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Music

Main article: Music of Czechia

Czech music - throughout more than one thousand years old history - can be considered to have been beneficial in both the European and worldwide context, several times co-determined or even determined a newly arriving era in musical art, above all of Classical era, as well as by original attitudes in Baroque, Romantic and modern classical music, above all of Classical era, as well as by original attitudes in Baroque, Romantic and modern classical music.

Czech hand-written Jistebnice hymn book from around 1430

History

The musical tradition of Czechia arose from first church hymns, whose first evidence is suggested at the break of 10th and 11th century. The first significant pieces of Czech music include two chorales, which in their time performed the function of anthems: “Hospodine pomiluj ny” (Lord, Have Mercy on Us) from around 1050 (the authorship is sometimes ascribed to St.Vojtěch, bishop of Prague, living between 956 and 997), , unmistakably the oldest and most faithfully preserved popular spiritual song to have survived to the present, and the hymn "Saint Wenceslas" ("Svatý Václave") from around 1250 Its roots can be found in the 12th century and it still belongs to the most popular religious songs to this day. In 1918, the song was discussed as one of the possible choices for the national anthem.

Firts documented personalities and records appear in 14th century, following the founding of a department of musicology operated from the very start of university in Prague in 1348, e.g.composer of liturgical songs Záviš of Zápy or hymnographer Domaslav. They are several records of Czech love songs from the 14th century of courtly type "Dřěvo se listem odievá" (Trees Are Putting on Leaves) or "Jižť mne všě radost ostává" (All My Joy is Waning). As an example of the record of medieval notation can serve Gradual of Arnošt of Pardubice from 1363. Important insight into the beginnings of Czech music brings Jistebnice hymn book from 1430, which contains representative collection of liturgical, martial and spiritual songs, created until that time, including Christmas carols. In the book, we can find also famous Hussite battle hymn "Ktož jsú boží bojovníci" (Ye Who Are Warriors of God).

Composer Antonín Dvořák - statue in Prague

Personalities

The wealth of musical culture in Czechia lies in the long-term high-culture classical music tradition during all historical periods, especially in the Baroque, Classicism, Romantic, modern classical music and in the traditional folk music of Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia. Since the early eras of artificial music, Czech musicians and composers have often been influenced by genuine folk music (it has been recognized already in records of Czech music since 14th - 15th century) and dances (e.g. polka which originated in Bohemia).

The most important musicians of Czech renaissance were Jan Blahoslav, emphasizing the need for the musical rhythm to correspond with the chronometric system of prosody of the verses, Šimon Bar Madelka, Jan Trojan Turnovský, and Kryštof Harant of Polžice and Bezdružice. To the most notable Czech composers in Baroque era belong Adam Michna in early Baroque, who initiated the development of Czech art in that era and became a significant inspiration for Czech artists of future generations, Pavel Josef Vejvanovský, Bohuslav Matěj Černohorský, František Ignác Antonín Tůma and the most important, a composer of crowning Baroque epoch Jan Dismas Zelenka, great personality of outstanding innovative and next eras anticipating harmonic invention and mastery of counterpoint.

Czech composers significantly contributed to the birth and development of Classicism in music. The style developed already deep in Baroque era from sources, created by local musicians thanks to exceptional activity of musical life at that time (the English music historian and traveller Charles Burney called Czechia “European conservatory”). Among all Czech contributive musical personalities excelled Jan Václav Antonín Stamic (or Stamitz), the father of famous Mannheim school, substantially innovating structure of symphonic works and sonata form, Jiří Antonín Benda in bringing the musical form of melodrama to life, Jan Křtitel Vaňhal, being considered highly influential to symphonies, prefiguring Beethoven, Josef Mysliveček, a pioneer in the composition of music for wind ensemble or Antonín Rejcha by his innovative methods of composition, which he applied in a variety of works, leaving their mark on the works of Beethoven and Schubert and techniques such as bitonality and polyrhythm, derived often from folk music, directly anticipates that of composers of modern era far in advance.

As the golden age of Czech music can be considered the period between second half of 19th century and first half of 20th century, including later Romanticism and Modernist music, which brought an international fame in personalities of composers Bedřich Smetana, who pioneered the development of a musical style which became closely identified with his country's aspirations to independent statehood, Antonín Dvořák, the most famous from all Czech composers of all times and very influential also for the growth of American classical music, Leoš Janáček, composer of an original, inimitable modern musical style, inspired by Slavic folk music and Bohuslav Martinů, prolific modern symphonist and opera composer, moving in many distinctive directions with neoclassicism, expressionism and jazz music in veins. Together with "Great Four" (as they are sometimes called together), also others as romantic Zdeněk Fibich, in Czechia born symphonist Gustav Mahler, one of the leading composers in Czech Modernism Josef Suk, and important discoverer and one of major composers in the area of microtonal music Alois Hába, has to be mentioned.

In high modern era Miloslav Kabeláč and Petr Eben.

Rudolfinum Concert Hall in Prague, one of the main venues of Prague Spring Festival

Among the most famous musicians and interpreters are violinists František Benda (also exceptional composer of violin concertos and sonatas), Jan Kubelík, Emma Destinnová, Rudolf Firkušný, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Panocha Quartet and many others.

Events

Already in 13th century, Czech King Wenceslas II organised the first major musical event in the country, that was to draw the attention of all of Europe. He held a musical competition in Prague, inviting the most famous European musicians and the king also took part personally, as a minstrel. The most famous music festival in the country of today is Prague Spring International Music Festival of classical music, founded 1946, a permanent showcase for outstanding performing artists, symphony orchestras and chamber music ensembles of the world.