http://radio.cz/en/section/panorama/pianist-diana-fanning-i-want-people-to-know-about-leos-janaceks-piano-music Our weekly foray into all things Czech; from cultural and artistic trends to social phenomena. en Thu, 16 May 2013 16:24:46 +0200 Thu, 16 May 2013 16:24:46 +0200 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Radio Prague CMS   http://radio.cz      http://radio.cz/assets/imgs/radiopraha-rss.png   200   200 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Radio Broadcasting cr@radio.cz (Cesky Rozhlas) webmaster@radio.cz (CRo Webmaster) http://radio.cz/en/section/panorama/pianist-diana-fanning-i-want-people-to-know-about-leos-janaceks-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. Thu, 16 May 2013 16:24:46 +0200 urn:uuid:dbffb626-0050-5232-a277-e2dfc02e78f8 http://radio.cz/en/section/panorama/czech-post-diversifying-its-business-interests-in-the-face-of-an-uncertain-future With the volume of traditional mail severely undermined by electronic communication the Czech Republic’s postal service, Česka Pošta, has seen its profits drop in recent years. Now, newly approved legislation liberalizing the country’s postal services has made matters worse, putting ever greater pressure on Czech Post to expand into new areas of business or bow out. Thu, 02 May 2013 16:58:23 +0200 urn:uuid:d0f2ff65-517f-5bae-a476-891996e00ffa http://radio.cz/en/section/panorama/athlete-philanthropist-runs-from-prague-to-morocco-to-support-safe-drinking-water-projects In 2012 athlete-philanthropist David Chrištof ran unsupported from Prague to London to raise money for safe drinking water for an orphanage in Uganda. This week he set out on a 3000 km run from Prague to Morocco to bring attention to the world water crisis and raise more money for people not fortunate enough to have this basic necessity. Thu, 25 Apr 2013 16:37:52 +0200 urn:uuid:da7cd298-c8f4-5202-856b-0afa0332a7ab http://radio.cz/en/section/panorama/is-the-czech-media-helping-give-romanies-a-bad-name A survey out this week has put Romanies at the bottom of the ladder as the least popular minority in the Czech Republic. It is not for the first time that they hold this unenviable position, nor is it likely to be the last. So what makes the Romany minority so unacceptable in the eyes of the majority white population? According to the Czech government agency for social inclusion the media is partly to blame. Thu, 18 Apr 2013 16:05:14 +0200 urn:uuid:5522d62f-c3d7-5f96-8827-72d371b53f89 http://radio.cz/en/section/panorama/surveillance-camera-boom-in-czech-towns-and-cities-evokes-concerns-over-loss-of-privacy Many Czech towns and cities are filling with video surveillance cameras as an effective way of curbing crime. While many have welcomed the practice, others warn that it could lead to a massive invasion of privacy. Thu, 11 Apr 2013 16:28:05 +0200 urn:uuid:6a0bd2cd-16d0-5833-8f7a-dcda4abb91b5 http://radio.cz/en/section/panorama/hated-and-admired-brnos-orloj-lays-a-claim-to-fame-1 It was meant to be the pride of Brno - the town’s own astronomical clock to rival Prague’s famous Orloj and attract tourists to the Moravian metropolis. Located on the city’s Freedom Square the shiny black six-metre-tall, phallus-shaped clock has attracted praise and insults in equal measure since its unveiling two years ago. As Brno City Hall hoped, it has become the talk of the town but in a slightly different way than expected. Thu, 04 Apr 2013 14:05:04 +0200 urn:uuid:3af1914e-f282-5073-9a43-279eafa72ad3 http://radio.cz/en/section/panorama/local-designers-look-for-ways-to-connect-with-customers-and-distributors The Czech design industry got off to a strong start this year with a number of major events being held in March. The annual Czech Grand Design awards were presented earlier in the month and Prague hosted a special edition of the now popular Designblok and the newest Dyzajn Márket. So what is Czech design like and what are its biggest challenges? Thu, 28 Mar 2013 17:19:07 +0100 urn:uuid:cac4d5ef-a498-56ce-adbe-2bee9bf9e1b0 http://radio.cz/en/section/panorama/czechs-and-slovaks-long-divorced-but-still-close Twenty years after their Velvet Divorce the Czech Republic and Slovakia maintain exceptionally close ties. The two countries’ presidents have made a tradition of planning their first trip abroad to the former sister state and the two countries’ governments hold a joint session every year to discuss matters of common interest. In the eyes of Czechs, Slovaks are the most favored foreign minority in the country. But do the close to 100,000 Slovaks living and working in the Czech Republic feel at home here? To find out I met up with Martina Gregorova, a young Slovak who now calls this country her home. I began by asking her how it all came about. Thu, 14 Mar 2013 15:53:59 +0100 urn:uuid:e32c815d-2dda-5577-8f14-1dc31b1a1dd1 http://radio.cz/en/section/panorama/council-of-europe-urges-czech-republic-to-improve-the-lot-of-people-with-mental-disabilities The Council of Europe last week released a report criticizing the Czech Republic for the way it treats people with mental disabilities. The criticism targeting the living conditions and rights of this most vulnerable segment of the population is not the first of its kind. The Czech authorities have previously come under fire for using caged beds in mental institutions. On a fact-finding visit to the Czech Republic, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muiznieks went further, arguing that many of the patients in mental institutions could be living a more dignified life outside of these walls. Thu, 28 Feb 2013 16:06:46 +0100 urn:uuid:2b0a0470-6492-5e26-95bb-82da34ec7ec7 http://radio.cz/en/section/panorama/czechs-celebrate-7th-annual-marriage-week-but-marriage-rate-still-falling Marriage week as a way of celebrating and nurturing the institution of marriage was established in Great Britain in 1996 and has since taken root in ten more countries. At the time of its establishment marriage was the last thing on Czechs minds. The country had recently returned to democracy and young people were on the brink of discovering the world, living a Western life and developing successful careers: everything their parents had been unable to do for four decades. As a result the tradition of marrying at 18 and having a baby within a year or two died a quick death. Marriage, at least marriage before one’s 30s, became an unfavourable prospect and many Czechs who embraced a singles lifestyle found they liked it too much to give it up or no longer knew how to go about changing their life. Thu, 21 Feb 2013 16:54:00 +0100 urn:uuid:fbb1b509-592d-52da-9a5a-576e215c0dff http://radio.cz/en/section/panorama/straw-houses-new-trend-in-green-living When it comes to housing most young Czechs dream of a trendy city flat but some pioneers of Green Living are heading out of town to re-build country cottages and acquire the skill of making their own home-grown produce. Wed, 13 Feb 2013 15:56:47 +0100 urn:uuid:87b9c5ab-8007-5cff-a033-fb6a6eac1388 http://radio.cz/en/section/panorama/companies-embrace-social-responsibility-as-essential-part-of-business At a conference co-organized by T-Mobile Czech Republic and the weekly magazine Respekt, representatives of top businesses in the country and those from the non-profit sector came together to discuss how businesses could help society. One of the main topics of discussion was how social responsibility strategies can go hand-in-hand with profitability. Thu, 07 Feb 2013 16:15:02 +0100 urn:uuid:6a156825-c6d1-5dfb-90e4-9f8f62659281 http://radio.cz/en/section/panorama/lemonade-joe-soft-drink-purveying-cowboy-and-cult-czech-figure-1 ‘Limonádový Joe’ (Lemonade Joe) is a cult sixties Czech western cum musical about a lemonade salesman in the Wild West. The film started life as column in a newspaper written by Jiří Brdečka during the war, before becoming a theatre play, and then finally the all-singing, all-dancing, film production Czechs know and love today. Tereza Brdečková is a film critic and the daughter of Jiří Brdečka, the man who conceived the movie: Thu, 31 Jan 2013 15:42:36 +0100 urn:uuid:34860ed5-cfca-5f3b-b716-764c3ef43b18 http://radio.cz/en/section/panorama/protimysl-a-blog-dedicated-to-the-latest-trends-in-the-czech-republic-1 When Barbora Jarešová, the head of marketing at a Prague global real estate services firm, started blogging about cool places, hip design and trendy restaurants in the Czech Republic, it was mostly for her own pleasure and to inform close friends of what’s happening in Prague and other Czech cities. On her website, ProtiMysl, readers can see gorgeous photographs of little-known and unique locations – and to many foreigners, it comes as quite a surprise that there is more to Prague than dumplings, beer and art nouveau buildings. Barbora talkedabout what she would like to change about the country’s reputation, what reactions to the blog have been like so far and about her time spent abroad. Thu, 24 Jan 2013 16:14:38 +0100 urn:uuid:febaa249-b456-5d9f-ac84-b26a9a9403d8 http://radio.cz/en/section/panorama/crossing-frozen-lake-baikal-on-foot-1 Lake Baikal –the oldest and deepest freshwater lake in the world is located in the south of Siberia, between Irkutsk to the northwest and the Buryat Republic to the southeast. A region of breathtaking beauty and harsh climate it attracts thousands of visitors from around the world –from those who want a guided tour in relative comfort organized by a travel agency to those who take a backpack and set out on an unforgettable adventure. Thu, 17 Jan 2013 15:52:37 +0100 urn:uuid:bb99f4e4-ddcd-5735-a24e-cabcd5168dff http://radio.cz/en/section/panorama/czech-parents-discover-nature-kindergartens Nature kindergartens are a relatively new phenomenon in Czech society, although elsewhere in the world they have been around for more than half a century. At present they are not part of the Czech school system and are functioning as private hobby classes, but with growing interest on the part of parents that may be about to change. Thu, 10 Jan 2013 16:33:12 +0100 urn:uuid:13666289-7503-5292-9275-1406470b98d4 http://radio.cz/en/section/panorama/the-ideal-skiing-holiday-brushing-shoulders-with-celebrities-at-spindl It’s the Czech answer to Aspen or St. Moritz – the Czech ski resort frequented by local celebrities, tourists and well-off Czechs. Špindleruv Mlýn or Špindl –as it is commony called –offers more than good skiing and excellent services, it offers the chance to party and socialize in cosmopolitan surroundings. Thu, 03 Jan 2013 16:31:33 +0100 urn:uuid:4df858c3-77ad-5e42-af57-c307bc0a6f60 http://radio.cz/en/section/panorama/what-do-czechs-expect-on-their-future-head-of-state Czechs will soon be voting in the country’s first direct presidential elections. What do they expect of their future head of state? What qualities should he or she have? And are Czechs ready for a woman in office? In this edition of Panorama I talk to the head of the STEM polling agency Jan Hartl about the role of the Czech president and people’s expectations. Thu, 20 Dec 2012 16:58:02 +0100 urn:uuid:cadd6bd3-4eda-5af7-b394-9cd383f90db1 http://radio.cz/en/section/panorama/czechs-curb-their-christmas-spending-amid-growing-financial-concerns With Christmas just around the corner the hustle and bustle in Prague’s streets and shops has visibly intensified. Yet behind the bright lights, the ever-present advertisements and Christmas carols the mood is slightly more sober this Christmas, reflecting the deepening recession and bleak outlooks on the job market. Czechs are enjoying the Christmas atmosphere but they are spending less on presents and are far less willing to take out loans for exotic Christmas holidays or buy things on lease as they have been doing for years. Thu, 13 Dec 2012 16:54:53 +0100 urn:uuid:8f6eba68-a5e8-5d4f-b87e-24460927aadd http://radio.cz/en/section/panorama/sacral-tourism-on-the-rise-in-the-czech-republic Sacral tourism is fast gaining ground in the Czech Republic. Although it is perceived as one of Europe’s most atheist countries the Czech Republic has an impressive network of cathedrals, basilicas, chapels and, even a church museum. Thu, 06 Dec 2012 16:49:11 +0100 urn:uuid:4275f1ba-03a2-5c90-b26f-196c2f13bdaf