This work is a summary of performers of bagpipe music in ethnographic regions throughout South Bohemia, focusing on the second half of the 20th century to the present day. It describes the musical activities of individual bagpipers, as well as the influence of bagpipe bands in Prácheňsko, Pošumava, Doudlebsko, Blata and Kozácko. The work should not only function as a chronological history catalog of folk musicians for those interested in folk culture, but also highlight their accomplishments in maintaining South Bohemian bagpipe traditions, in both its authentic form, as well as natural development.

The purpose of this thesis is to figure out the significance of the bagpiping tradition in the Czech Republic its potential to be added to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. The thesis explains the current laws and ordinances in the area of protection of intangible cultural heritage and its application in the Czech Republic. The paper then explores the history and development of the bagpiping tradition and shows the current presentation in rural culture. Based on this theoretical part it answers the question if the bagpiping tradition has potential to be added to the Representative List or if there are steps that need to be taken first.

This dissertation examines five distinctly different comic operas by Antonín Dvořák, composed over a period of almost thirty years. I demonstrate ample evidence of their reflecting Dvořák's national identity as well as that of the Czech nation at a time of rising nationalism. I also demonstrate how Dvořák's compositional choices reveal his capacity as a musical dramatist of comic opera. I have examined and analyzed the libretti, full scores, and piano/vocal reductions of the five operas for references to national identity and for comedy. Musical elements such as dance rhythms, orchestral dudy (bagpipe) drone, the ascending interval of a fourth, and familiar folk tunes are interpreted as Slavic, Czech, or Bohemian. I have considered Dvořák's musical illustration of stereotypical stock characters and situations, and musical exploitation of social conventions and norms. Comic effects of recurrence, reversal, and pre- and post-outcome responses are achieved through acoustic signals such as unexpected tempo, dynamic, rhythmic, and harmonic shifts, and repetition in excess. I address the limited scholarship regarding Dvořák's operatic contributions — particularly as regards comic opera — in the field of opera studies, and challenge the argument that while there may be a generic "folk-tone," there is very little musical evidence of his national identity. Dvořák's ability to communicate far more to the audience than what is contained in the libretti alone is demonstrated not only in the broad scope of these five distinctly different operas, but also in the depth of musical support, including rhythm, melody, motivic development, and rich orchestration. / 2024-11-30T00:00:00Z

The pukl, commonly called dudy, is a bellow-blown bagpipe whose origin and development can be traced to older forms known as grosser Bock and polnischer Bock. The instrument is an important feature in the identity of Chodsko, an ethonographic region of West Bohemia. This thesis shows the significance of the pukl in Chodish tradition through its organology, pedagogy, performance practice, and history. Through the novel Psohlavci, Alois Jirásek offered a footing for reinforcement of Chodish traditions. The thesis argues that a succession of makers, performers, teachers, institutions, and events have woven a web of tradition in which the pukl holds a significant position. Supporting evidence is shown from artworks that are visible to the public as well as decoration on the instrument. Selected from the Chodish canon, the beloved song, ‘Zelený hájové’, illustrates the use of the dialect and ornamentation as being indicative of the region. Two DVDs, The Call of Dudy and Zelený Hájové …, and a glossary of Chodish terms together with a catalogue of field recordings are included. / Accompanied by 2 DVDs which are available through Interloan.