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International musicological conference on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Bedřich Smetana
The National Museum (Czech Museum of Music – The Bedřich Smetana Museum) in cooperation with the Department of Musicology at Palacký University in Olomouc is organising a conference on Bedřich Smetana and national Awareness.
The year 2024 celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of Bedřich Smetana, whose artistic legacy is one of the pillars of Czech cultural heritage. Smetana significantly co-created the consciousness of Czech national identity and contributed to the formation of the idea of an independent Czech state leading to the establishment of Czechoslovakia. Through his work and other various activities, he contributed to the development of Czech culture, which was an important part of the national emancipation process. We invite to active participation in the konference all scholars who share an interest not only in Bedřich Smetana, but also in the research of musical culture in the Czech lands, and who reflect on the extension of the concept of national awareness to the present day.
Chairing Committee: Sandra Bergmannová, Jiří Kopecký (https://www.nm.cz/en/visit-us/buildings/bedrich-smetana-museum) (https://muzikologie.upol.cz/en/)
Organizing Committee: Olga Mojžíšová, Marek Pechač, Kateřina Viktorová
For the latest information, please visit: https://muzikologie.upol.cz/
Patronage of the conference has been assumed by the First Lady of the Czech Republic Eva Pavlová.
If you are interested in translation, please download the Zoom Workplace app to your mobile phone. For links to online meetings with translation, please contact david.faldyna01@upol.cz (David Faldyna, member of the organising team).
Sunday 22 September 2024 18.00 | Soirée at the Bedřich Smetana Museum (Novotného lávka 1, Prague 1) A welcoming for the conference participants accompanied by a glass of wine and small refreshments.
Monday 23 September 2024 Historical Building of the National Museum (Václavské náměstí 68, Praha 1) 8.20–8.50 | Registration of participants 8.50 | opening of the conference 9.10–9.30 | Marta Ottlová: The Roles of Bedřich Smetana
Conference Block I Chair: Tereza Havelková 9.30–9.50 | Michael Beckerman: Smetana and the Hussites, in Memoriam Lenka Hlávková 9.50–10.10 | Kelly St. Pierre: Myths of Apotheosis in Smetana’s Libuše and Má vlast 10.10–10.30 | Christopher Campo-Bowen: The Bartered Bride at the Turn of the New Millennium: Ethnocentrism, Quotidian Nationalism, and the Persistence of the Idealized Village 10.30–11.10 | discussion 11.10–11.30 | coffee break
Conference block II Chair: Viktor Velek 11.30–11.50 | Kateřina Viktorová: Smetana Operas during the Mahler Era in Hamburg in the 1890s 11.50–12.10 | Vjera Katalinić: Smetana's and Other Czech Operas on the Stage of the Croatian National Theatre (1870–1902) and Their Importance in the Formation of the National and Slavic Repertoire 12.10–12.30 | Michal Fránek, Jiří Kopecký: Smetana's Libuše in Vienna: a History that Did Not Take Place 12.30–12.50 | Matthias Herrmann: Ludwig Hartmann (1836–1910), Verfasser von Smetana-Schriften und Opern-Übersetzer 12.50–13.30 | discussion 13.30–15.00 | lunch
Conference block III Chair: Patrick Devine
15.00–15.20 | Petra Babić: Bedřich Smetana's National-Historical Operas as Mediums for Expression of Political Attitudes 15.20–15.40 | Jan Dewilde: The Promotion of Bedřich Smetana's Life and Work in Flemish Belgium by Peter Benoit (1834–1901) and Edward Keurvels (1853–1916) 15.40–16.00 | Matthieu Cailliez: Smetana’s Reception in France between 1850 and 1939 16.00–16.30 | discussion 16.30–17.00 | coffee break
Conference block IV Chair: Olga Mojžíšová
17.00–17.20 | Pavel Kodýtek: From National Monument to Bridge Between Nations: Meanings of Smetana's Má vlast on the Brink of the New Republic 17.20–17.40 | Jana Laslavíková: Smetana Celebrations in Bratislava in 1924 and 1934. Actors and Critics 17.40–18.00 | Ladislav Futtera: "Smetana's Jablkynice" – a "Living" Monument to Smetana 18.00–18.30 | discussion
Evening Programme 19.30 | West Hall of the Historical Building of the National Museum
Bedřich Smetana: String quartet No. 1 "From My Life" Leoš Janáček: String Quartet No. 2 "Intimate Letters"
Prague Chamber Ballet Members of Zemlinsky and Wihan String Quartet
Tuesday 24 September 2024
Conference block V Chair: Lubomír Spurný
9.00–9.20 | Severin Kolb: Realism and nationalism as international movements around 1848. Parallels in the oeuvres of Joachim Raff and Bedřich Smetana 9.20–9.40 | Viktor Velek: The Viennese Czech František Pivoda 9.40–10.00 | Magdalena Dziadek: Bedřich Smetana and Stanisław Moniuszko seen by witnesses of their careers as national composers 10.00–10.30 | discussion 10.30–11.00 | coffee break
Conference block VI Chair: Jarmila Gabrielová
11.00–11.20 | Patrick Devine: ‘An application of “stream of consciousness” techniques to absolute music’? Smetana’s Second String Quartet reassessed 11.20–11.40 | Milan Pospíšil: Smetana's Operatic Arias 11.40–12.00 | David Beveridge, Veronika Vejvodová: "Dvořák contra Smetana“? What Was, and Is, Their Real Relationship? 12.00–12.20 | Tomáš Slavický: Antonín Dvořák's Saint Ludmila and Forgotten Concepts of Czech Cultural History 12.20–13.00 | discussion 13.00–14.40 | lunch
Conference block VII Chair: Ondřej Pivoda
14.40–15.00 | Olga Mojžíšová: Bedřich Smetana – the Whale in the Czech Pond 15.00–15.20 | Michaela Mojžišová: The Bride to the Coach and the Chariot. The Interpretive Tradition of The Bartered Bride on Slovak Opera Stages 15.20–15.40 | Martin Hrdina: Vrchlický's Smetana 15.40–16.00 | Miloš Zapletal: Conceptualization of Janáček as an Anti-Smetana 16.00–16.40 | discussion 16.40–17.00 | coffee break
Conference block VIII Chair: Michael Beckerman
17.00–17.20 | Sandra Bergmannová: Smetana's Má vlast in the Flow of Czechoslovak History 17.20–17.40 | Martin Nedbal, Marek Pechač: Reconstructing Jan Löwenbach’s “American” Biography of Bedřich Smetana 17.40–18.00 | Lenka Křupková: Smetana's Reception under the Weight of Communist Ideology 18.00–18.30 | discussion 18.30 | conclusion of the conference over a glass of "Smetana" punch
Wednesday 25 September 2024
9.00 and 10.00 | tour of Lobkowicz Palace – Prague Castle (Jiřská 3, Prague 1 – Hradčany)
