Johann Král (16 May 1823 – 10 June 1912) was an Austrian Empire-born player of the

viola The viola ( , also , ) is a string instrument that is bow (music), bowed, plucked, or played with varying techniques. Slightly larger than a violin, it has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of ...

and

viola d'amore The viola d'amore (; Italian for "viol of love") is a 7- or 6- stringed musical instrument with sympathetic strings used chiefly in the baroque period. It is played under the chin in the same manner as the violin. Structure and sound The viol ...

. Král was born in Kolinec,

Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire (german: link=no, Kaiserthum Oesterreich, modern spelling , ) was a Central-Eastern European multinational great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. During its existence, ...

, and studied at

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 ...

with

Friedrich Wilhelm Pixis Friedrich Wilhelm Pixis (1786 – 20 October 1842) was a German violinist. He became professor of violin at Prague Conservatory and was important in the musical life of Prague. Life Friedrich Wilhelm Pixis was born in Mannheim in 1786. His father ...

. From 1842 to 1850 he was violist at the

Estates Theatre The Estates Theatre or Stavovské divadlo is a historic theater in Prague, Czech Republic. The Estates Theatre was annexed to the National Theatre in 1948 and currently draws on three artistic ensembles, opera, ballet, and drama, which perform a ...

in Prague. He appeared as a soloist at the

Gewandhaus Gewandhaus is a concert hall in Leipzig, the home of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. Today's hall is the third to bear this name; like the second, it is noted for its fine acoustics. History The first Gewandhaus (''Altes Gewandhaus'') The fi ...

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 ...

, and at the court in

Weimar Weimar is a city in the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is located in Central Germany between Erfurt in the west and Jena in the east, approximately southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together with the neighbouri ...

. From 1851 to 1855 he was a member of the

Vienna Philharmonic The Vienna Philharmonic (VPO; german: Wiener Philharmoniker, links=no) is an orchestra that was founded in 1842 and is considered to be one of the finest in the world. The Vienna Philharmonic is based at the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria. It ...

."Král, Johann"
''Oesterreiches Musiklexikon online''. Retrieved 25 September 2020. He arranged music for the viola d'amore; he published in 1870 ''Anleitung zum Spiele der Viola d’amour für Violinspieler'' ("Instructions for playing the viola d'amore, for violinists").

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kral, Johann 1823 births 1912 deaths Classical violists Musicians from the Austrian Empire Viola d'amore players Musicians from Austria-Hungary People from Klatovy District Prague Conservatory alumni