1925- The First Fragrant Flower of Spring

Today, in the hundred-part series of songs which were recorded in the history of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic, we get to 1925 and ‘The First Fragrant Flower of Spring.ʼ

By the mid-1930s, Czechoslovak theater had had a long run of misfortune in regards to successful operetta production. There was of course Oskar Nedbal with his Polish Blood and Vintage. However, these operettas were taking place outside the Czech environment, written on the German libretto and premiered mainly in Vienna.

In 1925, the foundations of the Liberated Theater of Voskovec and Werich were laid down.

On July 13th, Professor Karel Absolon and his team discovered the statue of the Věstonice Venus.

The first TV transmitters were created and the first experiments with color television were conducted.

On September 9th, the actress and opera singer Soňa Červená, the daughter of the founder of cabaret the Red Seven, was born.

This gradually began to change. The composer Rudolf Piskáček appeared. At the Prague Conservatory, this talented composer was the student of Antonín Dvořák's musical genre. Piskáček became a theater director and composed more than thirty operettes. He tried unsuccessfully to found his own theater in České Budějovice. However, he simply was not cut out for practical life. Eventually, he dedicated himself only to composing. His successful career ended with his premature death in 1940 at the age of 56.

Piskáček was an excellent melodic, and many songs or even arias from his work still go through the minds of many who witnessed them.

This is also the case of a loving song from the operetta Tulák. The main hero, enchanted by their wanderings through nature, sings with satisfaction: "when the spring's first fragrant flower begins to bloom."

This joy was transferred to listeners and in 1925 it became the smash hit of the year. Its no wonder, for the coming of spring is positive for us to this day. It never changes. Do you feel it yourself?

R. Piskáček/ O. Žebrák: Když z jara první vonný květ