Iva Bittová (born 22 July 1958) is a
Czech
Czech may refer to:
* Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe
** Czech language
** Czechs, the people of the area
** Czech culture
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* One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus'
Places
* Czech, ...
avant-garde
The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...
violinist, singer, and composer. She began her career as an actor in the mid-1970s, appearing in several Czech feature films, but switched to playing violin and singing in the early 1980s. She started recording in 1986 and by 1990 her unique vocal and instrumental technique gained her international recognition. Since then, she has performed regularly throughout Europe, the United States and Japan, and has released over eight solo albums.
In addition to her musical career, Bittová has continued acting and still occasionally appears in feature films. In 2003 she played the part of Zena in ''
Želary'', a film nominated for
Best Foreign Language Film
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
at the 2004
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
s.
Biography
Iva Bittová was born on 22 July 1958 in the town of
Bruntál
Bruntál (; german: Freudenthal) is a town in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 16,000 inhabitants. It is located in the historical region of Czech Silesia. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected ...
,
Czech Silesia
Czech Silesia (, also , ; cs, České Slezsko; szl, Czeski Ślōnsk; sli, Tschechisch-Schläsing; german: Tschechisch-Schlesien; pl, Śląsk Czeski) is the part of the historical region of Silesia now in the Czech Republic. Czech Silesia is, ...
, in what was then the
Czechoslovak Republic
Czechoslovak Republic (Czech and Slovak: ''Československá republika, ČSR''), was the official name of Czechoslovakia between 1918 and 1939 and between 1945 and 1960. See:
*First Czechoslovak Republic (1918–1938)
*Second Czechoslovak Republic ...
. The second of three daughters, she grew up in a musical family where her father
Koloman Bitto ( hu,
Bittó Kálmán), a famous musician of
Hungarian–
Indian
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
origin from southern
Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
, played guitar, trumpet and
double bass
The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox additions such as the octobass). Similar i ...
in
folk
Folk or Folks may refer to:
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*Nation
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** Folk hero
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Arts, entertainment, and media
* Folk Plus or Fo ...
and
classical ensembles, and her mother Lidmila Bittová (née Masařová) sang in professional vocal groups. As a child, Bittová took ballet and violin lessons in
Opava
Opava (; german: Troppau, pl, Opawa) is a city in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 55,000 inhabitants. It lies on the river Opava. Opava is one of the historical centres of Silesia. It was a historical capital of ...
and played child roles in the Silesian Theatre of Zdeněk Nejedlý. When her family moved to
Brno in 1971, she dropped music in favour of drama and studied at the
Brno Conservatory
The Brno Conservatory, also Brno Conservatoire ( cs, Konzervatoř Brno), was established in Brno on 25 September 1919 by Moravian composer Leoš Janáček.
History
Leoš Janáček attempted to establish and improve high musical education in Br ...
. For the next ten years, Bittová worked as an actress, appearing in several Czech feature films and Brno television and radio productions.
In the early 1980s, Bittová returned to music and studied violin under
Rudolf Šťastný, a teacher at JAMU, the
Janáček Academy in Brno. She had received her vocal training while studying drama and soon developed unique vocal and violin styles. In 1985, Bittová collaborated with percussionist
Pavel Fajt
Pavel (Bulgarian language, Bulgarian, Russian language, Russian, Serbian language, Serbian and Macedonian language, Macedonian: Павел, Czech language, Czech, Slovene language, Slovene, Romanian language, Romanian: Pavel, Polish language, Po ...
from the Czech rock group
Dunaj and recorded ''Bittová + Fajt'', a fusion of
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commerci ...
music with
Slavic and
Romani music. She then recorded a few solo EPs in 1986 and sang with Dunaj for the next few years. Her breakthrough came in 1987 when she and Fajt recorded their second album ''Svatba (The Wedding)'', which was released internationally by
Review Records. This attracted the attention of English percussionist
Chris Cutler
Chris Cutler (born 4 January 1947) is an English percussionist, composer, lyricist and music theorist. Best known for his work with English avant-rock group Henry Cow, Cutler was also a member and drummer of other bands, including Art Bears, ...
of
Recommended Records
Recommended Records (RēR) is a British independent record label and distribution network founded by Chris Cutler with Nick Hobbs in March 1978. RēR features largely "Rock in Opposition" and related music, but it also distributes selected mus ...
, who re-issued ''Bittová + Fajt'' internationally. The duo also attracted the attention of English
avant-garde
The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...
guitarist
Fred Frith, who featured them in a documentary film on him, ''
Step Across the Border'' (1990), which gave them their first broad international exposure and a tour outside of Eastern Europe.
In 2015, she graduated from Masaryk University in Brno having undertaken a bachelor program in early music. In 2018, she was awarded a master's degree in musicology by the same university. She received a Peter S. Reed Foundation grant in 2018.
Bittová recorded her first full-length solo album ''Iva Bittová'' in 1991, followed by ''River of Milk'', her first United States release. In 1997, she began exploring classical music with a series of concerts and recording an album of
Béla Bartók's violin duets. Leoš Janáček Moravian folk poetry in songs, Slovak Songs by
Béla Bartók,
Alfred Schnittke
Alfred Garrievich Schnittke (russian: Альфре́д Га́рриевич Шни́тке, link=no, Alfred Garriyevich Shnitke; 24 November 1934 – 3 August 1998) was a Russian composer of Jewish-German descent. Among the most performed and re ...
's Faustus Cantata. She collaborated with
Vladimír Václavek to record a double album ''Bílé Inferno (White Inferno)'' in 1997. The success of this release led to Bittová and Václavek establishing Čikori, an association of musicians involved in
improvisational music
Improvisation is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. Improvisation in the performing arts is a very spontaneous performance without specific or scripted preparation. The skills of impr ...
.
Bittová has performed with a number of avant-garde musicians internationally, including Fred Frith, Chris Cutler and
Tom Cora
Thomas Henry Corra (September 14, 1953 – April 9, 1998), better known as Tom Cora, was an American cellist and composer, best known for his improvisational performances in the field of experimental jazz and rock. He recorded with John Zorn, ...
, Bill Frissel, Marc Ribot, Hamid Drake, Evan Ziporyn,
Bobby McFerrin
Robert Keith McFerrin Jr. (born March 11, 1950) is an American folk and jazz singer. He is known for his vocal techniques, such as singing fluidly but with quick and considerable jumps in pitch—for example, sustaining a melody while also rap ...
and has given solo concerts across the world. Bittová lived in the village of
Lelekovice near Brno with her two sons, Matouš and Antonín. She now resides in
Rhinebeck, New York, with her son Antonín.
Her ancestors come from
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. Her son's name (Matouš) means "gift by God". It comes from Hebrew name ''Matthiyah''. Her name means "''yew''" in Germanic languages.
Bittová's music
Bittová's music is a blend of rock and
East European
Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russia, whi ...
music which she describes as "my own personal folk music".
Her violin playing mixes different techniques, including playing the strings with various objects and plucking them like a banjo. Her vocal utterances range from traditional singing to chirping, cackling and deep throat noises. She puts her whole body into her performances, drawing on her theatrical skills.
AllMusic.com
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
writes: "Her irresistible charm, original use of voice, and fondness of melodies that sit on the border of avant-garde and playground nursery rhymes won her devoted fans around the world."
Iva Bittová's countryman Milan Kundera from
Brno, wrote how Europe's "small nations" form another Europe. The violinist-vocalist may be a "small nation" Czech but her musical worldview and visionary creativity acknowledge no borders. Her powers of spontaneous creativity are more bountiful than it is fair to confer on one person. Witness and marvel.
50 words by
Ken Hunt.
Repertoire with different composers
Sprechstimme in Pierrot Lunaire Arnold Schönberg
Kontraalt in "Seid nüchtern und wachet..." Alfred Schnittke
Mezzo-soprano in Folk songs Luciano Berio
Canto in Kafka-Fragmente Georgy Kurtág
Canto in Frankenstein!! HK Gruber
Arabic voice in Stabat Mater Karl Jenkins
Discography
Collaborations
; With Pavel Fajt
* ''Bittová + Fajt'' (1987, LP,
Panton)
* ''Svatba'' (''The Wedding'') (1987, LP, Review)
; With Dunaj
* ''Dunaj a Iva Bittová'' (1989, LP,
Panton)
* ''Pustit Musíš'' (''You Must Let Go'') (1996, CD, Rachot Behemot)
; With Dorothea Kellerová
* ''
Béla Bartók: 44 dueta pro dvoje housle'' (''44 Duets for Two Violins'') (1997, CD, Rachot Behemot)
; With Vladimír Václavek
* ''Bílé inferno'' (''White Inferno'') (1997, 2xCD,
Indies
The East Indies (or simply the Indies), is a term used in historical narratives of the Age of Discovery. The Indies refers to various lands in the East or the Eastern hemisphere, particularly the islands and mainlands found in and around ...
)
; With Škampa Quartet
* ''Classic'' (1998, CD,
Supraphon
Supraphon Music Publishing is a Czech record label, oriented mainly towards publishing classical music and popular music, with an emphasis on Czech and Slovak composers.
History
The Supraphon name was first registered as a trademark in 1932. ...
)
* ''
Janáček: Moravian Folk Poetry in Songs'' (2004, CD,
Supraphon
Supraphon Music Publishing is a Czech record label, oriented mainly towards publishing classical music and popular music, with an emphasis on Czech and Slovak composers.
History
The Supraphon name was first registered as a trademark in 1932. ...
)
; With the Netherlands Wind Ensemble
* ''Dance of the Vampires'' (2000, CD, N.W.E.)
; With Andreas Kröper
* ''Echoes'' (2001, CD,
Supraphon
Supraphon Music Publishing is a Czech record label, oriented mainly towards publishing classical music and popular music, with an emphasis on Czech and Slovak composers.
History
The Supraphon name was first registered as a trademark in 1932. ...
)
; With Čikori
* ''Čikori'' (2001, CD, Indies)
; With DJ Javas
* ''The Party'' (2004, CD, Indies)
; With Miloš Valent, Marek Štryncl, Solamente Naturali, Bratislava Conservatory Choir
* ''Vladimír Godár: Mater'' (2006, CD,
ECM)
; With
Bang on a Can
* ''Elida'' (2006, CD, Indies)
; With
Susumu Yokota
* ''Wonder Waltz'' (2006, CD, Skintone (J), Lo (UK))
; With
George Mraz
George Mraz (born Jiří Mráz; 9 September 1944 – 16 September 2021) was a Czech-born American jazz bassist and alto saxophonist. He was a member of Oscar Peterson's group, and worked with Pepper Adams, Stan Getz, Michel Petrucciani, Stephan ...
,
Emil Viklický and Lolo Tropp
* ''Moravian Gems'' (2007, CD, Cube Metier)
; With
Prague Philharmonia
The Prague Philharmonia (''Pražská komorní filharmonie'', abbreviation: PKF; literal translation, "Prague Chamber Philharmonia") is a Czech orchestra based in Prague. The orchestra gives concerts in several venues in Prague, including the Dvoř ...
* ''Zvon'' (2012, CD, Supraphon)
With Timothy Hill, David Rothenberg "New Cicada Trio:
Live in Beacon (2017, CD, Terra Nova Music)
Solo
* ''Iva Bittová'' (1986, EP,
Panton)
* ''Balada pro banditu'' (''A Ballad for a Bandit'') (1986, EP, Panton)
* ''Iva Bittová'' (1991, LP, Pavian)
* ''River of Milk'' (1991, CD, EVA)
* ''Ne, nehledej'' (''No, Do Not Seek'') (1994, CD,
BMG)
* ''Kolednice'' (''Carol singer'') (1995, CD, BMG)
* ''Divná slečinka'' (''A Strange Young Lady'') (1996, CD, BMG)
* ''Solo'' (1997, CD,
Nonesuch)
* ''Iva Bittová'' (2013, CD,
ECM)
* ''Entwine / Proplétám'' (2014, CD, Pavian Records)
Filmography
* ''
Ružové sny'' (''
Rosy Dreams
''Rosy Dreams'' (''Ružové sny'') is a 1977 Czechoslovak film. Despite its whimsical poetic style, it was the first Central European feature film that put the Romani (Gypsy) community at the center stage in a realistically reflected manner. It w ...
'') (1976)
* ''Die Insel der Silberreiher'' (''Island of the Silver Herons'') (1976)
* ''Jak se budí princezny'' (1977)
* ''Balada pro Banditu'' (''Ballad for a Bandit'') (1978)
* ''L. Janáček: Zápisník zmizelého'' (1980)
* ''Únos Moravanky'' (1983)
* ''Mikola a Mikolko'' (1988)
* ''Něha'' (''Tenderness'') (1991)
* ''
The Man Who Cried
''The Man Who Cried'' is a 2000 drama film written and directed by Sally Potter, and starring Christina Ricci, Cate Blanchett, Johnny Depp, Harry Dean Stanton and John Turturro.
The film tells the story of a young Jewish girl who, after being ...
'' (as the voice for
Christina Ricci) (2000)
* ''
Želary'' (2003)
* ''
Tajnosti'' (''Little Girl Blue'') (2007)
Footnotes
External links
Official homepage
* . ''Czech Music Information Centre''.
* .
* .
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bittova, Iva
1958 births
Living people
Czech classical musicians
Czechoslovak women singers
Czech film actresses
Czech film score composers
Czech folk musicians
Czech people of Hungarian descent
Czech people of Indian descent
Indian women singer-songwriters
Indian singer-songwriters
Masaryk University alumni
Nonesuch Records artists
Czech violinists
Experimental musicians
People from Bruntál
People of Hungarian-Romani descent
Sun in a Net Awards winners
21st-century violinists
21st-century Czech women singers