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Zdeněk Nejedlý

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567: 93: 638:(1936) that included a scathing attack on ideological bias in music criticism, Nejedlý expected his remaining followers to shun Helfert and condemn the publication. Hutter publicly sided with Helfert. During the Nazi occupation, both men were imprisoned by the Nazis: Helfert for Communist resistance (for which he was severely tortured, dying in May 1945) and Hutter for pro-Democratic resistance. After the war, Hutter returned to Charles University, but was expelled in 1950 and arrested on trumped-up charges. He was sentenced to thirty-nine years imprisonment, but served only six, having been released during an amnesty. His health broken, Hutter died in 1959, three years before his former teacher. 25: 582: 324: 446:, which ran for sixteen years, 1910–1927. From this vantage point Nejedlý launched the so-called "Dvořák Affair" (1911–1914), in which he sought to attack the legacy of the great composer; any contemporary artists who sided against him (especially the 31 musicians who signed a public petition in 1912) became the focus of fierce personal attacks. Beginning with 379:
in 1901 as a first attempt at gaining greater recognition for his mentor. That these efforts were directed against the musical establishment of Prague (who he felt had victimized Smetana, Fibich, and Hostinský) was made clear by his first foray into music criticism that same year, in an attack on
563:'s Third Republic he was made Minister of Education, Arts, and Sciences, but this was exchanged for Social Security by 1946. After the Communist seizure of power (the “February Revolution”) in 1948 he returned to Culture and Education with enhanced powers, a post he kept until 1953. 633:
had turned many of his former adherents against him, most notably Vladimír Helfert, whose work as a musicologist had outstripped his teacher's, and Josef Hutter, who had published on Ostrčil and Zich. When Helfert published a landmark monograph,
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after 1948, where he became the first Minister of Culture and Education. In this position he was responsible for creating a statewide education curriculum, and was associated with the early 1950s expulsion of university professors.
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These factional divisions were to inspire Nejedlý throughout his whole career; in many ways he was personally responsible for perpetuating them for future generations, long after their currency in Czech musical society. His 1903
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When Nejedlý's music reviews for Prague's daily newspapers grew distasteful in their anti-Conservatory bias, he and his followers were precipitously banned from publication, forcing the group to found their own journal,
371:, whose personality and tastes had a profound effect on his young student. Although his first publications were devoted to Czech history, after Fibich's death in 1900 Nejedlý devoted himself to musicology, authoring a 986: 620:
After approximately two years of Communist dictatorship, the Czechoslovak Communist Party began a purge of its own party or former non-communist opponents, most notoriously manifested in the arrest and execution of
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and monographs on Ostrčil (1935, to commemorate his friend's death), the National Theatre (1936), and Soviet music (1937). in 1932 he became chairman of another independent left-wing association, the
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stance toward Czech history was given the force of law. This included down-playing the achievements of the vanished democracy as a series of bourgeois trends that were ultimately damaging to society.
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It was also Nejedlý's chance to promote his passion for Smetana and his "lineage", now enacted as state law. To this latter end he entered a new stage of retrospective publishing, with works like
1001: 140: 751: 996: 760: 508:, which Ostrčil had produced in 1926. By this point, however, his many musicology students were among the main critics in Prague, carrying on his work on his behalf. After the close of 417:, all personal friends of Nejedlý's on the outs with the Prague establishment. Over the next decade he produced an extraordinary amount of writing on music, including monographs on pre- 343:
movement. His formal education in music began with Josef Šťastný at the Litomyšl Gymnasium (1888–1896), alongside instruction in Czech history. In 1896 he moved to Prague to study at
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in 1913, Nejedlý sought to end the careers of composers who did not conform to his pro-Smetana views of modern tradition and social responsibility: other notable targets included
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Svatos, Thomas D. "A Clash over Julietta: the Martinů/Nejedlý Political Conflict and Twentieth-Century Czech Critical Culture." ex tempore xiv/2, Spring/Summer (2009): 1-41.
1056: 601:. These works and especially their ideology were retained, in some form or another, in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic all the way until the fall of Communism (the “ 1051: 744: 566: 737: 92: 544: 335:
composer and pedagogue Roman Nejedlý (1844–1920), Zdeněk Nejedlý had the good fortune to be born in Litomyšl, the historic birthplace of the composer
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castle, reserved for Czech heroes and significant representatives of Czech culture. His grave is near those of Smetana, Ostrčil, and his son, Vít.
991: 429:(1913). In 1908 he began to lecture in musicology at Charles University, forming a circle of devoted young colleagues that included Zich and 259: 720:
Křesťan, Jiří. "'Poslední husita' odchází: Zdeněk Nejedlý v osidlech kulturní politiky KSČ po roce 1945" Soudobé dějiny xii/1 (2005): 9-44.
543:, where he supposedly helped Czech resistance activities from afar and officially joined the Communist Party in 1939. At this time, his son 976: 363:, finally receiving his doctorate in 1900. Hostinský, a great proponent of Smetana's music, suggested that Nejedlý study composition and 981: 935: 1061: 723:
Křesťan, Jiří. "Srdce Václava Talicha se ztratilo: k problému národní očisty" . Soudobé dějiny xvi/1, 2-3 (2009): 69-111; 243–275.
765: 402: 940: 239: 68: 46: 39: 971: 930: 769: 454:. Meanwhile, these tactics came back to haunt Nejedlý's own protégés, especially Ostrčil as director of Prague's 306: 1026: 555:, whose band he attempted to emulate. After the end of the war (and Vít's death of typhus after the battle of 729: 281:, historian, music critic, author, and politician whose ideas dominated the cultural life of what is now the 1031: 462: 559:, January 1945), Zdeněk Nejedlý returned to Prague to participate in the postwar government. Initially in 1041: 790: 517: 491: 487: 1036: 339:, the so-called "Father of Czech music" and a significant figurehead in the Czechs' nineteenth-century 1021: 574:
These crucial years saw the implementation of a statewide curriculum at all levels of education: his
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in 1921, Nejedlý became one of its earliest and most outspoken supporters. With the exception of his
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journal, he turned away from mainstream journal publications, focusing on the Communist daily
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by at least two generations of students, many of whom had no connection to his musicology.
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Opera and Ideology in Prague: Polemics and Practice at the National Theatre, 1900-1938
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politics and cultural leadership made him a central figure in the early years of the
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students of Dvořák and the supposed inheritors of Smetana, including the composers
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The Communists—Inheritors of the Grand Progressive Tradition of the Czech Nation
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pieces and workers' choruses, was involved with a Czech brigade attached to the
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During the Nazi occupation of the Czech Lands, the Nejedlý family fled to the
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for most of the twentieth century. Although he started out merely reviewing
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Members of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia
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and his wing of the Communist Party, and his own political journal,
323: 609: 552: 548: 484: 290: 547:(1912–45), whose short career in Prague had focused on Communist 504: 418: 717:Červinka, František. Zdeněk Nejedlý . Prague: Melantrich, 1969. 512:, his main involvements in music included a short polemic with 275: 225: 1017:
Members of the National Assembly of Czechoslovakia (1960–1964)
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Members of the National Assembly of Czechoslovakia (1954–1960)
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Members of the National Assembly of Czechoslovakia (1948–1954)
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Members of the Constituent National Assembly of Czechoslovakia
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Zdeněk Nejedlý died on 9 March 1962, and was buried in the
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Members of the Interim National Assembly of Czechoslovakia
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Czech musicologist, historian and politician (1878–1962)
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Czech Modern Music: A Study of Czech Musical Creativity
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Corresponding Members of the USSR Academy of Sciences
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song (1904, 1907, and 1913), Smetana's operas 1908,
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Members of the German Academy of Sciences at Berlin
615: 436: 293:period his status had risen, guided primarily by 953: 534: 1052:Foreign members of the USSR Academy of Sciences 522:International Association of Marxist Historians 494:, and various other leaders; the last issue of 483:(Boiling, 1921–30). In these he chastised the 377:Zdenko Fibich, Founder of the Scenic Melodrama 745: 260:Faculty of Arts, Charles University in Prague 669:, Rochester, N.Y.: Boydell and Brewer, 2006 153:25 February 1948 – 31 January 1953 752: 738: 91: 69:Learn how and when to remove this message 936:1946 Czechoslovak parliamentary election 580: 565: 498:was taken up with a detailed defense of 458:and Zich as a modernist opera composer. 322: 318: 274:(10 February 1878 – 9 March 1962) was a 32:This article includes a list of general 520:, and from 1935 he was chairman of the 401:drew distinct battle lines between the 992:Government ministers of Czechoslovakia 954: 733: 301:political views. This combination of 289:in Prague newspapers in 1901, by the 18: 118:5 April 1945 – 2 July 1946 13: 977:People from the Kingdom of Bohemia 711: 38:it lacks sufficient corresponding 14: 1073: 761:First Cabinet of Klement Gottwald 107:Minister of Culture and Education 616:The Show Trials and Josef Hutter 423:Czech Modern Opera Since Smetana 367:with his like-minded colleague, 347:, where he attended lectures in 23: 982:Czech Realist Party politicians 570:Zdeněk Nejedlý in February 1948 437:Polemics and the Interwar Years 307:Czechoslovak Socialist Republic 703:Československý hudební slovník 696: 684: 679:Československý hudební slovník 672: 659: 461:After the legalization of the 97:Zdeněk Nejedlý in March, 1927. 1: 941:1948 Czechoslovak coup d'état 652: 535:Wartime and Postwar Communism 1062:Burials at Vyšehrad Cemetery 692:Opera and Ideology in Prague 585:Nejedlý and his wife in 1945 463:Czechoslovak Communist Party 393:shortly after its premiere. 313: 7: 591:The History of My Smetanism 10: 1078: 918: 843: 824: 801: 778: 265: 253: 245: 235: 215: 188: 183: 179: 167: 157: 146: 134: 122: 111: 106: 102: 90: 83: 407:Josef Bohuslav Foerster 327:Zdeněk Nejedlý in 1905. 53:more precise citations. 825:Deputy Prime Ministers 586: 571: 492:Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk 399:History of Czech Music 328: 1027:Czech music educators 584: 569: 488:Czechoslovak Republic 326: 319:Early life and career 972:People from Litomyšl 1032:Czech musicologists 1042:Czech male writers 851:Vladimír Clementis 587: 572: 345:Charles University 329: 206:Kingdom of Bohemia 1037:Czech journalists 949: 948: 911: 903: 895: 887: 879: 871: 863: 859:Zdeněk Fierlinger 855: 836: 817: 794: 643:Vyšehrad cemetery 603:Velvet Revolution 597:, and especially 526:Socialist Academy 269: 268: 163:Jaroslav Stránský 141:Jaroslav Stránský 79: 78: 71: 1069: 1022:Czech communists 909: 901: 893: 885: 877: 869: 861: 853: 834: 811: 809:Klement Gottwald 788: 773: 754: 747: 740: 731: 730: 705: 700: 694: 690:Brian S. Locke, 688: 682: 676: 670: 665:Brian S. Locke, 663: 595:On Czech Culture 490:, its president 477:Klement Gottwald 456:National Theatre 431:Vladimír Helfert 361:Otakar Hostinský 357:music aesthetics 341:National Revival 222: 199:10 February 1878 198: 196: 184:Personal details 170: 160: 151: 137: 125: 116: 95: 81: 80: 74: 67: 63: 60: 54: 49:this article by 40:inline citations 27: 26: 19: 1077: 1076: 1072: 1071: 1070: 1068: 1067: 1066: 952: 951: 950: 945: 914: 839: 820: 797: 774: 763: 758: 714: 712:Further reading 709: 708: 701: 697: 689: 685: 677: 673: 664: 660: 655: 627:Milada Horáková 618: 537: 448:Vítězslav Novák 439: 337:Bedřich Smetana 321: 316: 249:Marie Brichtová 240:Communist Party 236:Political party 224: 220: 210:Austria-Hungary 200: 194: 192: 168: 158: 152: 147: 135: 129:Emanuel Moravec 123: 117: 112: 98: 86: 75: 64: 58: 55: 45:Please help to 44: 28: 24: 17: 12: 11: 5: 1075: 1065: 1064: 1059: 1054: 1049: 1044: 1039: 1034: 1029: 1024: 1019: 1014: 1009: 1004: 999: 994: 989: 984: 979: 974: 969: 964: 947: 946: 944: 943: 938: 933: 931:National Front 928: 926:Košice Program 922: 920: 916: 915: 913: 912: 907:Ludvík Svoboda 904: 896: 888: 883:Zdeněk Nejedlý 880: 872: 867:Václav Kopecký 864: 856: 847: 845: 841: 840: 838: 837: 828: 826: 822: 821: 819: 818: 805: 803: 802:Prime Minister 799: 798: 796: 795: 782: 780: 776: 775: 757: 756: 749: 742: 734: 728: 727: 724: 721: 718: 713: 710: 707: 706: 695: 683: 671: 657: 656: 654: 651: 623:Rudolf Slánský 617: 614: 536: 533: 438: 435: 411:Otakar Ostrčil 382:Antonín Dvořák 320: 317: 315: 312: 283:Czech Republic 272:Zdeněk Nejedlý 267: 266: 263: 262: 257: 251: 250: 247: 243: 242: 237: 233: 232: 230:Czechoslovakia 223:(aged 84) 217: 213: 212: 190: 186: 185: 181: 180: 177: 176: 171: 165: 164: 161: 155: 154: 144: 143: 138: 132: 131: 126: 120: 119: 109: 108: 104: 103: 100: 99: 96: 88: 87: 85:Zdeněk Nejedlý 84: 77: 76: 31: 29: 22: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1074: 1063: 1060: 1058: 1055: 1053: 1050: 1048: 1045: 1043: 1040: 1038: 1035: 1033: 1030: 1028: 1025: 1023: 1020: 1018: 1015: 1013: 1010: 1008: 1005: 1003: 1000: 998: 995: 993: 990: 988: 985: 983: 980: 978: 975: 973: 970: 968: 965: 963: 960: 959: 957: 942: 939: 937: 934: 932: 929: 927: 924: 923: 921: 917: 908: 905: 900: 897: 892: 889: 884: 881: 876: 873: 868: 865: 860: 857: 852: 849: 848: 846: 842: 833: 830: 829: 827: 823: 815: 810: 807: 806: 804: 800: 792: 787: 784: 783: 781: 777: 771: 767: 762: 755: 750: 748: 743: 741: 736: 735: 732: 725: 722: 719: 716: 715: 704: 699: 693: 687: 680: 675: 668: 662: 658: 650: 648: 644: 639: 637: 632: 628: 624: 613: 611: 608: 604: 600: 596: 592: 583: 579: 577: 568: 564: 562: 558: 554: 550: 546: 542: 532: 531: 527: 523: 519: 515: 511: 507: 506: 501: 497: 493: 489: 486: 482: 478: 474: 473: 468: 464: 459: 457: 453: 449: 445: 434: 432: 428: 427:Gustav Mahler 424: 420: 416: 412: 408: 404: 400: 394: 392: 391: 387: 383: 378: 374: 370: 369:Zdeněk Fibich 366: 362: 358: 354: 353:Jaroslav Goll 351:history with 350: 346: 342: 338: 334: 333:east Bohemian 325: 311: 308: 304: 300: 296: 292: 288: 284: 280: 277: 273: 264: 261: 258: 256: 252: 248: 244: 241: 238: 234: 231: 227: 218: 214: 211: 207: 203: 191: 187: 182: 178: 175: 174:Ernest Sýkora 172: 166: 162: 156: 150: 145: 142: 139: 133: 130: 127: 121: 115: 110: 105: 101: 94: 89: 82: 73: 70: 62: 52: 48: 42: 41: 35: 30: 21: 20: 891:Václav Nosek 882: 786:Edvard Beneš 702: 698: 691: 686: 678: 674: 666: 661: 645:at Prague's 640: 635: 631:Leoš Janáček 619: 607:totalitarian 598: 594: 590: 588: 573: 561:Eduard Beneš 541:Soviet Union 538: 529: 525: 521: 509: 503: 495: 480: 470: 466: 460: 443: 440: 422: 403:Conservatory 398: 395: 388: 376: 365:music theory 330: 279:musicologist 271: 270: 221:(1962-03-09) 219:9 March 1962 169:Succeeded by 148: 136:Succeeded by 113: 65: 59:January 2022 56: 37: 967:1962 deaths 962:1878 births 875:Jan Masaryk 764: [ 576:revisionist 545:Vít Nejedlý 415:Otakar Zich 331:Son of the 159:Preceded by 124:Preceded by 51:introducing 956:Categories 899:Jan Šrámek 832:Petr Zenkl 653:References 518:Left Front 500:Alban Berg 472:Rudé právo 349:positivist 297:and later 255:Alma mater 195:1878-02-10 34:references 844:Ministers 779:President 502:'s opera 452:Josef Suk 375:entitled 373:monograph 314:Biography 303:left wing 299:Communist 295:socialist 149:In office 114:In office 647:Vyšehrad 610:hegemony 553:Red Army 549:agitprop 485:interwar 291:interwar 202:Litomyšl 919:Related 505:Wozzeck 467:Smetana 444:Smetana 419:Hussite 390:Rusalka 47:improve 910:(ind.) 878:(ind.) 862:(ČSSD) 835:(ČSNS) 413:, and 287:operas 246:Spouse 226:Prague 36:, but 902:(ČSL) 894:(KSČ) 886:(KSČ) 870:(KSČ) 854:(KSČ) 772:] 557:Dukla 514:Novák 386:opera 359:with 276:Czech 791:ČSNS 625:and 355:and 216:Died 189:Born 814:KSČ 510:Var 496:Var 481:Var 384:'s 958:: 770:de 768:; 766:cs 593:, 433:. 409:, 228:, 208:, 204:, 816:) 812:( 793:) 789:( 753:e 746:t 739:v 530:. 528:) 197:) 193:( 72:) 66:( 61:) 57:( 43:.

Index

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Emanuel Moravec
Jaroslav Stránský
Ernest Sýkora
Litomyšl
Kingdom of Bohemia
Austria-Hungary
Prague
Czechoslovakia
Communist Party
Alma mater
Faculty of Arts, Charles University in Prague
Czech
musicologist
Czech Republic
operas
interwar
socialist
Communist
left wing
Czechoslovak Socialist Republic

east Bohemian
Bedřich Smetana
National Revival

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