Czech Music | All stories

In this edition of Encore we find out what led the little known 17th century Moravian composer Gottfried Finger to leave London in disgust; we look at a recording of choral works by Pavel Krizkovsky, one of the key figures in the Czech musical revival of the 19th century, and we enjoy a beautiful and rare recording of Janacek's 'Otcenas'.

In a recent programme we looked at one of the CDs in the 'Gold Edition' of Supraphon re-releases commemorating Karel Ancerl's long stay at the Czech Philharmonic. Here we return to some more in the series.

In this edition of Encore we look at a classic recording of Vitezslav Novak's masterpiece "In the Tatra Mountains", and we also enjoy a few surprises on a re-release of Josef Palenicek playing Janacek.

Even if you have never heard of the Czech artist Alfons Mucha, you will almost certainly have seen his work. He is probably the defining artist of the Art Nouveau period at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, and the wonderfully lush and expressive posters he designed in Paris - most famously of the actress Sarah Bernhardt - have been reproduced many times the world over. Today Alfons Mucha's works are in the loving care of his grandson John and daughter-in-law, Geraldine Mucha, here in Prague. Geraldine is an accomplished and internationally

If you want to know what a 'serpent' sounds like, or are inquisitive to hear the unusual tones of Smetana's very own five-pedal piano, then the Czech Museum of Music has just the CD for you. We also look at a beautiful recording of harp 'sinfonias' by the 18th century Czech composer, Jan Krtitel Krumpholtz.

In Encore this week we review a recording of the "Eclogues" by a Czech composer who was immensely influential in the early part of the 19th century, Vaclav Jan Tomasek. We also discuss a CD of the Czech Trio playing Suk, Dvorak and Martinu with great sensitivity, and there's a new collection of recordings by Sona Cervena, who has had an incredible career, beginning in music theatre with Voskovec and Werich, going to stardom in opera in the West, and then working with such 'art rockers' as Tom Waits and Lou Reed. Now, in her 80's, she is active

Today we look at some very diverse recordings - from a 17th century hymnal, to a marvelous - but hard to find - CD of Martinu and Brahms by one of the Czech Republic's best cellists, Jiri Barta. And we also look at a re-released recording of Dvorak's Fifth Symphony, still sounding fresh after over fifty years.

A new CD has been released of an undeservedly forgotten Czech opera from the 1920s; we also find out what gives Janacek's piano its very particular sound, and there's a chance to hear a hundred-year-old recording of Czech bagpipes.

In Encore today we review two recent CD releases. One is an anthology covering the best part of a millennium of Czech music, and the other a celebration of the work of one of the most undeservedly neglected Czech 20th century composers, Vitezslava Kapralova.

Today we look at the least known of the founding trilogy of Czech classical music in the 19th century, that's Zdenek Fibich, who is now remembered very much in the shadow of his better known contemporaries, Smetana and Dvorak. I'm joined by musicologist Patricia Goodson. Could you tell me something about Zdenek Fibich, who he was?