Czech koruna
koruna česká (Czech)
ISO 4217 code	CZK
Central bank	Czech National Bank
Website	www.cnb.cz
User(s)	Czech Republic
Inflation	2.4%
Source	Czech National Bank, October 2008
Method	CPI
Subunit
1/100	haléř
Symbol	Kč
haléř	h
Plural	The language(s) of this currency belong(s) to the Slavic languages. There is more than one way to construct plural forms.
Coins
Freq. used	1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 Kč
Banknotes
Freq. used	100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000 Kč

The Czech koruna or Czech crown (sign: Kč; code: CZK) has been the currency of the Czech Republic since 8 February 1993 when, together with its Slovak counterpart, it replaced the Czechoslovak koruna at par.

The official name in Czech is koruna česká (plural koruny české, though the zero-grade genitive plural form korun českých is used on banknotes and coins of value 5kč or higher). The ISO 4217 code is CZK and the local acronym is Kč, which is placed after the numeric value (e.g., "50 Kč"). One koruna equals 100 haléřů (abbreviated as "h", singular: haléř, nominative plural: haléře, genitive plural: haléřů - used with numbers higher or equal to 5 - e.g. 3 haléře, 8 haléřů).

The Czech Republic planned to adopt the euro in 2012, but its government suspended that plan in 2007.^[1] Although the country is economically well positioned to adopt the euro, there is considerable opposition to the move within the Czech Republic.^[2] According to a survey conducted in January 2011, only 22% of the Czech population was in favour of replacing the koruna with euro.^[3]

History[link]

This section requires expansion.

The Czech koruna replaced the Czechoslovak koruna when it was introduced in 1993 after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia. It first consisted of overstamped 20, 50, 100, 500, and 1000 Czechoslovak koruna banknotes, but a new series was properly introduced in 1993.

The currency was on a record exchange rate run in 2008.^[4][5][6][7]

Coins[link]

In 1993, coins were introduced in denominations of 10, 20 and 50 haléřů, 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 korun. The haléře (hellers) denominations were struck in aluminium, the 1, 2 and 5 korun in nickel-plated steel, the 10 korun in copper-plated steel, the 20 korun in brass-plated steel and the 50 korun with a brass-plated steel centre and a copper-plated steel ring. The 10 and 20 haléřů coins were taken out of circulation by 31 October 2003, and the 50 haléřů coins were withdrawn from circulation on 31 August 2008 due to their diminishing purchasing power and circulation.^[8] Coins are currently in circulation are the 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 korun. The coins all feature the Czech lion on the obverse, with the reverse featuring the value.

Since 1997, sets for collectors are also issued yearly with proof quality coins. In 2000, the 10 and 20 korun coins were minted with different obverses to commemorate the Millennium. In the beginning coins were minted in Winnipeg and Hamburg (in 1993 & 1994) then in the Czech Republic. There's also a tradition of issuing commemorative coins - including silver and gold coins - for numismatic purposes.

Banknotes[link]

The first Czech banknotes issued on 8 February 1993 consisted of Czechoslovak notes with adhesive stamps affixed to them. Only the 100, 500 and 1000 korun denominations were overstamped, the lower denominations circulated unchanged during this transitional period. Each stamp bears a Roman and Arabic number identifying the denomination of the banknote to which it is affixed (C and 100, D and 500, M and 1,000). Subsequent issues of the 1,000-korun note replaced the adhesive stamp with a printed image of same.^[9]

A newly designed series of banknotes of denominations 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000 and 5000 korun were introduced later in 1993 and are still in use as of 2012 - except for the first versions of 1000 and 5000 korun notes, since the security features of these notes were upgraded in the subsequent issues (The 2000 korun note, which has been introduced in 1996, is still valid in all versions, with and without the new security features). These banknotes feature renowned Czech persons on the obverse and abstract compositions on the reverse. Modern protective elements can be found on all banknotes.

The 20 korun note ceased to be valid on 31 August 2008 and the 50 korun has been discontinued on 1 April 2011.

Inflation[link]

• Czech currency Exchange rates from Czech banks and exchange offices

See also[link]

• Bohemian and Moravian koruna
• Commemorative coins of the Czech Republic
• Czech Republic and the euro
• Czechoslovak koruna
• Economy of the Czech Republic
• Slovak koruna

References[link]

External links[link]

• Czech banknotes, Czech National Bank
• Czech coins, Czech National Bank
• Czech banknotes (catalog, gallery and other details, history)
• Czech banknostes

v t e Historical currencies of the Czech Republic and Slovakia 1st Czechoslovak koruna 1919–1939 coins banknotes Protectorate koruna 1939–1945 coins banknotes koruna slovenská 1939–1945 coins banknotes 2nd Czechoslovak koruna 1945–1953 coins banknotes 3rd Czechoslovak koruna 1953–1993 coins banknotes Czech koruna 1993–present coins banknotes Slovak koruna 1993–2008 coins banknotes Euro 2009–present coins banknotes

v t e Currency signs (¤) Circulating ฿ B/. Br ₵ ¢ C$ ₡ ден. ₫ ֏ € ƒ Ft G ₲ ₴ Kč ₭ L L / E £ / ₤ лв. ₦ ₱ P Q R ﷼ ៛ RM Rp RSD/РСД ₹ ₨ S/. ৳ R$ $ ₪ ₸ ₮ VT ₩ ¥ zł Historic ₳ ₢ ₰ DM ₯ ₠ ₣ I/. Kčs Lm ℳ ₥ ₧ ℛℳ Sk ₷

Emmy Destinn

Emmy Destinn (Ema Destinnová ([ˈɛma ˈdɛstɪnovaː] ( listen)); 26 February 1878 – 28 January 1930) was a Czech operatic soprano with a strong and soaring lyric-dramatic voice. She had a career both in Europe and at the New York Metropolitan Opera.

Biography[link]

Destinn was born Emílie Pavlína Věnceslava Kittlová ([ˈɛmiːlɪjɛ ˈpavliːna ˈvjɛntsɛslava ˈkɪtlovaː]) in Prague, in what was then the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

At first Destinn devoted herself to studying the violin, and intended to shine as a virtuoso on that instrument. When she was well on in her teens, however, her voice was so rich and full that she changed her mind and determined upon an operatic career.

Theatre Magazine, vol. 24, 1911

Her voice teacher since age 13 had been Marie Maria von Dreger Loewe-Destinn, and the young singer began using her teacher's surname as a tribute. She was let go after the short engagement at the Dresden Opera and declined by Prague National Theatre in 1897.^[1] Destinn debuted on 19 July 1898 at the Berlin Court Opera as Santuzza in Cavalleria rusticana.^[1] She made such progress that the intendant of the Berlin Court Opera engaged her at once when she was brought to her notice. She was merely nineteen at the time, but her voice and her genius for acting soon won the Berlin public. Her engagement in Berlin lasted till 27 October 1909. She sang in 54 operas, including 12 premieres, the most famous of which was Salome by Richard Strauss (5 December 1906).^[1]

Una partita a poker – a crucial scene of Puccini's La fanciulla del West; Minnie – Emmy Destinn; Johnson – Enrico Caruso; Sheriff Jack Rance – Pasquale Amato

Her fame became international in 1901 when she was invited to sing the part of Senta in Der Fliegende Holländer at Germany's Bayreuth Festspielhaus. She returned to sing the same role the next year.

Destinn made her London debut at Covent Garden's Royal Opera House on 2 May 1904, as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni. She appeared there in several operas for the next two seasons, including the London premiere of Madama Butterfly with Caruso. Her Metropolitan Opera debut came in 1908 with an acclaimed performance of Aida, after she was released from her contract with the Berlin Court Opera. Two years later at the Met, she created the role of Minnie in the premiere of Puccini's La fanciulla del West, again opposite Caruso, and under the direction of Arturo Toscanini.

Memorial of Emmy Destinn near Třeboň

While she was highly successful in the lighter roles of Wagner's operas, her spinto voice—although large in size, with a ringing top register—was better suited to German music of a less declamatory type. She also excelled in the French part of Carmen, too, in which she was said to rival Calvé, and in the Italian roles of Aida, Madama Butterfly and Leonora (in Il trovatore).

Destin's career suffered a fatal blow in World War I. She returned to her homeland after the start of the war in 1914, but her links with the patriotic Czech resistance caused her passport to be revoked. She was interned at her chateau for the remainder of the conflict. By the time that she returned to the Met in 1919, her voice had become rusty and she had been replaced in the hearts of New York audiences by a new generation of singers, though she did still continue to sing with the company until 1920.

Destinn returned to Czechoslovakia, where she married Joseph Halsbach, a Czech air-force officer, in 1923. She retired from the stage in 1926 and died from a stroke in České Budějovice, Czechoslovakia. She is interred in the Vyšehrad cemetery in Prague.

Emmy Destinn was a versatile artist and besides being a singer was a poet, novelist and playwright—though nothing she achieved in other professions has rivalled her reputation as a singer. Her voice can still be heard on CD reissues of the many 78-rpm gramophone records which she made during her prime, most famously in America for the Victor label.

Destinn's likeness appeared in 1996 on the 2,000 Czech koruna banknote.^[2]

	"Song to the Moon" ("Měsíčku na nebi hlubokém") From Antonín Dvořák's Rusalka; performed in 1915. "Vissi d'arte" "Vissi d'arte" from Giacomo Puccini's Tosca; recorded in 1914.
Problems listening to these files? See media help.

This article is based on a text from the Etude magazine, prior to 1923, that is in the public domain.

Notes[link]

External links[link]

Media related to Emmy Destinn at Wikimedia Commons

• Biography, discography, bibliography from the Kapralova Society
• The Emmy Destinn Foundation, with a biography
• Biography by Alan Bilgora for Prima Voce
• Biography from Opera-Gems.com

Randy Blythe
Blythe at 2009's Optimus! Alive
Background information
Birth name	David Randall Blythe
Born	(1971-02-21) February 21, 1971 (age 41)
Origin	Richmond, Virginia, United States
Genres	Groove metal, Death metal
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, actor
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1995–present
Labels	Epic, Roadrunner
Associated acts	Lamb of God, Halo of Locusts, Cannabis Corpse
Website	www.lamb-of-god.com

David Randall "Randy" Blythe (born February 21, 1971) is the vocalist of American heavy metal band Lamb of God and side-project bands Halo of Locusts and Cannabis Corpse.^{[citation needed]} He is known as D. Randall Blythe on Lamb of God's albums. As a teenager, he looked up to the Sex Pistols, Misfits, Bad Brains, Anthrax, Motorhead, Slayer, and Pantera.

In 2005, he worked with the metalcore outfit A Life Once Lost on their album Hunter. He provided additional vocals on the track "Vulture" as well as helped in the vocal processing of the track. He later worked with them again in 2007 on "Iron Gag." He also appeared on the song "Skull and Bones"" by the band Overkill and "Adoration for None" on Gojira's album The Way of All Flesh. He was also featured on Shadows Fall song, King of Nothing, on their latest release, Retribution.

Blythe also has a side project band known as Halo of Locusts. They contributed to For the Sick, the tribute album for Eyehategod, covering "Dixie Whiskey".^[1]

He has a small tattoo on his hip that resembles a penis and two testicles. According to Blythe in Killadelphia, it was the result of him trying to tattoo the Misfits' logo on himself while drunk and passing out before he could finish it.^{[citation needed]} He also has a tattoo on his left forearm reading COBHC, which stands for "Children Of Bodom Hate Crew" which is the name used by the band Children of Bodom for themselves, their crew, and their fans.

He has a great fondness for beer and especially Fat Tire and Jägermeister.^{[citation needed]} In the Walk With Me In Hell DVD, Blythe said he would try not to drink as much as he usually did on the 2007 tour supporting the Sacrament album.^{[citation needed]}. He was apprehensive about working with other bands that drank a lot, notably Children of Bodom and Mastodon. Blythe recorded Lamb of God's second latest album, Wrath, sober.^{[citation needed]}

Blythe was featured in many of his peers' DVDs, such as Killswitch Engage's (Set This) World Ablaze and Machine Head's Elegies. Blythe was also featured in Metal: A Headbanger's Journey, Working Class Rock Star and Melissa Cross's The Zen of Screaming.

He appears as Luke in the movie The Graves (2009), written and directed by Brian Pulido.^[2]

On January 5th, 2012, Blythe announced his candidacy for United States President via his personal blog.^[3]

Recording history[link]

Randy Blythe at 2004's Ozzfest.

With Burn the Priest[link]

• Demo Tape (1995, independently released)
• Split with ZED (1997, Goatboy Records)
• Split with Agents of Satan (1998, Deaf American Recordings)
• Sevens and More (1998, mp3.com)
• Burn the Priest (1999, Legion Records)

With Lamb of God[link]

• New American Gospel (2000, Prosthetic Records)
• As the Palaces Burn (2003, Prosthetic Records)
• Ashes of the Wake (2004, Sony / BMG Music)
• Killadelphia (2005, Sony / BMG Music)
• Sacrament (2006, Sony / BMG Music)
• Wrath (2009, Sony / BMG Music)
• Resolution (2012, Epic / Roadrunner)

Guest appearances[link]

• The Mercury Lift (2003) by Haste − guest vocals on "God Reclaims His Throne"
• Without Any Remorse (2004) by Bloodshoteye − guest vocals on "F.U.B.A.R"
• Hunter (2005) by A Life Once Lost − guest vocals on "Vulture"
• Immortalis (2007) by Overkill − guest vocals on "Skull and Bones"
• Iron Gag (2007) by A Life Once Lost − guest vocals on "Pigeonholed"
• Absentee (2008) by Pitch Black Forecast − guest vocals on "So Low"
• Lesser Traveled Waters (2008) by Gollum − guest vocals on "Cross-Pollenation"
• The Way of All Flesh (2008) by Gojira − guest vocals on "Adoration For None"^[4]
• Icons of the Illogical (2009) by The Kris Norris Projekt - lead vocals
• Retribution (2009) by Shadows Fall − guest vocals on "King Of Nothing"
• Jasta (2011) by Jasta - guest vocals on "Enslaved, Dead Or Depraved"^[5]
• Tour dates with Chthonic in Taiwan as guest vocals ^[6]
• Cannabis Corpse (2012) - Vocals on the 'Corey Smoot Memorial' show

References[link]

Dinh Gilly as Roméo.

Dinh Gilly (July 19, 1877 – May 19, 1940) was a French-Algerian operatic baritone and teacher.

Biography[link]

He studied in Toulouse, Rome and at the Paris Conservatoire, where he won a premier prix in 1902. That same year he made his debut at the Paris Opera as Silvio in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci. In 1908 he left the Paris Opera and from 1909 to 1914 he performed at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. He also sang at The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and later taught in London. His students there included Dennis Noble.

He made about 40 gramophone recordings which show him to have been a stylish and intelligent singer.^[1]

References[link]

• Gilly, Dinh (Baritone), Metropolitan Opera performance archives. Retrieved on 2008-12-07.

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