| SVU |
CZECHOSLOVAK SOCIETY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES |
Selected Activities of SVU Local Chapters
Pittsburgh Chapter
On November
14, 2001, the Central European city of Ostrava, Czech Republic will become the thirteenth
sister city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Official documents will be signed at 9 a.m. in
City Council chambers. Mayor Tom Murphy will welcome the mayor of Ostrava, Cestmir Vlcek,
as well as local and national members of the Czech American community, to the city of
Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Ostrava Sister City Committee, under the direction of
chairperson William Lafe, will also welcome Mayor Vlcek with a series of planned business
meetings and receptions to be held during the mayor's week-long visit. A reception
following the signing ceremony will be sponsored by the Pittsburgh chapter of the
Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences (SVU).
The plans for introducing another official sister city of Pittsburgh were coordinated by
the Greater Pittsburgh Sister City Association, a committee of representatives from local
ethnic groups. GPSCA holds regularly scheduled meetings to discuss the work of sponsoring
international events.
Other official sister cities of Pittsburgh include: Sofia, Bulgaria; Wuhan, China; Zagreb,
Croatia; Matanzas, Cuba; Sheffield, England; Saarbrucken, Germany; Omiya, Japan; Skopje,
Macedonia; San Isidro, Nicaragua; Fernando de la Mora, Paraguay; Bilbao, Spain; and
Donetsk, Ukraine.
For additional information about Ostrava's new relationship with Pittsburgh, contact SVU
President/Pittsburgh Chapter, Carol Hochman at carolh1541@aol.com.
HISTORICAL MARKER TO HONOR THE PITTSBURGH AGREEMENT
The
Pennsylvania Historic Marker and Museum Commission recently approved an application to
honor Tomas Garrigue Masaryk and the signing of the The Pittsburgh Agreement with an
official historic marker. The application was submitted to the Pennsylvania State
Commission by the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences
(SVU), a nonprofit, international organization (www.svu2000.org) which includes as one of
its goals, the preservation of Czech and Slovak heritage both in this country and abroad
The Pittsburgh Agreement played a significant role in the course of events leading to the
establishment of an independent Czechoslovak state after the First World War. The catalyst
for the drafting and signing of this Agreement was the visit to Pittsburgh in 1918 of
Professor Tomas Garrigue Masaryk who later that year became the first president of
Czechoslovakia. On May 30, during his visit to Pittsburgh, Masaryk addressed an
enthusiastic crowd of 20,000 that had gathered in support of the new nation. As recounted
by local
newspaper reports, Professor Masaryk was "greeted with tumultuous and thunderous
applause" and delivered a speech that was described as "striking heart
fire." The Pittsburgh Agreement was signed the next day by local Czech and Slovak
representatives who pledged support for the formation of an independent country.
A dedication ceremony for the unveiling of the historic marker honoring this event is
planned for Thursday afternoon, May 31, 2001 at the corner of Seventh and Penn Avenues in
downtown Pittsburgh, near the site of the original signing. In attendance will be
representatives from the Czech and Slovak Embassies, state and local officials, and
members of Czech and Slovak organizations. Anyone interested in attending the dedication
ceremony is welcome to do so.
Contact: Carol Hochman e-mail: CarolH1541@aol.com
Edmonton, Canada Chapter
SVU Edmonton Chapter Prepares CD Record with Czech Music
Thanks to
the efforts of the Edmonton SVU Chapter, particularly its president Prof. Pavel Jelen, a
new CD record with Czech music is now available. The project has been brought to fruition
thanks to cooperation with the University of Alberta, and the sponsor Dairy Farmers of
Canada. The CD features a live recording of an Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (ESO) concert
given on October 29, 1999 in the Winspear Centre, conducted by Grzegorz Nowak, an Honorary
Professor at the Department of Music.
The music on the CD consists of "the original" version of the most reverend
piece of all Czech music, "My Homeland" by Bedrich Smetana (including the famous
Vltava/Moldau, arguably the most famous piece of Czech classical orchestra repertoire),
and an almost unknown opus by Leos Janacek, his "Moravian Dances" recorded only
once before. This is the first recording of an ESO concert available on a CD; also a first
recording of the "original version" of My Homeland by a Canadian orchestra and
possibly by anyone, as this cyclus of the symphonic poems as played nowadays includes two
additional pieces which were added by the composer several years after completing the
original version.
The sale price for individual copies will be $20, multiple copies (20 minimum) will be
available at a discount.SVU encourages its members to buy this unique CD. Interested
persons should contact George Patocka [gpatocka@ualberta.ca]
or Pavel Jelen [paul.jelen@ualberta.ca].
Washington DC Chapter
SVU Washington DC Chapter
announces
US PREMIERE OF A PLAY BY CZECH PLAYWRIGHT OLDRICH DANEK
" NOT AS UGLY AS SHE APPEARED TO BE "
Nove Divadlo ( New Theatre) from Toronto, Canada, will perform an original play written by the famous Czech playwright Oldrich Danek: "Zdaleka ne tak oskliva jak se puvodne zdalo." The performance will take place on Saturday, March 17, 2001, 7:00 P.M.in the Experimental Theatre of the American University. Experimental Theatre is located left of the main entrance to the campus of the American University from Massachusetts Avenue ( Ward Circle).
This masterpiece of Danek's dramatic oeuvre will be performed in Czech and Slovak by Nove Divadlo, the largest functioning Czech and Slovak theatre outside of our homelands. This performance will be the US premiere of the play and will be dedicated to the memory of Oldrich Danek who passed away in September of 2000. Nove Divadlo is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year and Danek's play received standing ovations during its recent Toronto opening night. The original musical score, written for the play by the Czech-Canadian composer Jaroslav Jarosil, will be performed by the composer himself.
Please reserve your
seats for March 17 (Saturday ) and call SVU Washington DC Chapter for reservations at
301-564-9081 (please leave a message) or e-mail to:
Ojsafertal@comcast.net or borkovec@erols.com.
We are looking forward to seeing you on March 17.
SVU Washington Donates a New Piano to the Embassy
On Tuesday, October 12,
1999, on the occasion of a recital by piano prodigy Lukas Vondracek at the Czech Embassy,
Dr. Alexej Borkovec, President of the Washington, DC Chapter of SVU (Czechoslovak Society
of Arts and Sciences), presented the new concert piano Petrof III M to Martina Vondrova,
wife of the Czech Ambassador. Mrs. Vondrova expressed her delight and her heartfelt
thanks.
The new piano is the culmination of a two-year effort by the Washington, DC SVU chapter to
acquire a new, high quality instrument for the Embassy. Since 1990, SVU Washington, DC has
been co-hosting concerts at the Embassy, and in recent years it had come to their
attention that the Baldwin piano on the premises had seen better days and was not adequate
for the needs of the fine musicians who perform at the Chancery. After two years of
research and negotiations, the SVU chapter was informed of the possibility of buying an
excellent piano from the Petrof company in Hradec Kralove, who was willing to sell it to
SVU at a very advantageous price. Beginning in August 1999, SVU organized a fund raiser,
mailing requests for contributions to all SVU chapter members, as well as to known
music-lovers who attend the Embassy concerts on a regular basis. Within two months, over
$9,000 was raised, the rest coming from the coffers of the SVU chapter.
The SVU Washington, DC chapter is very proud to be making this gift. It is not only a gift
to the Embassy, but an assurance of the quality of music which will be perfomed at the
Embassy in the years to come. The Czechs, all agree, have no better and more appreciated
export than their music.
Source: Czech the News November 1999
As soon as the news of the disastrous floods in eastern Bohemia and northern Moravia reached the USA, SVU Washington DC responded promptly. The chapter's membership unanimously voted to donate $3,000 from their treasury for this effort. Individual members and their friends raised an additional $3,400 for the flood relief in the Czech lands.
The Chairman of the SVU Washington DC chapter, Alexej Borkovec, presented a check for $6,400, made out to the Czech Red Cross as a donation for the flood relief, to the Czech Ambassador to the United States.
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Brno
SVU Moravian Chapter Takes Part in the Events of Jewish Moravia - Jewish Brno 2001
Thanks to
Dr. Marie Bobkova, our agile President of the SVU Moravian Chapter, the Czechoslovak
Society of Arts and Sciences (SVU) will participate and be an active partner in the
forthcoming cultural events of the program of Jewish Moravia - Jewish Brno.
The program is to continue till the end of 2001. It will include expositions, concerts,
seminars, conferences, lectures, which are expected to have a wide impact. The festive
opening of the project will be on 18th December 2000. Of special interest is the
exposition of Mr. Waldes' collection of paintings by Prof. František Kupka; further, the
exhibition will present the history of Jewish culture in Moravia in the period 13th
century to 1945, in co-operation with the House of Art of Brno City, Jewish Museum of
Prague, Memorial of Holocaust in Terezín. The exhibition will include, among others, the
art of synagogues, and paintings of children from Terezín concentration camp. Apart from
other planned activities, the concert of cantor Joseph Malovany from New York City, is
also to take place. There will also be two grand receptions in the National Theatre of
Brno.
The list of honored guests is headed by Rabbi Efraim Karol Sidon of Prague, Chief Rabbi of
the Czech Republic and Her Excellency, Ambassador of Israel, Erella Hadar. The President
of the project's Honorary Committee is Pavel Tigrid. Other participating celebrities
include Honorary Vice President of B'nai B'rith Prof. Dr. Ernst Ludwig Ehrlich; President
of Commission for Religious Relations with Jews, Edward Idris Cardinal Cassidy; President
of the Commission for Culture, Paul Cardinal Poupard; Honorary General Consul of the Czech
Republic in Israel and President of Israeli Society of Friends of the Czech Republic,
Chanan Rozen; Honorary President of the Society of Czechoslovak immigrants in Israel,
Hanuš Cvi Wiegl; Prince Karel Schwarzenberg; Countess Diana Sternberg; writer and
diplomat Avigdor Dagan (Viktor Fischl); writer Arnošt Lustig; journalist Jefim
Fištejn; Jiri Zlatuška, Rector of Masaryk University of Brno; Jan Kasl, Mayor of Prague
and Petr Duchon, Mayor of Brno and many others.
The events are cosponsored by the Israeli Society of Friends of the Czech Republic, the
Federation of Jewish Communities, the Jewish Museum of Prague, Jewish Community of Brno
and Prague, the Jewish Agency, Musica Judaica, Memorial of Holocaust in Terezin and the
City of Brno.
Media partners of the project are Czech Television, the Czech Radio, Radio Free Europe,
advertising companies REALMEDIA, Eclipse and Super Poster.
The present information was finalized at the 20th Congress of our Czechoslovak Society of
Arts and Sciences in Washington, 8 - 13th August 2000.
The Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences is pleased to participate in this important
event. Many of the participants, including Mr. Jirí Waldes, Arnošt Lustig, Viktor
Fischl, Pavel Tigrid, Jaroslav Stránský and others are members of our Society.
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