| Part of a series on the |
| Culture of the Czech Republic |
|---|
 |
| Czech Republic portal |
 | This article includes a list ofgeneral references, butit lacks sufficient correspondinginline citations. Please help toimprove this article byintroducing more precise citations.(April 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Music of the Czech Republic comprises the musical traditions ofthat state or the historical entities of which it is compound, i.e. theCzech lands (Bohemia,Moravia,Czech Silesia). Czech music also constitutes a substantial part of the music culture of its direct predecessor,Czechoslovakia.
Music in this area has its roots in sacred music from more than a thousand years ago. The oldest recorded song from this territory is the hymn "Hospodine, pomiluj ny" ("Lord, Have Mercy on Us"), dating from the turn of the 11th century.[1]
Bohemian traditional music includes that ofChodsko [cs], wherebagpipes are common.Moravian traditional music is known for thecimbalom, which is played in ensembles that also includedouble bass,clarinet andviolins. The traditional music of Moravia displays regional influences, especially inValachia with a Romanian and Ukrainian legacy, and has close cultural relations with Slovakia and Lachia (the borderland of northern Moravia andCzech Silesia) with its Polish aspects.
A famous dance from the region is the Bohemianpolka.
Early evidence of music from this region is documented in manuscripts from the library of theCistercian monastery inVyšší Brod (founded in 1259). One of the most important is manuscript No. 42, from 1410. It contains a hymn calledJezu Kriste, ščedrý kněže ("Jesus Christ Bountiful Prince"), that people would sing during the preaching ofJan Hus.
With the development of towns in the 15th century, music started to play an important role in two Bohemian centers:Prachatice andSušice. Václav z Prachatic (Václav of Prachatice) dealt with the theory of music at theCharles University in Prague. His manuscriptMusica magistrii Johannis de Muris accurtata de musica Boethii is a collective work on the theory of music inspired by the thoughts of Johan de Muris, who worked in Paris, and is in the university library.
Extensive musical activities in Prachatice took place in the second half of the 16th century during theRenaissance, a notable period ofliterátská bratrstva ("men of letters brotherhoods"). Their main focus was community singing performed during ceremonial services. The brotherhood established its memorial book in 1575, which described its activities until 1949, when the brotherhood perished. The HabsburgCounter-Reformation in Bohemia after 1620 also affected music in the region. Catholic priests performed Gregorian chorals, while the people sang spiritual songs often based on the Protestant tradition. This ended in a new Catholic edition of hymn books such asCapella regia musicalis.
The Czech classicism period is exemplified byFrantišek Xaver Brixi,Johann Baptist Wanhal, andAugustin Šenkýř [cs]. Among the 18th and 19th century composers areVincenc Mašek,Jakub Jan Ryba,Jan August Vitásek. In the 19th century, German and Austrian productions also had their place here. The founder of Czech national musicBedřich Smetana was inspired by theBohemian Forest while creating his symphonic poemVltava.Antonín Dvořák was also inspired by the Bohemian Forest in his pieceSilent Woods.
The traditional music of Bohemia and Moravia influenced the work of composers likeLeoš Janáček, Antonín Dvořák, Bedřich Smetana, andBohuslav Martinů. Earlier composers from the region includeAdam Michna,Heinrich Biber,Mathilde Ringelsberg,Jan Dismas Zelenka,Johann Wenzel Stamitz andJohann Ladislaus Dussek.