7.CULTURAL HERITAGE OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC

7. The Czech Republic – cultural heritage

• Architecture, Paintin, Music

• Theatre/Films

• People who contributed into the heritage of the country

I would to talk about Czech cultural heritage, which is very reach, in my opinion. From each type of heritage, I chose only a few examples, because if I would talk about each important part in the Czech heritage, it takes a long time.

Firstly, I would like to tell a few words about architecture. The most beautiful pieces of Czech architecture is listed in UNESCO list: the Historical centre of Prague, Český Krumlov, Telč, The Pilgrimage Church of Jan Nepomuk in Zelená Hora, Kutná hora, Holašovice, Kroměříž Castle and Garden, Litomyšl Castle, Holy Trinity column Olomouc, Vila Tugendhat in Brno and Třebíč. The most amazing architecture place in the Czech Republic is in my opinion The Pilgrimage Church of Jan Nepomuk. It’s built in form of star by architecture Santini and the building includes a lot of complex symbolism based on number five.

Now let’s move to painting heritage. I hope that the most known and famous work of art is The Slav Epic. It’s a cycle of 20 large canvases painted by Czech Art nouveau painter Alfons Mucha. The cycle depicts the mythology and history of Czechs and other Slavic peoples. After a long argument, nowadays we can find it in Exhibition Palace in Prague.

What about the music? I must mention the most known Czech classic composers: Bedřich Smetana and Antonín Dvořák. Bedřich Smetana was a Czech composer who pioneered (propagoval) the development of a musical. He is so widely regarded as the father of Czech music. Internationally he is best known for his opera The Bartered Bride; for the symphonic cycle Má vlast ("My Homeland"), which portrays the history. Antonín Dvořák is also the most known composer. Hi is an author of Symphony No. 9, known as the New World, which is one of the best works of its kind in the whole history of music. In the last period wrote operas in the inspiration of Czech fairy tales and mythology (The Devil and Kate, Rusalka).

Finally, let’s speak about films and theatre. It will be a big shame, if I don’t mention The Czech National Theatre. The National Theatre in Prague is known as the alma mater of Czech opera, and as the national monument of Czech history and art. Today the National Theatre consists of three artistic ensembles (soubory)–opera, ballet and drama–which alternate in their performances in the historic building of the National Theatre, in the Theatre of the Estates (Stavovské divadlo) and in the Kolowrat Theatre. Briefly, from film production I would like to mention Miloš Forman, who lives nowadays in New York. He is a Czech film director, screenwriter; know for films such as Hair or Amadeus.

As I said before, the Czech heritage is very rich and I unfortunately thing that we don’t appreciate it as much as we should.