Year of Czech Music kicks off

2004 is a year of Czech musical jubilees. It's a hundred years since the death of the greatest of all Czech composers, Antonin Dvorak, a hundred-and-fifty years since the birth of Leos Janacek, composer of Taras Bulba and The Cunning Little Vixen; and the great 19th century symbol of the national revival in Czech music, Bedrich Smetana, was born a hundred-and-eighty years ago. By an uncanny coincidence there are at least a dozen other major Czech musical anniversaries that you can add to the list. So it's hardly surprising that this year has been declared Year of Czech Music. David Vaughan went along to the launch.

Year of Czech Music kicks off

If you're a lover of Czech classical music, 2004 is the year to visit the Czech Republic. The Year of Czech Music's programme coordinator is Lenka Dohnalova:

"We have about 700 projects, so if I have to name a high-point it's very difficult. But at the beginning maybe, I could name the international festival Janackovo Brno (Janacek's Brno), with a complete presentation of Janacek's operas, and then there's the project Homage to Antonin Dvorak in the spring"

I wanted to ask about the Dvorak. By coincidence the anniversary of Dvorak's death is the very day that the Czech Republic joins the European Union. Is there going to be any link made between the two things?

"I think it's a very happy link for our state, because he makes the presentation of the Czech Republic."

So in a way Dvorak is a kind of symbol of the Czech Republic's place in Europe.

"Not only for the Czech Republic but also for the USA and for Europe, because he started his European and international career in England, and afterwards in the USA, so it's a symbol not only for the Czech Republic."

Other highpoints will include a visit from London's Royal Opera House with a production of Martinu's Greek Passion, and a new production of Dvorak's opera Vanda at Prague's National Theatre. Looking abroad, there'll be a festival of Czech music in Japan and a celebration of Dvorak in New York City. One of the stars of the Year of Czech Music will be the hugely successful young Czech violinist, Pavel Sporcl.

"For me personally, the concert I'm looking forward to is the one at the Salzburg Festival, the most famous festival in the world probably, where I'll have a recital with piano and of course most of the recital will be Czech music."

Jiri Stivin

But there have also been hints of discord as the Year of Czech Music gets under way. Events will be focusing above all on the big names of Czech classical music, Dvorak, Janacek and Martinu, but there are also many other Czech composers and performers, both classical and popular, who have anniversaries this year, but will remain in their shadow. This is a complaint of the Czech Republic's most celebrated jazz flute player, Jiri Stivin, who has been named patron of the festival.

"I think that in Czech music there are a lot of personalities who are not known and they are making a lot of propagation of Czech music, especially in jazz."

You're a jazzman, so you would say that!

"I am a jazzman, but I also play Baroque music and everything, so I think that a lot of people in jazz make a lot of propagation for Czech music and a lot of Czech groups are travelling around the world as well as playing here."

How about a Year of Czech Jazz for 2005?

"Why not? It's a good idea."

http://www.czechmusic.org/en/