CZECH MUSIC Theatre Institute 1 The publication was produced in cooperation with the Music Information Centre as a part of the program Czech Music 2004 Editor in chief: Lenka Dohnalová (Theatre Institute) Editorial team: L.Dohnalová, J. Bajgar, J. Bajgarová, J. Javůrek, H. Klabanová, J. Ludvová, A. Opekar, S. Santarová, I. Šmíd Translation © 2004 by Anna Bryson Cover © 2004 by Ditta Jiříčková Book design © 2004 by Ondřej Sládek © 2005 by Theatre Institute, Celetná 17, 110 00 Prague 1, Czech Republic First printing ISBN 80-7008-175-9 All rights of this publication reserved. 2 CONTENTS CALENDER 4 MIDDLE AGE (CA 850 - CA 1440) /Jaromír Černý 11 THE RENAISSANCE (CA 1440 - CA 1620) /Jaromír Černý 14 THE BAROQUE (CA 1620 - CA 1740) /Václav Kapsa 16 BOHEMIAN LANDS AND CLASSICAL STYLE IN MUSIC (CA 1740 - CA 1820) /Tomáš Slavický 20 FIRST HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY /Jarmila Gabrielová 24 THE PERIOD AFTER 1860 /Jarmila Gabrielová 26 THE TURN OF THE CENTURY AND THE FIRST DECADES OF THE 20TH CENTURY /Jarmila Gabrielová 32 CZECH MUSIC FROM 1945 TO THE PRESENT /Tereza Havelková 38 THE HISTORY OF CZECH OPERA /Alena Jakubcová, Josef Herman 48 THE HISTORY OF CZECH CHAMBER ENSEMBLES /Jindřich Bajgar 59 THE HISTORY OF CZECH ORCHESTRAS AND CHOIRS /Lenka Dohnalová 62 FOLK MUSIC OF BOHEMIA AND MORAVIA /Matěj Kratochvíl 66 CZECH POPULAR MUSIC /Aleš Opekar 70 NON-PROFESSIONAL MUSICAL ACTIVITIES /Lenka Lázňovská 77 FESTIVALS IN CZECH REPUBLIC /Lenka Dohnalová 79 LINKS /Lenka Dohnalová 82 3 CALENDAR ca 800 emergence of a number of principalities on Bohemian territory and the beginnings of the Great Moravian state 863-885 the mission of Constantine and Methodius sent from Byzantium; they who create a Slav liturgy in Great Moravia ca 880 the Czech prince Bořivoj (+perhaps 890/891) accepts Christianity 906 fall of Great Moravia 935 murder of Prince Wenceslas, later canonised; establishment of a unified Czech state in the reign of Boleslav I. (+972) 973 foundation of a bishopric in Prague 1019 definitive annexation of Moravia to Bohemia 1063 foundation of a bishopric in Olomouc 1212 The Golden Bull of Sicily confirms and adds to the rights and privileges of the Bohemian kings and the Kingdom of Bohemia, recognising the independence and sovereignty of the Bohemia state later to be advanced still further in 1356 by The Golden Bull of Charles IV. 1306 end of the rule of the Czech Přemyslid dynasty, which becomes extinct in the male line 1310-1437 rule of the Luxembourg dynasty in the Lands of the Bohemian Crown 1344 foundation of an archbishopric in Prague 1348 Charles IV. founds a university in Prague 1378-1417 schism in the church; from the mid-14th century criticism of church abuses (such as sale of “indulgences”) grows in the Bohemian Lands, together with an emphasis on inner piety; inspired by “heretical” teachings of the period (John Wycliff), reformist thinkers and preachers come to the forefront (M. Jan Hus preaches in the Bethlem Chapel from 1402, from 1414 there is a campaign for communion in both kinds for the laity (symbolised by the chalice) 1415 the Church Council of Constance rejects several articles of the teaching of Master Jan Hus, who is then burnt at the stake there on the 6th of July 4 1419-1434 the Hussite Revolution – open rebellion against the existing order of church and state: efforts to make the law of God the highest authority in the life of society (law, politics, morals). The Czechs take up arms to defend their faith (Head Jan Žižka and so on), but the movement is accompanied by ideological disputes between different fractions. The most moderate demands of the Hussites are finally expressed in the so-called Compacts (e.g. wine at communion for the laity, the punishment of mortal sins) 1436 the Emperor Sigismund confirms the official co-existence of two parallel religions (Catholicism, Utraquism) in the Bohemian Lands ca 1450 beginnings of printing (Johannes Gutenberg) 1457 establishment of the Unity of Czech Brethren 1458-1471 reign of George of Poděbrady 1471-1526 rule by the Jagiellons (Vladislav, +1516, Ludvík, +1526) ca 1500 beginnings of printing of music notation (contemporary polyphony: O. dei Petrucci in Venice from 1501) 1517 public protest by Martin Luther (1483-1546), the beginning of the Protestant Reformation in Germany 1526-1918 rule of the Habsburg Dynasty in the Bohemian Lands 1556 the Prague Clementinum becomes the seat of a Jesuit College; beginnings of an increasingly strong Counter-Reformation in the Bohemian Lands 1583 the Emperor and King of Bohemia Rudolf II moves to Prague with his capella 1618-1648 the Thirty Years War; beginning of the Revolt of the Bohemian Estates 1620 defeat of the army of the Bohemian Estates at the Battle of the White Mountain, unconditional capitulation and the occupation of Prague 1621 condemnation of the leaders of the Estates rebellion, 27 of them are executed on Old Town Square; issue of decree banishing all non-Catholic priests from Bohemia 1624 the Catholic religion is declared the only permitted faith in Bohemia by imperial decree 1639 the Swedish armies invade Bohemia (theft of pictures from the royal collections) 1648 Peace of Westphalia, system of peace agreements ending the Thirty Years War. Fighting nevertheless continues, with treachery enabling the Swedish army to take Hradčany and the Lesser Town in Prague and to occupy them for more than a year, while the Old and New Towns resist Swedish attacks 1654 a decree of Ferdinand III establishes the Carolo-Ferdinandea University in Prague under the supervision of the Jesuits 5 1679 plague hits the Bohemian Lands, coming from Vienna through Moravia and Southern Bohemia; the largest number of fatalities in 1680 are in Prague and its surroundings 1683 Siege of Vienna by the Turks, the Turkish army is repelled with the help of Polish and German divisions 1711 Charles VI. becomes Habsburg monarch and Holy Roman Emperor 1712 the first working steam engine is made in England 1713-1714 the last plague epidemic in Bohemia and Moravia 1723 coronation of the Austrian ruler Charles VI. as King of Bohemia, one of the works presented in Prague is J. J. Fux‘s Costanza e Fortezza, involving more than 200 musicians including not only the court cappella but local musicians and many virtuosi from all over Europe 1724 start of regular opera performances in Prague 1732 in Brno the Italian impressario Angelo Mingotti starts an opera company 1735 break-up of A. Denzio‘s Italian opera company in Prague, one of its last productions was the opera Praga nascente da Libussa e Primislao (Prague founded by Libuše and Přemysl) with Denzio‘s libretto; after two years another opera company directed by Santo Lapis starts to operate in Prague 1729 massive celebration of the canonisation of John of Nepomuk in Prague (a priest murdered in the reign of King Wenceslas IV., who became the most popular saint of the Bohemian Baroque) 1738 the theatre V Kotcích, the first Prague public theatre set up by the city, starts to operate 1740 Marie Teresie ascends the throne, start of the Wars of the Austrian Succession which severely hit the Bohemian Lands (1743 - Marie Teresie is crowned Queen of Bohemia in Prague) 1744 the Prussian army invades Bohemia and seizes Prague 1756 beginning of the Seven Years War. The conflict acquires global dimensions – the Prussians invade Saxony and Bohemia, the Anglo-French War moves to the sea and the colonies (Africa, India, Canada) 1771-72 two years of black frosts and catastrophic harvest failure in Bohemia, triggering a number of peasant revolts. Visit to Bohemia by Charles Burney, the author of an 18th-century musical travel journal 1773 dissolution of the Jesuit order (that had a great effect on the way of education, including musical) 6 1774 introduction of compulsory schooling for children from 6 to 8 years old in state schools, designed to provide general education and with German as the teaching language in all cases 1780 death of Marie Teresie, Joseph II. becomes ruler of the Habsburg Monarchy and institutes major reforms: he abolishes serfdom and issues the „Patent of Toleration“ granting freedom of religion (1781). He dissolves, among other things, most monasteries (1782) and religious brotherhoods (1787) 1783 a spoken drama and opera theatre built at the expense of Count F. A. Nostitz-Rhieneck is opened in Prague, in its time the largest theatre in Central Europe (today the Estates Theatre) 1786 W. A. Mozart comes to Prague for the production of his opera The Marriage of Figaro (Le nozze di Figaro) 1787 Mozart‘s opera Don Giovanni, commissioned by the Prague impressario Bondini, is premiered with triumphant success at the Nostitz Theatre 1791 Leopold II. is crowned King of Bohemia. The Bohemian Estates (resp. Guardasoni) commission W. A. Mozart to compose his coronation opera on the libretto La clemenza di Tito. On the occasion of the coronation the first industrial exhibition on the European continent is organised 1805 The Napoleonic Wars spread to the Bohemian Lands, the “Battle of the Three Emperors” takes place by Slavkov (Austerlitz) in Moravia 1809 Joseph Dobrovský publishes the first Czech Grammar (in German) which standardises the grammar and codifies modern orthography 1811 a conservatory is established in Prague by a group of noblemen. It is the first institution of its kind in Central Europe 1813 defeat of Napoleon at Leipzig in the „Battle of the Nations“ 1814-1815 The Congress of Vienna – which determines the nature of the European order after the Napoleonic Wars 1818 founding of the National Museum in Prague 1835-1848 the reign of Emperor Ferdinand V. (I), known as “the Beneficent” 1839 Joseph Jungmann (1773-1847) completes publication of his Czech-German Dictionary 1848-1849 the year of revolution and its consequences: the February Revolution in Paris; March movements in Vienna and in the Hungarian Lands; abolition of the corvée; the Slav Congress and Whitsun Disturbances in Prague; the October Revolution in Vienna; bloody suppression of the revolution in the Habsburg Lands (in Hungary), in Germany and in Italy 7 1848-1916 reign of Emperor Franz Joseph I.