Programme
Paths to Folklore Song
Musica Folklorica Participants: Musica Folklorica, Martin Hrbáč, Miro Dudík, Martin Prachař, Veronika Malatincová, Ivan Urbánek, the Oskoruša female choir, a dance group from Velké nad Veličkou
The Horňácko region has some of the oldest and best preserved folk culture in the Czech Republic, and for more than a hundred years it has been attracting the attention of artists seeking inspiration, among them Leoš Janáček. In a small region at the foot of the White Carpathians, he found folk musicians and singers whose skills he admired – Pavel Trn and his band, the singer Kateřina Hudečková, and a valuable collaborator, the collector Martin Zeman; in the neighbouring area of Myjavské Kopanice he was attracted by Samek Dudík´s music.
One century later, Musica Folklorica is following in the footsteps of the old rural musicians while simultaneously drawing from Janáček´s very modern understanding of the folk song as a source of inspiration for further creativity. The band goes beyond the framework of the traditional form of dulcimer music, mainly thanks to their self-penned arrangements and the sensitive incorporation of the songs of their home region of Horňácko, and beyond. They also engage in the meticulous study of archive materials and search for half-forgotten or less well-known songs while collaborating long term with excellent singers (Dušan Holý, Luboš Holý, Veronika Malatincová, Martin Prachař). The idea of reflecting Janáček´s relationship to the Horňácko region is nothing new to the performers as one can find many descendants of the legendary first violinist Trn and the collector Zeman among them, which adds a dash of uniqueness to the whole equation.
Petr Pavlinec
