Jan Kalivoda

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Jan (Křtitel) Václav Kalivoda, who was also known as Johann (Babtist) Wenzel Kalliwoda, (February 21, 1801 – December 3, 1866) was a composer, conductor and violinist of Bohemian birth.

Contents

[edit] Life

Kalliwoda was born in Prague in 1801 and as early as 1811 started studying violin and composition at the Prague Conservatory. He made his debut as a violinist at the age of 14. Upon completion of his studies he became a member of the Prague Opera Orchestra. His diploma from the Conservatory read "Excellent player solo or in an orchestra...shows great talent in composition." More prosperous tours as a violinist, for instance to Linz and Munich, followed.

Kalliwoda lived what appears to have been a stable, hardworking musical life. For over forty years, from 1822 to 1865, he held the post of conductor under Karl Egon II of Fürstenburg and his successor in Donaueschingen (where the Danube begins in the Black Forest). His duties there included not only the writing of and care for the music of the court and church, of music for the church, but also the management and conducting of a choir, and annual musical journeys for education. These manifold responsibilities may have foreshortened his life. In any case, he went into retirement in 1865, and a year later he died, of a heart attack in Karlsruhe.

His son Wilhelm Kalliwoda (1827-1893) continued his father's career, and worked as Kapellmeister for the Baden court in Karlsruhe, also composing (an Impromptu for piano was published as his opus 3 in Leipzig in 1854 ). During the 1850s he is mentioned by Alan Walker as a conductor at the Lower Rhine Festival.

[edit] Music

Kalliwoda was a highly prolific composer, and was held in high regard during his lifetime by such eminent contemporaries as Robert Schumann. In all, his works number in the hundreds, of which there are about 250 works or sets of works with opus numbers.

His compositions included operas, symphonies, concert overtures -- one of them, commissioned for the occasion, was used to open the first concert, in 1842, of the New York Philharmonic ([1]) -- as well as music for piano music, piano concertos, concertinos for violin and for oboe, music for the church, lieder, choral music and various other vocal and instrumental works.

[edit] List of major works

  • Symphony No. 1 in F minor op. 7 (around 1825 )
  • Violin concerto No. 1 op. 9
  • Concertino for violin with piano or orchestral accompaniment op. 15
  • Symphony No. 2 in E♭ major, op. 17 (published 1829 )
  • Trois Grandes Marches pour le Piano à quatre mains op. 26
  • Divertissement in F major pour le Piano à quatre mains op. 28
  • Second concertino for violin (with piano or orchestra) op. 30 (around 1830)
  • Symphony No. 3 in D minor op. 32
  • Overture No. 1 op. 38 (around 1835)
  • Introduction and rondo for horn and orchestra
  • Divertimento for two horns and orchestra op. 59 (republished by Edition Kunzelmann in 1981)
  • Symphony No. 4 op. 60 (published 1834)
  • String quartet no. 1 in E minor op. 61
  • String quartet no. 2 in A major op. 62 (published by Amadeus-Verlag in Winterthur, Switzerland in 1999)
  • Duo for two violins in G minor op. 70
  • Third concertino for violin (with piano or orchestra) op. 72
  • String quartet no. 3 in G major op. 90
  • Fourth concertino for violin (with piano or orchestra) op. 100 (1845)
  • Symphony No. 5 in B minor op. 106 (a score of symphonies 1 and 5 published by Breitkopf & Härtel in 1998)
  • Concertino for Oboe and Orchestra op. 110
  • First grand trio concertante for piano forte, violin & violoncello, op. 121 (pub. Augener, London in the 1860s)
  • Ouverture Solennelle (ninth overture) op. 126 (around 1845)
  • Variations de concert for piano quartet op. 129
  • Second grand trio, op. 130
  • Symphony No. 6 in F major op. 132
  • Grande Sonate in G minor pour le Piano à quatre mains op. 135
  • Mass in A major op. 137 (four solo voices, chorus, and orchestra)
  • Drei Duos für Zwei Violen op. 178 (Edition Peters Nr. 9082)
  • Six Nocturnes for Viola and Piano op. 186 (Republished by Kalmus in 2003)
  • Third grand trio, op. 200
  • Fantasy in F major op. 204
  • Morceau de Salon for Oboe and Piano op. 228
  • Morceau de Salon for Clarinet and Piano op. 229
  • Morceau de Salon for Bassoon and Piano op. 230
  • Overture no. 17 op. 242
  • ”Die Audienz” (Allegorical (Festive) Drama)
  • ”Prinzessin Christine” (Opera in 3 Acts)
  • ”Billibambuffs Hochzeitsreise zum Orcus und Olymp” (Fastnachtsspiel, a manner of Burlesque popular in the 15th century)
  • ”Blanda, die silberne Birke” (Opera in 3 Acts)
  • Mass in A minor (unaccompanied SATB chorus, not op. 137 which is with orchestra) (published by Carus-Verlag in Stuttgart in 1999)

[edit] Significance

Kalliwoda "represents a sort of symphonic 'missing link' between Beethoven and Schumann," writes the critic David Hurwitz, founder of Classics Today. "His melodic appeal and rhythmic energy undoubtedly have something to do with his Czech roots...but he also had a genuine understanding of symphonic development and real contrapuntal skill." Hurwitz observes that "as the predominance of minor keys suggests, his music has passion and an emotional depth that recalls Beethoven without ever descending into mere imitation. Part of the reason for his distinctiveness stems from his skill at orchestration."...The symphonic music of Kalliwoda is "thrilling, and it strikingly anticipates or echoes so much of 19th century music--from Berlioz to Dvorák to Wagner, and even Sibelius....[2]

[edit] Selected discography

  • Kalliwoda: Overture No. 12; Introduction & Variations for clarinet & orchestra; Introduction & Rondo for horn & orchestra; Symphony No. 3. Performed by Dieter Klöcker (clarinet) & Radovan Vlatkovic (horn) with the Hamburg Symphony conducted by Johannes Moesus. MDG 329 1387-2
  • Kalliwoda: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 6. Performed by the Hofkapelle Stuttgart conducted by Frieder Bernius. Orfeo C 677 061
  • Kalliwoda: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 7; Overture No. 16. Performed by Das Neue Orchester conducted by Christoph Spering. CPO 777 139-2
  • String Quartets 1-3 opp. 61, 62 and 90. The Talich Quartet. 2006. Calliope 9357. [3] [4]

[edit] External links

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