Section Archive From the Archives
Jaroslav 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
Traffic jams in 1930s Prague
In the 1930s Prague was a modern city, with a passion for innovation. New
buildings were springing up, celebrating the technology of steel, chrome
and glass, jazz and swing were playing on the radio, and despite the impact
of the world economic crisis, the Czech love of the motor-car was growing
fast. One of the gems in our pre-war archives is a report from 1st
January 1936 on the city's first traffic light. The intrepid reporter is
standing at a busy Prague crossroads, and we hear the traffic roaring
around him.
More
The death of Czechoslovakia's "philosopher-king"
The first Czechoslovak president Tomas Garrigue Masaryk is remembered as
the founding father of the country. It was he who from his exile in Britain
and then America in the First World War negotiated the terms for an
independent Czechoslovakia. When he died on 14th September 1937 at the
grand old age of 87, the whole nation went into mourning. In sombre tones,
Czechoslovak Radio broadcast the entire funeral. The five-hour event was
the radio's first major outside broadcast, using a whole team of the star
presenters of the time.
More
President Masaryk takes inspiration from George Washington
Over the next six months we'll be looking at some of the most fascinating
recordings to be found down in the Czech Radio basement. Czech - and
previously Czechoslovak - Radio has been archiving its material since way
back in the 1920s, and has built up one of the richest radio archives in
the world, surviving war, invasion and even a German aerial torpedo in May
1945. We start the series with our very earliest recording, the first
Czechoslovak President, Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, talking 79 years ago, on
28th October 1928. President Masaryk was born as far back as 1850, so the
recording really is a bridge to another era.
More
