Topic Archive Culture
Ondřej Havelka and his Melody Makers
This edition of our Sunday Music Show is devoted to the syncopated sounds
of Ondřej Havelka and his Melody Makers, an authentic big band making sure
the music of the 1920s and 30s is alive and well today. And they don’t
just play the music, but live the age. More
Prague museum explores Journeys of Antonín Dvořák
Prague’s Antonín Dvořák Museum recently reopened after renovation with
a new programme dedicated to the life and work of the famous composer.
Entitled The journeys of Antonín Dvořák, it offers a new look at the
composer’s stays abroad. It also features an exhibition on Dvořák’s
Czech-American friend and collaborator, Josef Jan Kovařík, who worked
with Dvořák during his stay in New York. More
Kitsch wins through: pop music in Czechoslovakia after 1968
The 1960s had seen a thriving musical scene in Czechoslovakia, which had
been broadly tolerated by the regime, especially during the 1968 Prague
Spring. With the political clampdown of the early 70s, rock and pop music
were also to suffer. But this was a gradual process, and, initially at
least, the communist authorities were careful not to go too far to alienate
young people. More
Soprano Melanie Gall on opera, performance and the American Spring Festival
In this week’s Arts my guest is Canadian opera singer Melanie Gall – a
soprano who has performed around the world including in Israel, Italy,
France and the Czech Republic. This week she dropped by Radio Prague’s
studio to discuss upcoming performances at this year’s American Spring
Festival. She’s is a charming guest with a great sense of humour and
Melanie talks not only about what she’ll be performing while in Prague
but also about opera in general. More
Young musicians light up Prague’s subway
It was another cold, grey morning for the thousands of commuters who passed
through the city’s crowded metro stations making their way to work on
Wednesday morning. But on this particular day the mood in Prague’s busy
subway was different. An all-day musical happening put a smile on
people’s faces and many stopped to listen, even if it meant missing their
regular train connection. More
Kupka’s Shape of Blue sets new Czech art auction record
On Wednesday night, The Shape of Blue, a painting by abstract artist
František Kupka, sold for 55.75 million crowns at auction – setting a
new Czech art auction record. The impressive final sum came as a surprise
even to the director of Adolf Loos Aprtment & Gallery, which organized
the auction. What significance does this latest record have for the
domestic art market, and what makes this work of Kupka’s special? We
spoke to Jan Skřivánek, the editor-in-chief of art + antiques. More
Prague conference explores role of culture in diplomacy
This Thursday saw the hosting of a Culture Plus event at Prague’s
Černín Palace, co-organised by the Czech Foreign Ministry. On the table
was the topic Culture & Diplomacy – namely how culture, including the
arts, can be used to promote greater communication and understanding. More
Hanif Kureishi – the famous British author on Prague, Islam and multiracial societies in Europe
Undoubtedly the most famous guest at this year’s Prague Writers’
Festival, the British novelist, screenwriter and playwright Hanif Kureishi
rose to international fame in 1985, with his screenplay for the film “My
Beautiful Laundrette”. Since then, he published the novel “The Buddha
of Suburbia” to great acclaim and continues to write extensively, both
for the screen and works of fiction. Ahead of his first reading at the
festival, I asked him about his work, why he enjoys the short story form
and if he had previously visited Prague. More
Writer and psychologist Gündüz Vassaf on totalitarianism, modern Turkey and the role of Islam in his life
Amongst intellectuals in Turkey, the psychologist and author Gündüz
Vassaf is a bit of a rock-star. He writes a weekly column for the newspaper
radical, was a founding member of the Istanbul chapter of Amnesty
International and resigned from his post as university professor in protest
of the 1980 military coup. Born and educated in America, Vassaf is regarded
as one of the most important critical voices in Turkey. Currently, he is in
town for the Prague Writers’ Festival, and we spoke to him ahead of the
gala opening. The interview opens with the question of whether he is
familiar with the city at all. More
Chanson singer Jana Rychterová
This edition of Radio Prague’s Sunday Music show is devoted to Czech
chanson singer Jana Rychterová – a singer who captivates audiences with
her unassuming stage presence, her love of improvisation and her funny,
smart lyrics. Jana sings about feelings that strike a chord with her
audience, be it waiting at a tram stop or getting dumped. As she says she
likes to laugh and cry – both in real life and her chansons. More
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