Janáček's Moravian Dances were arranged while he was deeply involved in collecting and studying Moravian folk-music, particularly from his native region.
Composer Biography
Bedřich Smetana, a Bohemian by birth, aimed to be a "Liszt in piano technique and a Mozart in composition."
Composer Biography
Antonín Dvořák, the principal viola-player in Smetana's Provisional Theatre orchestra, built a more secure international reputation than Smetana.
Composer Biography
Leoš Janáček, a Czech composer, only achieved wider fame at the age of 62 with the production of his opera Jenůfa in Prague.
Historical Context
A revival of interest in the Czech language at the end of the eighteenth century had a later parallel in music, leading to the appearance of overtly national music in the second half of the nineteenth century.
Historical Context
The country of Czechoslovakia, formed in 1918 from Bohemia, Moravia, and Slovakia, was a fertile source of music and musicians for the Habsburg Empire.
