Topic

Music Culture of the Bohemian Middle Ages

Music culture in late medieval Bohemia is traditionally seen as one of the highlights of Czech music history.This period is associated with the cultivation of an extraordinarily diverse range of musical genres, from the traditional single-voice Latin chant to the complex compositions of the Renaissance polyphony. Bohemia at this time became the cradle of the first non-Latin (Czech) liturgy, created for the Hussite parish church in the second decade of the 15th century. From the end of the 14th century Bohemia also contributed significantly to the chant tradition in the wider European context, especially the chants composed by Archbishop John of Jenštejn and Nicholas of Rakovník. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the Hussite hymn tradition became one of the main inspirations for composers who highlighted themes related to the Czech past and national identity in their compositions.