Topic Archive Culture
Josef Špaček – unforgettable at Prague Spring
In this week's Sunday Music Show we feature works from Czech violin
virtuoso Josef Špaček's debut. More
Best-selling author Robert Fulghum: all the ‘real’ writing happens when I am doing other things
It’s no secret that American writer Robert Fulghum loves the Czech
Republic and that his books, published by Argo, have proven immensely
popular here. He has been back at least ten times over the years to
promote
his work, from his famous All I Really Need to Know I Learned in
Kindergarten to his latest, Memories of One Adventure. More
Pianist Diana Fanning: I want people to know about Leoš Janáček’s piano music
Organized by the International Dvorak Society, the American Spring music
festival (April 8th to July 4th) annually brings internationally renowned
soloists and music ensembles to a broad audience in the Czech Republic,
with concerts and master classes taking place in dozens of towns and
villages around the country. Among this year’s performers is pianist
Diana Fanning from Middlebury College, Vermont whose recent piano recital
featured music by the Czech composer Leoš Janáček. When she visited Radio
Prague’s studio shortly after the recital we talked about her passion for
a composer whose music many find hard to understand. More
68th annual Prague Spring International Music Festival underway
The 68th annual Prague Spring International Music Festival began on Sunday
with Bedřich Smetana’s Má Vlast (My Country) at Prague’s Municipal
House and is continuing with high-profile events until the beginning of
June. This week alone visitors will be able to attend the finale of the
Prague Spring International Music Competition, The Giacomo Variations
featuring American actor John Malkovich and a performance by Czech violin
virtuoso Josef Špaček to name only a few of the many events. More
Ahmed Má Hlad : traditional East European folk music with a fresh new sound
This week we are profiling the band Ahmed má hlad (Ahmed is hungry) a band
that revives and draws on Balkan and East European folk music, while giving
these traditional gems a modern slant. More
Adéla Gálová: Magyars are not from Mars
The Czech Republic and Hungary are countries of similar size with plenty of
history in common, whether we look back to the days of the Austro-Hungarian
Empire or the common experience of invasion in more recent decades: in 1956
for Hungary and 1968 for Czechoslovakia. And you don’t have to look far
to find parallels in the literature of the two countries. In Czech Books,
David Vaughan looks at some of these Czech-Hungarian literary links from
the point of view of a Czech who is steeped in contemporary Hungarian
writing. More
Public indignation causes Regional Exhibition to remove Hitler’s statues
The large-scale regional exhibition taking place in two South Bohemian and
two Upper Austrian cities hit the first snag within days of the grand
opening. Part of the exhibit in the small town of Vyšší Brod, which is
dedicated to the houses of worship in the region, sparked intense criticism
for displaying works dating back to darker days in history. More
Violin virtuoso Josef Špaček
My guest in today’s Arts is violinist Josef Špaček, who has emerged as
one of the Czech Republic’s most talented virtuosos. Špaček – a
graduate from the Juilliard School – is a concertmaster with the Czech
Philharmonic and in less than a fortnight he will be performing at the
Prague Spring International Music Festival. He has also just released his
debut CD with recordings of Prokofiev, Janáček and Smetana. More
Marta Topferova's new album draws on Moravian music, landscape and folklore
In this special program we speak to the singer and songwriter Marta
Töpferová about her newest album Milokraj, her relationship to her home
country and her love of Moravian folk music. More
Lendl: Mucha is only artist that interests me
The exhibition Ivan Lendl: Alfons Mucha has been drawing big crowds since
it opened its doors earlier this month. On Monday the Czech-born tennis
legend himself visited the Prague show, which comprises his priceless
collection of posters by the Art Nouveau master. Lendl also unveiled
another valuable object: the Davis Cup. More
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