Iva Bittova is one of the Czech Republic’s most famous avant-garde artists. She is a successful actress, but Bittova is best known as an experimental violinist, vocalist and composer. Bittova grew up in a deeply musical family — her father is a Slovakian Roma musician, and her mother is a professional singer — and she has taken her fame in the Czech Republic and toured extensively through Europe and the United States. Bittova’s music is alternately endearing and dissonant, often trading atonal passages for nursery rhyme inflections, and she brilliantly combines influences of folk music traditions — she draws upon Moravian, Slovakian, Romanian and Hungarian, Indian music for inspiration — and avant-garde experimental tendencies.
Read the complete article that appeared in the Ithaca Times here.
Popcorn Youth: How much of your music fits into an avant-garde or experimental tradition and how much fits into Slavic folk traditions?
Iva Bittova: It’s really hard to say because what I say I play is music that you can’t compare to any other Czech music. People say it’s very original, with influences from folk and classical music. It’s different because I have no borders in music, so I just try in music to create what I feel. I mostly practice classically on violin, but I don’t practice with voice lessons, so it’s very full of emotions and inspired by my life.
Popcorn Youth: How would you characterize your personal relationship with Czech folk traditions?
Iva Bittova: Some listeners have compared my music more with Moravian folk music. As a child I listened to a lot of Slovakian, Romanian, and Hungarian music always, but sometimes I also listen to Indian music. I am always very inspired and touched by music that is real — pure music growing from the ground and with good energy.
Popcorn Youth: You are a very prominent figure in an experimental music world that is very much dominated by men. What is it like for you, being a woman?
Iva Bittova: This is very special question. I am never thinking about comparing the differences between women and men. I always try to just be a good human being, a good artist. I am always working and working and searching for something new and different, but I am not thinking about looking “sexy.” All I care about is the emotions that go with my music — communication with my audience.
Popcorn Youth: Speaking of communication, what is your relationship like with your audience? In “Step Across the Border,” Fred Frith is constantly going on about this idea of the “ideal relationship” between the artist and community.
Iva Bittova: It’s very important to have very strong contact with listeners. If I am listening to music, I have to be in the energy of the composition and interpretation and everything. That’s why I am always practicing hard; and I am person who is trying to do something all the time, and when I feel I am finished, then I bring it to the people. I want to show them what I feel or what I found by myself.
Popcorn Youth: You’ve been a musician for many years. What has it been like for Czech musicians since 1989? Have you noticed any major changes with the way contemporary music is being made in the Czech republic?
Iva Bittova: The major change is that we lost the underground. We lost the power of some really good bands, mostly good writers of literature as well, because back then, with communism, we had such a strong tension against the government. Now, it’s always open and everybody can do the same things, even though what they like is different, it is mostly a commercial syle. Worse, a lots of the artists who had power before have lost it now, which is very sad. We have more freedom, but it’s harder to create strong ideas in music.
Popcorn Youth: Does your music have a socio-political aspect to it?
Iva Bittova: I don’t think so, I never tried to. If I were to start thinking about having a socio-political aspect to my music, I would have to spend so much time to understand so many things — and I physically don’t like it. I can say to you, “I don’t like today’s government in the Czech republic, I don’t understand the people who are only out to get a big career and make big money, and that’s why I don’t like to spend so much time with our political system.” Maybe what I am bringing to my people instead is kind of like freedom of doing something. And it makes sense to me to be good and bring something good to the people, that is what I like to do. I get really nice reactions from the people. It’s not political in meaning, but it’s kind of a message from positive thinking and positive style of life.
Popcorn Youth: What were some of the reasons from making the transition from film actress to musician?
Iva Bittova: I am the kind of person who likes to talk through sound and through melodies and written music. I am not a real writer of lyrics, but I always am touched to find inspired words for songs. With movies and theatre I don’t believe it is the same — my extension is not as an actor — and so I feel like I can communicate better as a musician. And as an actress you make so many compromises. I like to feel everything very clearly when I prepare what I think about in my music. I also have a choice of people with whom I want to play.
Popcorn Youth: Can you talk a little bit about the collaboration process with other musicians?
Iva Bittova: It’s part of my lucky life because most of the invitations come from people who are very good artists. Sometimes it’s very hard because it’s a completely new experience for me — but I’m not a kind of artist who is looking for the easy way. (Laughs) I am always breaking down some little wall because I know it makes me stronger. Like last time I performed an opera by Mozart, and I know that some opera audience members don’t understand what I am doing; to them, I was just some strange woman, but for other people, it’s kind of new revolution in art because I am without any lessons of opera singing! Also, I was singing real Mozart music, so this experience makes me stronger as a singer. And you know more languages. It’s very good! Some collaborative experiences are hard, but mostly when I am invited by other bands and musicians, we always like to continue our working relationship. Like with Bang on a Can, we would like to make another record. We know each other better now, so it’s nice. But that relationship always takes time.
Popcorn Youth: Yes, well, I spoke with Evan [of Bang on a Can All-Stars] yesterday, and he could not stop saying enough good things about you!
Iva Bittova: Maybe a violinist and string players understand my music much more, because watching my show when I am playing and singing at the same time it looks very simple and easy, but if you know more about violin playing you can understand what hard work it is. But I think that somehow Evan is touched by what I am doing. He understands me and what I want from music, and it is another good step of cooperation.
Popcorn Youth: So you went to school in the Czech Republic — did you study acting or music?
Iva Bittova: I studied at a conservatory but I picked acting because as a child, I hated to practice the violin. So my mother decided that I would study acting, but I never felt I wanted to be a real actor; I am really happy that I finished and made the move to become a musician.
Popcorn Youth: What prompted that decision?
Iva Bittova: My mother wanted me to study at school because she wanted me to make art. But I was missing music when I was studying acting, so I turned back to my violin and started to play again.
Popcorn Youth: Are you more well-known as an actress or as a musician?
Iva Bittova: Of course both, because sometimes I still make movies. But now I’ve been making music for more than 25 years, so I am known as a musician and composer.
Popcorn Youth: And you still continue to act today?
Iva Bittova: I just finished a movie, it’s only part time work. (Laughs) So now, in May, it will premiere in our country. It’s quite a nice movie.
Popcorn Youth: Is there a reason why you haven’t made a move to live in a large city, say, Prague?
Iva Bittova: I’ve never had this kind of a wish. I’ve always been the kind of person who searches for the quiet — an undisturbed place with good energy and nature all around. Most people in my country say to me “Oh, you go to New York, how is this possible, you’re someone who likes such quiet places!” and I say to them that I have a quiet place near Bard College by Woodstock, in that area. I spend time here because I travel so much and most of my invitations are here in the US. I can exist there, but not in a big city. (Laughs)
Popcorn Youth: Do you think your children will follow in your footsteps with music?
Iva Bittova: My older one is a law student, but the younger one, he is so talented. I’d like to bring him here because I think he could get some good inspiration from studying music. He’s really, really talented!
Popcorn Youth: You possess an unusual singing and violin style. Is that an avant-garde tendency, or inspired by a folk tradition, or? It’s so hard to tell!
Iva Bittova: It’s a combination. I mostly practice a completely classical way of playing, but when I start to make new sounds I try to think with the violin. It brings me to a completely new space of inspiration because I try to make the sounds of voice and violin go into only one sound — or, they are two voices but it is like one sound. I always prefer to find something new, to bring something surprising to my music. I have to be surprised by myself, so I find it very hard to find new music, it takes me a very long time to build up a new song. Because I have a very good music memory, and I don’t want to play something that I have played already. It’s very hard searching for something new, but it is this mostly beautiful in-between time is what I like. I like to say that for my entire life I wish to be pregnant and practicing violin. This is my dream, always. (Laughs)
Popcorn Youth: In your style of singing, you’ve been compared to Laurie Anderson, Kate Bush, Meredith Monk. To what extent do you think that this is accurate?
Iva Bittova: It’s very simple. When I was a child, my father said to me, “Do not copy anybody else, you have to be your own, you do not need to copy anybody else.” And that’s why I don’t listen to that much music — because I need to find something in silence.
Popcorn Youth: So, you prefer to work with space, silence, and negation?
Iva Bittova: Of course. It’s very always very strong, and I like to if I have a chance. My mother says to me sometimes, “Oh, I was just listening to the radio and I heard you!” And I say, “No. You did not. I know that there are many voices that are similar — like different colors of singing that can sound like this women or that singer, but it is very important what kind of energy is going out, and how to build up the song or music, not just the voice.” I know that many voices are similar somehow.
Popcorn Youth: I know that you’ve been making music for a very long time, how do you stay abreast of new trends and innovations in experimental music?
Iva Bittova: I don’t know … I just believe in what I’m doing, and I have to keep at it because so many people are making new electronic music. There has to be a time in the future when people will go and turn back and concentrate and listen to the music, not just have music on to have sound around. I am one of the few people who really likes to keep the acoustics clear in my sound, but sometimes I also try to do something with the new generation of electronic music. In the Czech Republic there are some of those people. I like to understand, and to know about what the young people, and what my children, are listening to. I don’t want to be a parent who says, “Oh, this is something strange! This is not a good way!” I have to understand all kinds of music. So I try to. I also like to dance, I like electronic music and dance music very much, but always I have to go back to the clean, real sounds of the violin and the voice. It’s good from time to time to go from noise and then to silence, if you have a chance to go back to your space.
Popcorn Youth: Are you aware of other experimental violinists?
Iva Bittova: I don’t have too much experience with that. I think it is time, though. When I am in the US, I will have more of a chance to, I hope. Because I have had so many interactions with other musicians in the last ten years of performing. It’s really an inspiration, there are so many singers and players try to sing and play violin at the same time. I always like to keep natural sounds in my music, which is maybe more difficult, but always I have to try something different, because the sound of violin is all I know. It’s like, you learned this your entire life, and how can you bring to it something new? Well, it’s very small changes, but it’s always growing and growing.
Popcorn Youth: And for this tour, Bang on a Can All-Stars will be your backing band?
Iva Bittova: Well in L.A. tomorrow, we are performing with the Kronos Quartet [at UCLA]. And at Albany and some more places, we will play with Don Byron, improvise with him a little bit.
Popcorn Youth: And how much improvisation figures into your performances when you play?
Iva Bittova: I’d say that 40% is improvised.
Popcorn Youth: And when you record, do you have a better idea of how you want things to sound, is it more mapped out?
Iva Bittova: Mostly it’s music that is composed before. I prefer to play my pieces first live, because the music is growing, and emotions are growing, so maybe after half a year of playing, I’ll go the studio and record. That’s always good for me. It did not happen this time with Bang on a Can, we only had a week to rehearse together and then we had to go directly to studio which is not really good for recording, but now our live performances are much stronger.
Popcorn Youth: I love the scene in Step Across the Border where you’re sitting on the wall with Fred Frith. Was that a spontaneous performance?
Iva Bittova: Yes, very much so.
Popcorn Youth: Wow, really? Well, it was so lovely.
Iva Bittova: (Laughs) Well, many people were touched by this. They remember.
Popcorn Youth: What has your experience been like working with Fred?
Iva Bittova: You know, he has been a very, very important person in my life. When I came for the first time to New York to play at the Knitting Factory, [Henry Cow] played the same night. And after the show, they said to me, “Iva, you must come play and improvise with us!” I was so, so shy because I had never done improvisation before. To them I said, “Oh this I cannot do!” (Laughs) But it was very, very important. I liked them so much and they were so great — I couldn’t say no! (Laughs) And from that moment, I understood what improvisation was.
Visit Iva’s website here.