Special for the Night of Scientists at VŠPJ #1: MATĚJ KOLÁŘ: Music from the Past of Jihlava Region

Time plays an absolutely crucial role in music. And music? It changes constantly over time. What did the music of the past sound like, specifically the music that was played in Jihlava centuries ago? One of the possible interpretations is offered by Matěj Kolář, a guest on one of the two special episodes of the Polytechnicast podcast, which we prepared on the occasion of the Night of Scientists 2021. This Jihlava-based performer, musician and teacher has been playing the classical violin for more than a quarter of a century and interpreting folk music from all over the world in an original, often almost experimental way. However, traditional songs from Jihlava and its surroundings also have an irreplaceable place in his heart and musical expression. This is immediately apparent when he picks up the skripky, a unique instrument in the world context, derived from the classical violin, which was used to play folk dance music in the Horácko region until the Second World War. Join Matěj on an adventurous journey against the tide of time in search of the music of the past, where Matěj will not only tell you about the skripek, but also play it several times. You will learn not only where the skripekas came from and how they were made, but also, for example, that at one time they cost even less than bread, or how the way the Czech-born Jihlavans played differed from the way the Jihlava Germans made music with the skripekas.