Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Smetana's
Moldau
(Vlatva) is arguably the most beloved piece of classical
music among Czechs and is traditionally played to start the annual Prague
Spring music festival.
Czech mastery of classical music continued into the 20th century, with the compos-
itions of Moravian-born Leoš Janáček (1854-1928). Janáček's music is an acquired
taste, though once you've got an ear for the haunting violin strains, it tends to stay
with you. Janáček's better-known compositions include the operas
Cunning Little Vix-
en
and
Káťa Kabanová
, as well as the
Glagolská mše
(Glagolitic Mass).
Jazz
Jazz imported from the USA first burst onto the local scene
in the 1930s, and has remained a fixture of the Prague music
scene ever since (though it was frowned upon by the com-
munist authorities as decadent Western art in the late 1940s
and '50s).
Best Classical-
Music Festivals
Prague Spring
Czech jazz came into its own in the 1960s, and one of the
top bands of this period was SH Quartet, which played for
first professional jazz club. The club is still going strong
(though it's no longer quite the centre of the jazz scene).
Another leading band from this period was Junior Trio, with
Jan Hamr (1948-) and brothers Miroslav and Allan Vitouš,
all of whom left for the USA after 1968. Hamr became
prominent in American music circles in the 1970s and '80s
as Jan Hammer.
Prague Proms
Dvořák Festival
Janáčkovy Hukvaldy
(
www.janackovyhukvaldy.cz
)
Today, the scene feels no less relevant, and on any given
night in Prague you can catch a number of decent shows.
One of the most outstanding musicians is Jiří Stivín
(1942-), who produced two excellent albums in the '70s with the band System Tan-
dem and is regarded as one of the most innovative jazz musicians in Europe. Two oth-
ers to watch for are Emil Viklický (1948-) and Milan Svoboda (1951-).
