The Multimedia Technologies Applications indd

founded by a group of three enterprising young men in 2005 in California. In 2006, 
almost 100 million people watched video clips every day. Every 24 hours, 65 000 new 
clips were uploaded. In October 2006, Google Company bought YouTube at 1.65 bil-
lion dollars together with the content and memory of disc servers. According to the 
statistics, YouTube today offers over 90 per cent of videos on the internet.’
In my opinion, one of the aims of music education is to familiarise pupils with 
music of signifi cant Czech composers. Therefore I am going to focus on the brief 
description of possibilities which the portal gives us in this area.
My ideas are partly inspired by the textbooks used in music education, namely 
books from the SPN (State Pedagogical Publishing House) series by Charalambidis, 
Císař, Hurník, Matoška, Pilka.
The most-frequently listened to composer from the Czech music territory is 
according to these authors Bedřich Smetana. When we write the entry ‘Bedřich Sme-
tana’ into a search engine, already while typing the name, we will be offered the 
composer’s work Má vlast (My Country) or directly his symphonic poem Vltava 
(The River Vltava), which is not at all surprising.
If we confi rm the given name, the portal will offer a number of compositions con-
nected with the name of Bedřich Smetana. The number of found links is really high, 
about 800 compositions. Portal has several possibilities available when entering the 

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name of Bedřich Smetana. Not surprisingly, there are several versions of the sympho-
nic poem Vltava in different visualisations, the total number around 200 links, which 
is almost a quarter of all compositions available by Bedřich Smetana on this portal. 
The simplest versions are only audio records with simple pictures and the name of the 
symphonic poem, further there are photographs of Czech towns and Czech landscape 
and also the pictures of the composer. These remind us of the composer’s portrait 
which should be familiar to pupils in higher years of elementary schools.
The symphonic poem Vltava on YouTube is performed by a classical symphonic 
orchestra but it is also recorded in a digital form. The judgement on both depends on 
individual listening experience; nevertheless, the digital version seems a bit artifi cial. 
This gives us the opportunity to compare the record with real acoustic instruments 
with the computer record. Possibly, we can improve pupils’ receptive skills in this 
way. Pedagogically benefi cial is the record of the real orchestra. The interpretation 
of some musicians will defi nitely attract pupils’ attention, either positively or negati-
vely. Such a recording enables us to listen to Smetana’s Vltava and at the same time 
to watch visually musical instruments and musicians playing these instruments. Fur-
thermore, we can see the conductor, their gestures, movements, how their work with 
a baton or we can clarify their role in the orchestra.
Another poem from the symphonic cycle Má vlast (My Country) which has the 
search engine found in big numbers was Vyšehrad, Tábor or the audio record of the 
symphonic poem Z českých luhů a hájů (From Bohemia’s Woods and Fields) con-
ducted by Rafael Kubelík. When searching for individual parts of the cycle, it is easy 
to fi nd the whole cycle of symphonic poems. The Vltava is performed in a classical 
way, but also in a rock, piano and guitar version and it is even played on the glasses. 
In connection with the name of Bedřich Smetana, there are a number of other 
compositions we can listen to. Most often there are extracts from the opera Libuše, 
Dalibor or Hubička (Kiss). It is also easy to fi nd author’s Trio in G minor. Out of 
choir works, there are both professional and amateurish pieces available on YouTu-
be, frequent is the composition Má hvězda (My Star) or Věno (Dowry), for example 
by Prague Hlahol. When teaching dancing to music, we can search for České tance 
(Czech Dances), namely Furiant (an energetic Bohemian dance) and Cibulička, or 
Smetana’s most popular polkas, Luisina or Jiřinková. From chamber pieces, we can 
fi nd some duos such as Z domoviny (From My Homeland) or some small poetic pie-
ces like Lístek do památníku (The Album Leaf).
The listening samples on YouTube can be used to familiarise students with diff-
erent interprets, for example Libuše or Mařenka interpreted by Gabriela Beňačková, 
Jeník interpreted by Peter Dvorský, etc.
The entry ‘Bedřich Smetana’ has a lot of links on the portal, although some of 
them do not contain music performances. In some of them, Smetana’s name is only 
mentioned (promotion of music festivals, advertisements and samples). It will not be 
possible to use all found extracts and it is the teacher’s role to prepare the samples 

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and use the possibilities they offer. With some compositions, it is advisable to search 
the English name of the composition because some of the compositions are mainly in 
foreign interpretations, for example the trio 
Z mého života (From My Life). Sometimes it is necessary to try several possi-
bilities to fi nd out which samples are of better quality. Compositions intended for 
listening in books of music education or in curriculum can be easily found on this 
portal.
Another Czech composer worth mentioning is Antonín Dvořák. The teacher 
should devote enough attention to this personality. When we enter the entry ‘Antonín 
Dvořák’ into the search engine YouTube, we immediately have over 5000 different 
samples available. In comparison to Bedřich Smetana, it is approximately six times 
more. At a closer look, we will fi nd out that similar to Smetana, the parts of the 
records are photographs and pictures of the composer. It is not surprising that the 
largest number of links is of the Symphony No. 9 in E minor (New World Sympho-
ny) with approximately 3000 links and the parts of the opera Rusalka (Water Nym-
ph) with more than 330 samples. In lessons of music education, we can further use 
Dvořák’s Moravské dvojzpěvy (Moravian Duets) which can be used when teaching 
folk songs for two voices. Famous Slavonic Dances can be found in interpretation of 
Igor and Renata Ardašev. The tune which all pupils know a little and which is at least 
a bit familiar to them is without doubt the most famous Dvořák’s Humoreska which 
can be found, similar to Smetana’s Vltava, in many interpretations, played by a violin 
itself or with piano accompaniment or by a violin and a whole symphonic orchestra 
interpreted for example by Pavel Šporcl, a solo harp and a symphonic orchestra, 
a fl ute and a piano duo, a string quartet or different versions of woodwind instruments 
quartet. Of course, the piano version is available as well, even variant of musicians 
playing the Pan fl ute or, similar to Vltava, almost a variety performance of a musician 
playing the glasses. We can fi nd also a swing interpretation. Other less known humo-
resques by Dvořák can be found which demonstrates the fact that the ‘humoresque’ 
does not represent only the famous composition by Dvořák.
Among notable compositions on the portal YouTube, we can easily fi nd Dvořák’s 
Symphony No. 7, from sacred works it is the famous Te Deum or Stabat Mater, both 
of them again in many interpretations. To frequent samples of Dvořák’s music defi -
nitely belongs the energetic Bohemian dance furiant, mostly as a part of Slavonic 
Dances. If we want to widen the listening opportunities, we can search the furiant as 
a part of the fi fth movement of Česká suita (Czech Suite). We can show pupils recor-
dings of professionals musicians as well as amateurish videos from several music 
schools from children’s performances at school concerts and demonstrate to pupils 
that also their peers are commonly familiar with this type of music, that it is nothing 
unusual for them and that they can interpret the given composition mostly very well. 
Dvořák’s oratorio St. Ludmila can be presented as the part of an explanation about 
Antonín Dvořák but also in the connection with the text of this composition as it is 

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inspired by the texts from the beginning of music history in Czech Lands. (e. g. the 
choir Hospodine, pomiluj ny /Lord, Have Mercy on Us/ from the third part of the 
composition).
For pedagogical purposes, the offer of music samples on YouTube portal is defi -
nitely large enough. Similar to Beřich Smetana, also here are outstanding interprets 
connected with music by Antonín Dvořák.
The group of authors of music textbooks SPN (State Pedagogical Publishing 
House) further mention another Czech composer Leoš Janáček.
In the sixth year of the second grade, the part of listening activities is the aria of 
Kostelnička from the opera Její paskorkyňa (Jenůfa), in the ninth year it is the piano 
cycle Po zarostlém chodníčku (On an Overgrown Path), the part Sýček neodletěl (An 
Owl Has Not Flown Away). There over 700 samples connected to Janáček’s name 
on the portal. Frequent compositions which appear after entering the author’s name 
are the part of the cycle On an Overgrown Path. If we enter exactly the part The Owl 
Has Not Flown Away, the sample is immediately available. Again, it would be more 
interesting for pupils not only to listen to the piece but also (especially in the class 
with problematic concentration) to see interprets of the composition. It is also advisa-
ble to do this because most pupils do not search similar recordings, neither watch 
them on TV nor has the opportunity to see interprets playing live. Of course, this is 
not necessary if the teacher is planning to visit a cultural event such as a concert of 
classical music. 
The fi rst composition to be found after entering the author’s name is the world 
famous Sinfonietta, orchestral suite Taras Bulba or the parts of Glagolská mše (Gla-
golitic Mass). Out of these, it is possible to use especially the fi rst one at the second 
grade of elementary school, namely the introductory festive fanfares from Sinfonietta 
which could be close to the pupils thanks to its character. The introduction of this 
composition is logically the fi rst to be found on YouTube, although it is possible to 
fi nd all the parts. Unfortunately, we can expect a worse response towards Janáčkova’s 
Její pastorkyňa which can be most easily found under the entry ‘Jenůfa’ on YouTube. 
Operatic performances, as it is known, are not very popular with pupils and Janáček’s 
non-traditional tune line is diffi cult to be understood by pupils under the age of 15. 
Nevertheless, in my opinion, it is essential to familiarise pupils with this composi-
tion also in the area of cross-curricular relationships. It could be done on the basis 
of interesting reading material or of characters’ description. From this point of view, 
it would be useful to familiarise pupils with other operas based on literary topics, 
for example Čapek’s Věc Makropulos (The Makropulos Affair). In lower years, the 
teacher can choose the lively Lašské tance (Lachian Dances) for a listening activi-
ty, which pupils should know from their fi rst grade. The part Pilky (Small Saws) 
can attract pupils’ attention thanks to its rhythmical character. Some samples, as we 
know, are not usually complete so the teacher can decide whether to use only an 
extract or the whole composition.

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Out of the signifi cant Czech composers, students should further be familiar with 
the name of Bohuslav Martinů. The search engine has found about 620 recordings 
of this composer. The authors of the music books mention mainly Otvírání studánek 
(The Opening of the Wells), interesting composition for listeners is Le Jazz inter-
preted by Brno Young Symphonic Players. Their lively, almost popular interpretation 
will be close to most pupils. This composition has 20 samples on YouTube portal.
In music lessons it is worth mentioning the fact that management of YouTube 
portal decided, on the basis of its success, to support classical music and so it adver-
tised a public competition whose winners will become the members of YouTube 
Orchestra. The teacher may inform the pupils that some of the successful applicants 
were also three Czechs (violinists Jakub Fišer and Ondřej Martinovský from Prague 
Philharmonia and a violoncellist Michal Greco from Brno Philharmonic Orchestra) 
(D
RÁPELOVÁ
2009).
When choosing compositions for listening activity in lesson of music education, 
it is essential to focus on signifi cant pieces and consider the fact that also the most 
popular compositions might not be familiar to pupils. It is possible that pupils have 
heard some compositions and will fi nd them a bit familiar. Usually, they are these 
which have been used in fi lms, commercials and TV signature tunes; for example 
Dvořák’s Humoresque or Largo from his Symphony No. 9 which could be heard in 
the Czech movie Obecná škola or the infamous beer commercial which has used the