About this Event
The Embassy of the Czech Republic will present the lecture "What Does 'Czech Music' Mean in 'The Year of Czech Music?' Three Answers" by Professor Michael Beckerman on October 21, 2024, at 6 pm. Delight in an evening answering this question and uncovering new insights into Czech music. The evening will include a guest singer performing a few songs by Janáček and Martinů.
About the Lecture:
The words “Czech Music” in this year-long celebration may seem self-evident. And yet the way we choose to interpret those words are important aspects of the way we understand both the past and the present.Beckerman will present three different models for how we might engage the question, richly illustrated by musical examples: the first is an approach to Czech music that suggests the tradition is best understood by invoking the powerful but elusive concept of “Czechness;” second is based on the view that we should hear Czech music in terms of the polyglot legacy of the Hapsburg Empire; and the third is an approach to the subject based on the idea that Czech music cannot meaningfully be separated from European music, and even that putting too much stress on nationality, may actually be an impediment as we try to grasp the power behind the music of Smetana, Dvořák, Janáček, Martinů and many other significant figures. Spoiler alert: all of these are true and none of these are true.
About the Lecturer:
Michael Beckerman is the Carroll and Milton Petrie Professor and Collegiate Professor of Music at New York University. He has written many studies and several books on Czech music topics, including New Worlds of Dvořák (W.W. Norton, 2003), Dvořák and His World (Princeton University Press, 1993), Janáček and His World (Princeton, 2004), Janáček as Theorist (Pendragon Press, 1994), and Martinů's Mysterious Accident (Pendragon, 2007), among others. He is a recipient of the Dvořák Medal and the Janáček Medal by the Czech Ministry of Culture, and is also a Laureate of the Czech Music Council. Dr. Beckerman earned his doctorate from Columbia University in 1982. He received an honorary doctorate from Palacký University in the Czech Republic (2014) and Masaryk University (2022). In 2021, he was awarded the Gratias Agist Award from the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Music Lecture Series
October 21, 2024, 6 pm - Delving into Czech Music w/Michael Beckerman (in person)
October 22, 2024, 12 noon - Bedřich Smetana w/Martin Nedbal (online)
October 23, 2024, 12 noon - Leoš Janáček w/ David Thurmaier (online)
Event Details:
Date/Time: October 21, 2024, at 6 pm
Venue: Embassy of the Czech Republic
3900 Spring of Freedom Street, NW
Washington, DC 20008
RSVP required
Admission is free.
Embassy Policy:The Embassy of the Czech Republic disclaims and excludes any and all liability for any loss, injury, or damage, alleged to have been suffered by or as a result of or otherwise on its premises. No large bags are allowed. Small purses may be checked as you pass through security for entrance. RSVP confirmation and photo ID required.
Parking: Non-metered parking is available on Spring of Freedom Street and Tilden Street.
Closest Metro: The Embassy is about a 15-20 minute walk from the Van Ness Metro Station.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Embassy of the Czech Republic, 3900 Spring of Freedom Street, NW, Washington, United States
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