User:Antidote
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vitezslav Novak [b. Kamenice nad Lipou, 5.12. 1870; d. Skutec, 18.7. 1949]
Vitezslav Novak was born in Kamenice nad Lipou, in the family of a small town physician. His father died when Vitezslav was eleven, and the family moved to Jindrichuv Hradec in South Bohemia. Here Vitezslav attended local high school and received more rigorous schooling in music. The traditional training did little to encourage his talent until he met the local choirmaster Vilem Pojman who developed his pianistic ability and encouraged his early efforts in composition.
When in 1889 Novak won a scholarship to study law at the Charles University in Prague, his heart was already set on studying music; and, therefore, he also enrolled at the Prague Conservatory. Here he studied music with Josef Jiranek (piano), Karel Knittl (harmony), and Karel Stecker (counterpoint). In 1891, on Stecker's recommendation, Novak participated in the masterclasses of Antonin Dvorak, under whom he studied composition. By that time he was also able to persuade his mother that he had to pursue a career in music rather than in law.
In 1896 Vitezslav Novak visited Lachian region (at the Moravian-Slovak border) and Slovakia and began to absorb the great folk music tradition of those areas. It was a turning point in his music which began to attract attention. By the early years of the twentieth century he was already a successful composer who had written masterpieces such as the symphonic poems In the Tatra Mountains (1902), Slovak Suite (1903), his most popular composition, and Eternal Longing (1904). In 1908 he succeeded Dvorak as professor of composition at the Prague Conservatory. More of acclaimed compositions followed, including the symphonic poem Toman and the Nymph of the Woods (1907), and the cantata Storm (1908-10).
In spite of declining popularity of the late romantic movement in music after WWI, Vitezslav Novak remained an important personality in Czech musical life. His masterclasses, established in 1919, were eagerly sought out by a new generation of Czech composers. Following somewhat less successful excursions to the world of opera and ballet during the twenties, Novak returned to symphonic music with his mature works Autumn Symphony (1934), South Bohemian Suite (1936-7), De Profundis (1941), and May Symphony (1943), which was to be his last. He died suddenly in Skutec at the age of seventy-nine.
Sources: Novak, Vitezslav. O sobe a o jinych. Praha: Editio Supraphon, 1970. Novak, Vitezslav: Pan, Op. 43. CD booklet. Chandos Records Ltd, 1997.
List of Works Only works with opus numbers are included in this list.
Orchestral Music
Serenade in F-Major, Op. 9 Ouverture "Marysa", Op. 18 Symphonic poem "V Tatrach" [In the Tatra Mountains], Op. 26 Slovacka suita [Slovak Suite], Op. 32 Symphonic poem "O vecne touze" [Eternal Longing], Op. 33 Serenade in D-Major, Op. 36 Symphonic poem "Toman a lesni panna" [Toman and the Nymph of the Woods], Op. 40 Ouverture "Lady Godiva", Op. 41 Symphonic cantata "Boure" [Storm], Op. 42 Ballet "Signorina Gioventu", Op. 58 Ballet "Nikotina", Op. 59 Podzimni symfonie [Autumn Symphony], Op. 62 Jihoceska suita [South Bohemian Suite], Op. 64 De Profundis, Op. 67 Svatovaclavsky triptych, Op. 70 Majova symfonie [May Symphony], Op. 73 Scenicka hudba ke hre F. Rachlika "Zizka", Op. 79[b]
Chamber Music
Piano Trio in G-Minor, Op. 1 Three Pieces for violin and piano, Op. 3 Piano Quartet in C-Minor, Op. 7 Piano Quintet in A-Minor, Op. 12 String Quartet in G-Major, Op. 22 Trio in D-Minor, Op. 27 String Quartet in D-Major, Op. 35 String Quartet in G-Major, Op. 66 Sonata for cello and piano, Op. 68
Piano Music
Ballad in E-Minor, Op. 2 Variace na Schumannovo tema [Variations on a Theme by Schumann], Op. 4a Bagately [Bagatelles], Op. 5 Vzpominky [Memories], Op. 6 Barcaroly, Op. 10 Eklogy, Op. 11 Za soumraku [At Dusk], Op. 13 Tri ceske tance [Three Czech Dances], Op. 15 Muj maj [My May], Op. 20 Sonata Eroica, Op. 24 Pisne zimnich noci [Songs of Winter Nights], Op. 30 Dva valasske tance [Two Lachian Dances], Op. 34 Melancholicke pisne o lasce [Melancholy Songs about Love] Op. 38/I Pan, Op. 43 Erotikon (suite), Op. 45 Six Sonatinas, Op. 54 Mladi [Youth], Op. 55
Vocal Music Songs and choral music with or without piano/orchestra accompaniment
Pisne [Songs], Op. 4b Pohadka srdce [Story of One Heart], Op. 8 Ciganske melodie [Gypsy Melodies], Op. 14 Pisnicky na slova lidove poezie moravske I [Songs on Moravian Folk Poetry], Op. 16 Pisnicky na slova lidove poezie moravske II, [Songs on Moravian Folk Poetry], Op. 17 Dve balady na slova lidove poezie moravske, [Two Ballads on Moravian Folk Poetry], Op. 19 Pisnicky na slova lidove poezie moravske III, [Songs on Moravian Folk Poetry], Op. 21 Moravske lidove balady [Moravian Folk Ballads], Op. 23 Melancholie [Melancholy], Op. 25 Dve balady na slova J. Nerudy [Two Ballads], Op. 28 Balada o dusi J. Nerudy, [Ballad about J. Neruda's Soul], Op. 29 Udoli noveho kralovstvi [New Kingdom Valley], Op. 31 Sest muzskych sboru [Six Male Choruses], Op. 37 Melancholicke pisne o lasce [Melancholy Songs about Love] Op. 38 Notturna [Nocturnes], Op. 39 Na domaci pude, Op. 44 Erotikon, Op. 46 Ctyri basne Otokara Breziny [Four Poems of Otokar Brezina], Op. 47 Svatebni kosile, Op. 48 Sila a vzdor, Op. 51 Jaro [Spring], Op. 52 Tri ceske zpevy [Three Czech Chants], Op. 53 Ze zivota [From One's Life], Op. 60 Dvanact ukolebavek na slova lidove poezie moravske [Twelve Lullabies on Moravian Folk Poetry], Op. 61 Dve romance na slova J. Nerudy [Two Romances], Op. 63 In memoriam, Op. 65 Domov [Home], Op. 69 Pet smisenych sboru [Five Mixed Choruses], Op. 71 Maj [May], Op. 72 Pisnicky na slova lidove poezie moravske IV [Songs on Moravian Folk Poetry], Op. 74 Pisnicky na slova lidove poezie moravske V [Songs on Moravian Folk Poetry], Op. 75 Dve legendy na slova lidove poezie moravske [Two Legends on Moravian Folk Poetry], Op. 76 Jihoceske motivy [South Bohemian Motifs], Op. 77 Ctyri ukolebavky [Four Lullabies], Op. 78 Pisen pracujiciho lidu, Op. 79[a]
Opera
Zvikovsky rarasek, Op. 49 Karlstejn, Op. 50 Lucerna, Op. 56 Deduv odkaz, Op. 57
Published Scores Some of the following scores are available from Editio Baerenreiter and Musica Bona.
Orchestral Music Serenade in F-Major, Op. 9 Symphonic poem "V Tatrach" [In the Tatra Mountains], Op. 26 Symphonic poem "O vecne touze" [Eternal Longing], Op. 33 Jihoceska suita [South Bohemian Suite], Op. 64 Majova symfonie [May Symphony], Op. 73 Korzar (dramatic overture)
Chamber Music Piano Quartet in C-Minor, Op. 7 (parts) String Quartet No.2 in D-Major, Op. 35 (score, parts) String Quartet No.3 in G-Major, Op. 66 (score, parts)
Piano Music Variace na Schumannovo tema [Variations on a Theme by Schumann], Op. 4a Erotikon, Op. 45 Sonatinas for piano, Op. 54 ["Jarni", "Z detskeho zivota"] Mladi [Youth], Op. 55 Kytice pisni pro klavir [Bouquets of Songs for Piano]
Vocal Music Pisnicky na slova lidove poezie moravske [Songs on Moravian Folk Poetry] Anciny pisnicky [Ancina's Songs] (from Deduv odkaz, Op. 57) In memoriam, Op. 65. Cycle of songs for voice and orchestra. Piano reduction. Text in Czech and German. Slovenske zpevy [Slovak Songs]. Complete edition of 80 songs for voice and piano.
V. Novak was the founder of Czech modern music. Particularly outstanding were his activities between 1909 - 1941 at the senior school of the Prague Conservatory, where he taught over 40 composers, and further educated dozens of private students. The most important factor affecting his individual musical work was his knowledge of both Moravian and Slovak folk songs, from the modality of which he drew his own melodic and harmonic inspiration. Through his emphasis on color, he approached a period of impressionism, although emphasis was put on solid construction. The pinnacle of his career is represented by the musical fantasies Boure (Storm), Podzimi symfonie (Autumn Symphony), Jihoceska suita (South Bohemian Suite), Svatovaclavsky triptych (St. Wencselas Triptych), etc. He composed a number of chamber pieces, songs, and choruses.