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Music
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.



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).



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.

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.

Stamic Quartet
The Stamic Quartet is a Czech string quartet. The ensemble is is named after composer Jan Václav Antonín Stamic, because both violinists of original line-up were born in the same town as him, in the East Bohemian town Havlíčkův Brod. String quartet was was founded in 1985. The ensemble is focused on performing compositions of Czech classical and foreign composers from classicism to modern music. In recent times they are also concentrated on other works of chamber music in cooperation with other musicians.

The original line-up: B. Matoušek - violin, J. Kekula - violin, J. Pěruška - viola, V. Leixner - violoncello. Contemporary line-up: Jindřich Pazdera - violin, Josef Kekula - violin, Jan Pěruška - viola, Petr Hejný - cello

Category:Czech string quartets Category:Musical ensembles

Chronological list of Czech classical composers

List of classical music composers born or trained in Czechia in chronological order by periods.

Renaissance

 * Jan Blahoslav (1523–1571)
 * Jan Simonides Montanus (1530-1540 to 1587)
 * Simon Bar Jona Madelka (1530-1550 to ~1598)
 * Jiří Rychnovský (1545–1616)
 * Jan Trojan Turnovský (before 1550-1606)
 * Ondřej Chrysoponus Jevíčský (1550-after 1590)
 * Pavel Spongopaeus Jistebnický (1560–1616)
 * Kryštof Harantz Polžic a Bezdružic (1564–1621)

Baroque

 * Jan Campanus Vodňanský (1572–1622)
 * Adam Václav Michna z Otradovic (~1600-1676)
 * Alberik Mazák (1609–1661)
 * Pavel Josef Vejvanovský (~1640-1693)
 * Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber (1644–1704) (born Stráž pod Ralskem, 50 miles n. of Prague)
 * Václav Karel Holan Rovenský (~1644-1718)
 * Jan Ignác František Vojta (cca 1660-before 1725)
 * Jan Dismas Zelenka (1679–1745)
 * Bohuslav Matěj Černohorský (1684–1742)
 * Jan Josef Ignác Brentner (1689–1742)
 * Josef Antonín Plánický (1691-1732)
 * Šimon Brixi (1693–1735)
 * František Antonín Václav Míča (1694–1744)
 * Jan Zach (1699–1773)
 * František Ignác Tůma (1704–1774)

Classical era

 * Johann Baptist Georg Neruda (born Jan Křtitel Jiří Neruda; approx 1707-1780)
 * František Benda (a.k.a. Franz Benda; 1709–1786)
 * Franz Xaver Richter (born in Moravia, 1709–1789)
 * Jan Václav Antonín Stamic (generally known as Johann Stamitz ; 1717–1757)
 * Jiří Antonín Benda (a.k.a. Georg Benda; 1722–1795)
 * Jiří Ignác Linek (1725–1791)
 * Florian Leopold Gassmann (1729-1774)
 * František Xaver Pokorný (1729–1794)
 * František Kočvara (1730–1791)
 * František Xaver Dušek (1731–1799)
 * František Brixi (1732–1771)
 * Josef Mysliveček (1737–1781)
 * Jan Křtitel Vaňhal (generally known as Johann Baptist Wanhal; 1739–1813; born Jan Ignatius Vaňhal)
 * Václav Pichl (1741–1805)
 * Jiří Družecký (1745–1819)
 * Karel Stamic (1745–1801)
 * Jan Václav Stich (1746–1803)
 * Josef Fiala (1748–1816)
 * Antonín Kraft (1749–1820)
 * Antonio Rosetti (born Anton Rössler) (circa 1750-1792)
 * Pavel Vranický (1756–1808)
 * Franz Krommer (1759–1831; born as František Kramář)
 * Jan Ladislav Dussek, baptized Václav Jan Dusík (1760–1812)
 * Antonín Vranický (1761–1820)
 * Adalbert Gyrowetz (1763-1850)
 * Jakub Jan Ryba (1765–1815)

Romantic

 * Antonín Rejcha (1770–1836)
 * Wenzeslaus Matiegka (1773–1830)
 * Václav Jan Tomášek (1774–1850)
 * Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778–1837)
 * František Doubravský (1790–1867)
 * Jan Václav Voříšek (1791–1825)
 * František Škroup (1801–1862)
 * Alexander Dreyschock (1818-1869)
 * Pavel Křížkovský (1820–1885)
 * Bedřich Smetana (1824–1884)
 * Vilém Blodek (1834–1874)
 * Karel Bendl (1838–1897)
 * Zdeněk Fibich (1850–1900)
 * Wilhelm Kuhe (1823–1912)
 * Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904)

Modern

 * Leoš Janáček (1854–1928)
 * Bohumil Fidler (1860–1944)
 * Josef Bohuslav Foerster (1859–1951)
 * Gustav Mahler (1860–1911; born in Kaliště, Bohemia)
 * Karel Kovařovic (1862-1920)
 * Emil Votoček (1862–1950)
 * František Drdla (1868–1944)
 * Ludvík Čelanský (1870–1931)
 * Vítězslav Novák (1870–1949)
 * Julius Fučík (1872–1916)
 * Josef Suk (1874–1935)
 * Jan Kubelík (1880–1940)
 * Ladislav Vycpálek (1882–1969)
 * Václav Kaprál (1889–1947)
 * Bohuslav Martinů (1890–1959)
 * Otakar Jeremiáš (1892–1962)
 * Alois Hába (1893–1973)
 * Ervin Schulhoff (1894–1942)
 * Pavel Bořkovec (1894–1972)
 * Sláva Vorlová (1894–1973)
 * František Brož (1896–1962)
 * Jaromír Weinberger (1896–1967)
 * Viktor Ullmann (1898–1944)
 * Pavel Haas (1899–1944)
 * Emil Hlobil (1901–1987)
 * Iša Krejčí (1904–1968)
 * Theodor Schaefer (1904–1969)
 * Jaroslav Ježek (1906–1942)
 * Václav Trojan (1907–1983)
 * Miloslav Kabeláč (1908–1979)
 * Jan Zdeněk Bartoš (1908–1981)
 * Klement Slavický (1910–1999)
 * Rafael Kubelík (1914–1996)
 * Jan Hanuš (1915–2004)
 * Vítězslava Kaprálová (1915–1940)
 * Gideon Klein (1919–1945)
 * Jiří Pauer (1919–2007)
 * Ludvík Podéšť (1921–1968)
 * Jan Novák (1921–1984)
 * Zdeněk Liška (1922–1983)
 * Otmar Mácha (1922–2006)
 * Radim Drejsl (1923–1953)
 * Jiří Hudec (1923–1996)
 * Lubor Bárta (1928–1972)
 * Miloslav Ištvan (1928–1990)
 * Luboš Fišer (1935–1999)
 * Elena Petrová (1929–2002)
 * Karel Husa (born 1921)
 * Ilja Hurník (1922–2013)
 * Viktor Kalabis (1923–2006)
 * Zdeněk Lukáš (1928–2007)
 * Antonín Tučapský (1928 - 2014)
 * Marek Kopelent (born 1932)
 * Jan Klusák (born 1934)
 * Jiří Bárta (1935–2012)
 * Jiří Teml (born 1935)
 * Tomáš Svoboda (born 1939)
 * Jaroslav Krček (born 1939)

Contemporary

 * Petr Eben (1929–2007)

Active in the Twentieth Century and/or Early Twenty-First Hanuš Bartoň (1960-) Sylvie Bodorová (1954-) Petr Eben (1929-2007) Leoš Faltus (1937-) Vladimír Franz (1959-) Vladimír Hirsch (1954-) Ilja Hurník (1922-) Karel Husa (1921-) Jan Klusák (1934-) Petr Kofroň (1955-) Marek Kopelent (1932-) Ivana Loudová (1941-) Ivo Medek (1956-) Jiří Pauer (1919-2007) Alois Piňos (1925-2008) Miroslav Pudlák (1960-) Michal Rataj (1975-) Milan Slavický (1947-2009) Martin Smolka (1959 -) Miloš Štědroň (1942-) Antonín Tučapský (1928-) Emil Viklický (1948-)
 * Ivana Loudová (born 1941)
 * Otomar Kvěch (born 1950)

Note
Standard characteristics of classical music periods need to be taken with a reserve, because some composers either composed music that stylistically belongs somehow ahead of their time (e.g. Jan Ladislav Dussek), or their works content compositions written in more than one style typical for the period (e.g.František Ignác Tůma, Josef Suk or Leoš Janáček), alternatively their music simply does not have features, which can be significant for it (for example, Antonín Dvořák himself was a romantic-classicist synthetist, so he does not have a perfect place in the list) or their styles are eclectic (this is especially true for contemporary music). Only periods of modern and contemporary music match to a certain degree time classification, because they contain a lot of compositional systems, incl. "neo-" or "retro-" styles, and according to it, their denominations are more (contemporary) or less (modern) only chronological.

Czech Composers, classical