Famous Czech Composers: Commented exhibition tour
Bedřich Smetana, Antonín Dvořák, Leoš Janáček, Bohuslav Martinů: four great names in Czech music that have become a global phenomenon. Each is from a different generation with its own unique style and signature. Their works may be different, but they have one thing in common: an unmistakable je ne sais quoi that is a product of their Czech heritage and helps paint an image of Czech culture on the world stage.
The tour will take place after DAHA’s event — the concert “Spring Musicale: Reflections on Dvořák’s ‘New World’ Symphony at 130”, which will start at 3 pm
The exhibition authored by Sandra Bergmannová and Veronika Vejvodová will be presented to you by an attractive graphic novel illustrated by Alexei Klyukov that allows you to experience crucial life moments together with each individual artist. You will find yourself immersed in an intimate patchwork of both extraordinary and ordinary motifs and a diverse selection of compositions.
Video interviews with musicologists Sandra Bergmanová, Veronika Vejvodová, Aleš Březina, and Jiří Zahrádka — will allow you to better understand the environments with which the composers interacted. They will also help you to picture the inspiration and experiences that had a major impact on the composers’ way of thinking and the creative processes that led to the creation of such major operas as Smetana’s The Bartered Bride, Dvořák’s Rusalka, Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen, and Martinů’s Juliette. The exhibition also features materials from the archive of the Dvořák American Heritage Association (DAHA), which includes a facsimile of the historical contract that brought Dvořák to America 130 years ago. You will also find original costumes worn by characters from productions of The Bartered Bride and Jenůfa in New York, which are on loan by the Metropolitan Opera.
The exhibition is organized by the Czech Center in New York and the National Museum of the Czech Republic in collaboration with the Bohemian Benevolent & Literary Association, the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in New York, the Dvořák American Heritage Association, and the Metropolitan Opera.
Time: 5:30 — 6 pm EDT
Free!
