Karel Fiala (3 August 1925 – 3 October 2020) was a Czech

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 libr ...

tic

tenor A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors is wide ...

and film actor. He was known for his work in operettas and musicals, but received worldwide attention for his portrayal of Mozart's Don Giovanni in the film ''

Amadeus Amadeus may refer to: *Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791), prolific and influential composer of classical music *Amadeus (name), a given name and people with the name * ''Amadeus'' (play), 1979 stage play by Peter Shaffer * ''Amadeus'' (film), ...

''.

Biography

Fiala was born on 3 August 1925 in

Hrušov (Ostrava) Hrušov ( pl, Gruszów or ''Hruszów'', german: Hruschau) is a part of the city of Ostrava, Moravian-Silesian Region in the Czech Republic. Hrušov is historically a market town, now administratively a part of the district of Slezská Ostrava. ...

Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...

, and initially worked as a

chimney sweeper A chimney sweep is a person who clears soot and creosote from chimneys. The chimney uses the pressure difference caused by a hot column of gas to create a draught and draw air over the hot coals or wood enabling continued combustion. Chimneys ...

before entering 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 ...

in 1947. After earning his degree in 1952 he pursued further studies at the

Academy of Performing Arts in Prague The Academy of Performing Arts in Prague ( cs, Akademie múzických umění v Praze, AMU) is a university in the centre of Prague, Czech Republic, specialising in the study of music, dance, drama, film, television and multi-media. It is the larg ...

for three years, graduating in 1955. While still a student, Fiala began performing in operas at the National Theatre in

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and List of cities in the Czech Republic, largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 milli ...

in 1949. He was committed to that theatre through 1954 after which he joined the roster of principal artists at the Hudební divadlo Karlín where he performed roles for several decades. He was particularly successful in portraying parts in operettas and musicals, including such roles as Count Danilo in Lehar's ''

The Merry Widow ''The Merry Widow'' (german: Die lustige Witwe, links=no ) is an operetta by the Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's attempt ...

'', Freddy in ''

My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play '' Pygmalion'', with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons ...

'', and Jim Kenyon in ''

Rose-Marie ''Rose-Marie'' is an operetta-style musical with music by Rudolf Friml and Herbert Stothart, and book and lyrics by Otto Harbach and Oscar Hammerstein II. The story is set in the Canadian Rocky Mountains and concerns Rose-Marie La Flemme, a ...

''.Biography of Karel Fiala at csfd.cz
/ref> Fiala is chiefly remembered for his numerous appearances in films of Czech operas, operettas, and musicals. His first film was in 1956 where he portrayed the title role in '' Dalibor'', a movie version of Smetana's opera of the same name. A major success for him was the title part in the 1964 musical film ''

Lemonade Joe ''Lemonade Joe, or the Horse Opera'' ( cs, Limonádový Joe aneb Koňská opera) is a 1964 Czechoslovak musical comedy film, directed by Oldřich Lipský and written by Jiří Brdečka, based on his novel and stage play. A parody of the American ...

''. He notably appeared as Mozart's Don Giovanni in the 1984

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 ...

winning film ''

''. Fiala also appeared as a non-singing actor in a handful of Czech films during his career, mostly in smaller roles. His last film was ''

Tichý společník Tichý (feminine form: Tichá) is a Czech surname meaning literally "quiet" or "silent". Notable people include: * Andrzej Tichý (born 1978), Swedish writer * Irena Tichá (born 1943), Czech volleyball player * Jana Tichá (born 1965), Czech ...

'' in 1989. In 1988 Fiala was awarded the

Medal of Merit Several countries award a military or civil medal called Medal of Merit: * Medal of Merit (Czech Republic) * Medal of Merit (Denmark) * Medal of Merit of the Dominican Woman * Medal of Merit of the National People's Army (East Germany) * Medal o ...

by the government of Czechoslovakia. In 2013, he was awarded the Czech Thalia Prize for achievements in acting. He was married three times and had four sons. On 3 October 2020, Fiala died after a long illness in

Vršovice Vršovice is a district of Prague. All of Vršovice lies within the Prague 10 administrative district. Vršovice is located south-east of the city centre. It borders Vinohrady to the north, Nusle to the south-west, Michle to the south and Stra ...

, aged 95.

Politics

Fiala was an active supporter of the

Communist Party of Czechoslovakia The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia ( Czech and Slovak: ''Komunistická strana Československa'', KSČ) was a communist and Marxist–Leninist political party in Czechoslovakia that existed between 1921 and 1992. It was a member of the Comint ...

until 1968 when he resigned his membership in protest at the

Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia The Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia refers to the events of 20–21 August 1968, when the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic was jointly invaded by four Warsaw Pact countries: the Soviet Union, the Polish People's Republic, the People's Rep ...

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fiala, Karel 1925 births 2020 deaths Actors from Ostrava Czech male film actors Czech operatic tenors Academy of Performing Arts in Prague alumni Prague Conservatory alumni 20th-century Czech male actors Czechoslovak male opera singers Recipients of Medal of Merit (Czech Republic) Musicians from Ostrava Recipients of the Thalia Award