persecution of ethnic Germans, politicians'
infidelity, Czech jazz music. Listeners quoted: Rudolf Pueschel, Karin
Roos, Pat Barry.
More
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.
More
Czech MusicEncore: Jaroslav Jezek 1906-1942 - a great Czech composer who defies categorization
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"
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
