Oskar Nedbal

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Oskar Nedbal (March 26, 1874 – December 24, 1930) was a Czech violist, composer, and conductor of classical music.

[edit] Life

Nedbal was born in Tábor, in south Bohemia. He was principal conductor with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra from 1896 to 1906 and was a founder member of the Bohemian String Quartet.

Although a great admirer of Dvořák, of whom he was a pupil, Nedbal paid homage to other composers. For example in his 1910 composition, Romantic Piece, Op. 18 for cello and piano, Nedbal cleverly inserts a theme usually associated with Mozart, Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman. The waltz from his ballet Lazy Hans (Der faule Hans) is played on the piano at a key moment by one of the characters in Heimito von Doderer's great novel of the inter-war years in Vienna, The Demons (Die Dämonen) (1956).

His works include one (highly unsuccessful) opera, Jakob the Peasant (1919-20), and the operettas Chaste Barbara (1910), Polish Blood (1913), The Vineyard Bride (1916), and Beautiful Saskia (1917).

Because of mounting personal debts, Nedbal committed suicide by jumping out of a window of the Zagreb Opera House on Christmas Eve, 24 December 1930.^[1]

[edit] References

1. ^ Oskar Nedbal. The Guide to Light Opera and Operetta. Retrieved on 2008-03-16.

[edit] External links

• Oskar Nedbal was listed in the International Music Score Library Project
• Oskar Nedbal at the Internet Movie Database