Jaromír Weinberger (8 January 1896 – August 8, 1967) was a Bohemian born Jewish subject of the Austrian Empire, who became a naturalized American

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

Biography

Weinberger was born in

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

, into a family of Jewish origin. He heard Czech folksongs from time spent at his grandparents' farm as a youth. He started playing the piano aged 5, and composing and conducting aged 10. He began musical studies with

Jaroslav Křička Jaroslav Křička (; 27 August 1882 in Kelč, Moravia – 23 January 1969 in Prague) was a Czech people, Czech composer, Conducting, conductor, and Music education, music teacher. He was the brother of poet Petr Křička:de:Petr_Křička, e...

, and later teachers included

Václav Talich Václav Talich (; 28 May 1883, Kroměříž – 16 March 1961, Beroun) was a Czech violinist and later a musical pedagogue. He is remembered today as one of the greatest conductors of the 20th century, the object of countless reissues of his man ...

and

Rudolf Karel Rudolf Karel (9 November 1880 in Plzeň – 6 March 1945 in Theresienstadt) was a distinguished Czech people, Czech composer. Biography Rudolf Karel was a son of a railway employee. He studied law at Charles University and then composition from ...

. He became a student at the

Prague Conservatory The Prague Conservatory or Prague Conservatoire ( cs, Pražská konzervatoř) is a music school in Prague, Czech Republic, founded in 1808. Currently, Prague Conservatory offers four or six year study courses, which can be compared to the level ...

at age 14, as a second-year student, where he studied composition with

Vítězslav Novák Vítězslav Augustín Rudolf Novák (5 December 1870 – 18 July 1949) was a Czech composer and academic teacher at the Prague Conservatory. Stylistically, he was part of the neo-romantic tradition, and his music is considered an important e ...

and . Later, at

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as wel ...

, he studied with

Max Reger Johann Baptist Joseph Maximilian Reger (19 March 187311 May 1916) was a German composer, pianist, organist, conductor, and academic teacher. He worked as a concert pianist, as a musical director at the Paulinerkirche, Leipzig, Leipzig University ...

, who influenced Weinberger on the use of

counterpoint In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more musical lines (or voices) which are harmonically interdependent yet independent in rhythm and melodic contour. It has been most commonly identified in the European classical tradi ...

. In September 1922, Weinberger moved to the United States where he took up a position as an instructor at

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

. Between 1922 and 1926 he was professor of composition at the Ithaca Conservatory (now the music school of

Ithaca College Ithaca College is a private college in Ithaca, New York. It was founded by William Egbert in 1892 as a conservatory of music and is set against the backdrop of the city of Ithaca (which is separate from the town), Cayuga Lake, waterfalls, and go ...

), New York. When he returned to Czechoslovakia he was appointed director of the National Theater in

Bratislava Bratislava (, also ; ; german: Preßburg/Pressburg ; hu, Pozsony) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Slovakia. Officially, the population of the city is about 475,000; however, it is estimated to be more than 660,000 — approxim ...

, and later received appointments in Eger, Hungary, and Prague. In 1926 Weinberger completed ''

Schwanda the Bagpiper ''Schwanda the Bagpiper'' ( cs, Švanda dudák), written in 1926, is an opera in two acts (five scenes), with music by Jaromír Weinberger to a Czech libretto by Miloš Kareš, based on the drama ''Strakonický dudák aneb Hody divých žen'' (' ...

'' (''Švanda Dudák''), which became highly successful, with thousands of performances in hundreds of theatres including the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is operat ...

in New York City. His operetta ''Frühlingsstürme'' was first performed at the Theatre in Admiralspalast in Berlin on January 19, 1933, with

Jarmila Novotná Jarmila Novotná (September 23, 1907, in Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to abou ...

and

Richard Tauber Richard Tauber (16 May 1891 – 8 January 1948) was an Austrian tenor and film actor. Early life Richard Tauber was born in Linz, Austria, to Elisabeth Seifferth (née Denemy), a widow and an actress who played soubrette roles at the local theat ...

in the leading roles. Mary Losseff took over from Novotná in February, but the show was closed down by the

Nazi government The government of Nazi Germany was totalitarian, run by the Nazi Party in Germany according to the Führerprinzip through the dictatorship of Adolf Hitler. Nazi Germany began with the fact that the Enabling Act was enacted to give Hitler's gover ...

in March. His subsequent European works include the ''Passacaglia'' for orchestra and organ, ''Six Bohemian Dances'' for violin and piano, the opera ''The Outcasts of Poker Flat'' and a grand oratorio ''Christmas'', though none of them matched the success of ''Schwanda the Bagpiper''. In 1939, after extensive travels to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, Bratislava and

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

, he left Czechoslovakia to escape the

Nazis Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Na ...

and settled in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

state, teaching there and in

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

. He wrote a number of works on commission from American orchestras. He became an American citizen in 1948. In January 1949, Weinberger moved to

St. Petersburg, Florida St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 258,308, making it the fifth-most populous city in Florida and the second-largest city in the Tampa Bay Area, after Tampa. It is the ...

. In later life, he developed

cancer of the brain A brain tumor occurs when abnormal cells form within the Human brain, brain. There are two main types of tumors: malignant tumors and benign tumor, benign (non-cancerous) tumors. These can be further classified as primary tumors, which start with ...

. This, together with money worries and the neglect of his music, prompted him to take a lethal sedative overdose in August 1967. His wife, Jane Lemberger Weinberger (also known as Hansi), died on July 31, 1968. In 2004 Czech pianist

Tomáš Víšek Tomáš Víšek (born 1957) is a Czech pianist. Early life Víšek began study of the piano at eight years of age under professor Pavel Svoboda. During the years 1972–1976, he studied at the Prague Conservatory under professor Valentina Kamen� ...

and cellist

František Brikcius František Brikcius is a Czech cellist. Early life František Brikcius was born in Prague. From early childhood, he began to play the cello and later studied at the Prague Conservatoire under Professor Jaroslav Kulhan. He was accepted into t ...

organized a tour celebrating Weinberger's work.

Major works

Weinberger composed over 100 works, including operas, operettas, choral works, and works for orchestra. Until recently, the only one which remained even on the fringe of the repertoire was

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

'' (''Švanda dudák''), a worldwide success after its première in 1927. The opera is still performed occasionally, and the ''Polka and Fugue'' from it is often heard in a concert version. The artists of the Walt Disney studio considered making it into a segment for ''

Fantasia 2000 ''Fantasia 2000'' is a 1999 American animated musical anthology film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Produced by Roy E. Disney and Donald W. Ernst, it is the 38th Disney animated feature film and ...

'', but instead chose Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2 in F major, in the form of

Hans Christian Andersen Hans Christian Andersen ( , ; 2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875) was a Danish author. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, he is best remembered for his literary fairy tales. Andersen's fairy tales, consisti ...

's "

The Steadfast Tin Soldier "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" (Danish: ''Den standhaftige tinsoldat'') is a literary fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen about a tin soldier's love for a paper ballerina. The tale was first published in Copenhagen by C.A. Reitzel on 2 Octob ...

". Recent revivals of ''Frühlingsstürme'' (2019, Berlin

Komische Oper The Komische Oper Berlin is a German opera company based in Berlin. The company produces opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal tra ...

and DVD/Blu-ray) and ''Wallenstein'' (2012,

Wiener Konzerthaus The Konzerthaus is a concert hall located in Vienna, Austria, which opened in 1913. It is situated in the third district just at the edge of the first district in Vienna. Since it was founded it has always tried to emphasise both traditional and ...

and CD) indicate a renewed interest in his distinctive work. Weinberger used a varied musical language. His studies in Prague and Leipzig stressed formal control and contrapuntal mastery; following the example of his teachers, Křička, Novák and Reger, Weinberger's works exhibit control, but are also playful. This combination received both praise and criticism.

List of works

;Opera and operetta * ''Švanda dudák'' (Schwanda the Bagpiper), Opera in 2 acts (1926); libretto by Miloš Kareš after

Josef Kajetán Tyl Josef Kajetán Tyl (4 February 180811 July 1856; ) was a significant Czech dramatist, writer, and actor. He was a notable figure in the Czech National Revival movement and is best known as the author of the current national anthem of the Czech Re ...

* ''Milovaný hlas'' (The Beloved Voice; Die Geliebte Stimme), Opera in 3 acts (1930); libretto by the composer after the 1928 novel by Robert Michel * ''Lidé z Pokerflatu'' (The Outcasts of Poker Flat), Opera (1932); libretto by Miloš Kareš after the 1869 short story by

Bret Harte Bret Harte (; born Francis Brett Hart; August 25, 1836 – May 5, 1902) was an American short story writer and poet best remembered for short fiction featuring miners, gamblers, and other romantic figures of the California Gold Rush. In a caree ...

* ''Jarní bouře'' (Spring Storms; Frühlingsstürme), Operetta in 3 acts (1933); libretto by Gustav Beer * ''Na růžích ustláno'' (A Bed of Roses), Operetta (1933); libretto by Bohumír Polách and Jiří Žalman * ''Apropó, co dělá Andula?'' (By the Way, What Is Andula Doing?), Operetta (1934); libretto by Bohumír Polách and Jiří Žalman * ''Císař pán na třešních'' (The Emperor Lord of Cherries), Operetta (1936); libretto by Bohumír Polách and Jiří Žalman * ''Valdštejn'' (Wallenstein), Musical Tragedy (Opera) in 6 scenes (1937); libretto by Miloš Kareš after

Friedrich Schiller Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, and philosopher. During the last seventeen years of his life (1788–1805), Schiller developed a productive, if complicated, friends ...

; German translation by

Max Brod Max Brod ( he, מקס ברוד; 27 May 1884 – 20 December 1968) was a German-speaking Bohemian, later Israeli, author, composer, and journalist. Although he was a prolific writer in his own right, he is best remembered as the friend and biog ...

;Stage * ''Únos Evelynion'' (The Abduction of Evelyne; Die Entführung der Evelyne), Pantomime in 1 act (1915); libretto by

František Langer František Langer (3 March 1888 – 2 August 1965) was a Czech-Jewish playwright, screenwriter, essayist, literary critic, publicist and military physician. Life Langer was born and in Prague, Austria-Hungary in a Czech speaking Jewish fam ...

* ''Kocourkov'' (Schilda), Puppet Show (1926); libretto by František Smažík * ''Saratoga'', Ballet (1941); libretto by the composer ;Orchestral * ''Lustspiel'' (Veseloherní ouvertura), Overture (1914); with popular song ''"Pepíku, Pepíku"'' as the main theme * ''Three pieces'' for small orchestra (''Tři kusy pro malý orchestr'') (1916) * ''Don Quijote'' (1918) * ''Scherzo giocoso'' (1920) * ''Kocourov'' (1923–1924) * ''Overture to a Marionette Play'' (Puppenspiel Ouverture; Předehra k loutkové hře) (1924) * ''Polka and Fugue'' (Polka a fuga z opery Švanda dudák) from the opera ''

'' (1926, published 1928) * ''Furiant'' (Furiant z opery Švanda dudák) from the opera ''

'' (1926, published 1931) * ''White Mountain Ouverture'' (''Předehra k Bílé hoře'') (piano arrangement 1926) * ''Dance rondo'' (Taneční rondo, 1927) * ''Vánoce'' (Christmas; Weihnachten) for orchestra and organ (1929) * ''Neckerei'' for chamber orchestra (1929); also for piano * ''6 Czech Songs and Dances'' (České písně a tance) (1929); also for violin and piano * ''Overture to a Chivalrous Play'' (Ouverture zum einen ritterlichen Spiel; Předehra k rytířské komedii) (1931) * ''Passacaglia'' for orchestra and organ ( UE 1932) * ''Chant hébraïque'' (Canto ebraico; Neima Ivrit; Hebrejský zpěv) (piano reduction 1936) * ''Valdštejn'' (Wallenstein), Suite from the opera (1937) * ''

Under the Spreading Chestnut Tree ''Under the Spreading Chestnut Tree'' is a set of variations, with fugue, for orchestra composed in 1939 by Jaromír Weinberger. It premiered under the direction of Sir John Barbirolli in New York City on October 12, 1939. The work is based on an ...

'' (Pod košatým kaštanem), Variations and Fugue on an Old English Tune (1939, revised 1941) * ''Legend of Sleepy Hollow'', 4 Movements from

Washington Irving Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American short-story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He is best known for his short stories "Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and " The Legen ...

's Sketch Book (1940) * ''Song of the High Seas'' for chamber orchestra and organ (1940) * ''Prelude and Fugue on a Southern Folktune'' (1940); also known as ''Prelude and Fugue on "Dixie"'' * ''A Bird's Opera'', Symphonic Suite (1940) * ''Česká rapsódie'' (Czech Rhapsody) (1941) * ''Lincolnova symfonie'' (The Lincoln Symphony) (1941) * ''Préludes Réligieux et Profanes'' (1952); composed in 8 parts, part 4 is titled Hymne an St. Wenzeslaus * ''Aus Tirol'', Folkdance and Fugue (1959) * ''A Waltz Overture'' (1960) ;Concert band * ''Homage to the Pioneers'', Triumphant March (1940) * ''Mississippi Rhapsody'' (1940) * ''Prelude to the Festival'', Concert March (1941) * ''Afternoon in the Village'' (1951) ;Concertante * ''The Devil on the Belfry'' for violin and orchestra * ''Concerto for Timpani'' with 4 trumpets and 4 trombones (or 4 trumpets, 3 trombones and tuba) (1939) * Concerto for alto saxophone and orchestra (1940) * ''The Raven'' for cello, bass clarinet, harp and string orchestra (published 1942) ;Chamber music * String Quartet * ''Colloque sentimental'', Prelude after the Poem by

Paul Verlaine Paul-Marie Verlaine (; ; 30 March 1844 – 8 January 1896) was a French poet associated with the Symbolist movement and the Decadent movement. He is considered one of the greatest representatives of the ''fin de siècle'' in international and ...

for violin and piano (1920) * ''Une cantilène jalouse'' (''Žárlivá kantiléna'') for violin and piano (1920) * ''3 Pieces'' (Tři skladby) for violin and piano (1924) :# ''Banjos'' :# ''Cowboy's Christmas'' (Cowboyovy Vánoce) :# ''To Nelly Gray'' (Na Nelly Gray) * ''6 Czech Songs and Dances'' (České písně a tance) violin and piano (1929); also for orchestra * ''10 Characteristic Solos'' for snare drum with piano (1939–1941) * Sonatina for bassoon and piano (1940) * Sonatina for clarinet and piano (1940) * Sonatina for flute and piano (1940) * Sonatina for oboe and piano (1940) * ''Der Rabe'' for cello and piano ;Organ * ''Bible Poems'' (1939) * ''Sonata'' (1941) * ''6 Religious Preludes'' (1946) * ''Meditations'', 3 Preludes (1953) * ''Dedications'', 5 Preludes (1954) ;Piano * Sonatina (1908) * Sonata, Op.4 (1915) * ''Étude in G major on a Polish Chorale "Z dymem pożarów"'' (1924; included in the 1942 collaborative album ''

Homage to Paderewski ''Homage to Paderewski'' is an album of piano pieces by 17 composers, published in 1942 in honour of the Polish pianist, composer and statesman Ignacy Jan Paderewski. Background ''Homage to Paderewski'' was commissioned by the music publisher B ...

'') * ''Rytiny'' (Engravings; Gravures), 5 Preludes and Fugues ( UE 1924) * ''Drei Klavierstücke'' (Tři klavírní kusy) (1924) * ''Spinett-Sonate'' (Spinet Sonata) ( UE 1925) * ''Neckerei'' (1929); also for orchestra * ''Dupák'', Folk Tune (1941) * ''Five-Eighths'', Etude (1941) ;Vocal * ''Hatikvah'' for voice and piano (1919) * ''Písně s průvodem klavíru'' (Songs with Piano Accompaniment) for low voice and piano (1924) :# Má první láska byla Olympia (My First Beloved Was Olympia); words by Miloš Kareš :# Rozhovor (Conversation); words by Miloš Kareš :# Námořnická; words by the composer * ''Psalm 150'' for high voice and organ (1940); Biblical text * ''The Way to Emmaus'' for high voice and organ (1940); Biblical text * ''Ecclesiastes'', Cantata for soprano, baritone, mixed chorus, organ and bells (1946), premiered May 13th, 1947 by the John Harms Chorus in New York's

Town Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

."Record of the Year 1947 in the Organ World in Review" (PDF). The Diapason. 39 (2): 6. January 1, 1948. * ''Of Divine Work'', Anthem for mixed chorus (1946); Biblical text from ''Ecclesiastes'' * ''Five Songs'' from ''Des Knaben Wunderhorn'' for soprano and piano (1962) * ''Ave'', Rhapsody for chorus and orchestra (1962) * ''Tři písně'' (3 Songs) for children's chorus and piano * ''Volnost'' for 4 voices; words by Josef Václav Sládek * ''Dvě písně'' (2 Songs) for voice and piano :# Pan Vrchní; words by Pavel Maternov :# U Vrátek; words by Josef Václav Sládek

Notes

References

External links

The OREL Foundation- Jaromír Weinberger's biography and links to bibliography, discography and media.
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Weinberger, Jaromir 1896 births 1967 suicides American male classical composers American classical composers American people of Czech-Jewish descent Czech classical composers Czech male classical composers Jewish American classical musicians Jewish classical composers Czechoslovak emigrants to the United States Drug-related suicides in Florida Musicians from Prague American opera composers Male opera composers 20th-century classical composers 20th-century American composers 20th-century American male musicians Naturalized citizens of the United States 20th-century American Jews 1967 deaths