Culture | Topic Archive

A unique book called Sistine Chapel, initiated by the Vatican Museums, has gone on presale in the Czech Republic. The limited three-volume edition was published worldwide in only 1999 copies, with 100 available on the Czech market. The Czech edition will cost 229,000 crowns in pre-sale and 339,000 in regular sale, which makes it the most expensive book ever to appear for sale in the Czech Republic.

Some 60 Roma children from socially excluded localities in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, along with members of the Czech Philharmonic, are taking part in the ‘Romano Drom’ music and dance workshop in North Bohemia. The aim of the summer school, organised annually by musician and choir mistress Ida Kelarová, is to support children and youth at risk of social exclusion. The two-week school will culminate with a series of performances, starting on Tuesday night in Nový Bor.

Dalekko – comprising Gian Baban and Pavel Sajner – won a lot of praise for their self-released 2015 debut album Neběžel jsem tudy? The impressive Prague-based group have been described as “clever mainstream”, no doubt thanks to their thoughtful lyrics and cultured but catchy tunes.

Contemporary or New Circus has become far better established in the Czech Republic over the years thanks to the hugely popular annual festival Letní Letná (which returns in just a few weeks) and local troupes like La Putyka. But what you might not know is that there is also a centre for contemporary circus in Prague you can visit all year long, called Cirqueon. The centre strives not only to inform about New Circus but takes part in productions and offers youngsters the chance to learn gymnastic and theatrical skills.

This Friday sees the start of one of the oldest festivals in Europe celebrating amateur theatre in Hronov close to the Polish border. The festival is dedicated to the great writer Alois Jirásek, who was born there. Although his plays have since fallen out of fashion, some troupes still take a crack at his work every so often; more importantly, over the course of ten days, visitors get to see some of the best in amateur theatre from the year all in one place.

One of Prague’s most impressive architectural secrets, the massive baroque Invalidovna complex in the city’s Karlín district, is up for sale. Used as a backdrop to many films, the former home for war veterans constructed in the 18th century had found no takers from various state institutions and is now set to go under the hammer in spite of protests from well known architects and the local council.

In today's Sunday Music Show we will be listening to songs from Markéta Konvičková’s last two albums – TABLO and Kafe, bar a nikotin. Markéta Konvičková is a 22 year old Czech pop singer who first rose to fame in 2009 as a finalist on the Czech and Slovak TV series SuperStar. In 2010 she won the award for "New Artist" at the Český slavík awards. She has since released three albums.

The Czech film industry is on the rebound. After playing second fiddle to foreign productions for years, Czech films are now attracting a record number of cinema goers and helping to raise profits.

Karlovy Vary’s Hotel Thermal was recently, as it regularly is, the backdrop for Central Europe’s biggest film festival. The complex was designed, outside and in, specifically for the film festival in the West Bohemian spa town. But the controversial 1970s architectural work of the husband and wife team of Vladimír Machonin and Věra Machoninová is showing its age with its owner, the state, blowing hot and cold about its future. That has prompted the granddaughter and grandson of the architects to step in.

Czech organist Pavel Svoboda is among the winners of this years’ International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition Leipzig, Germany, one of the most prestigious events of its kind. The 28-year-old musician succeeded in competition with 27 organists from around the world and is the first Czech to win the competition in 36 years. RF has more: