Karel Kovařovic (Prague, 9 December 1862 Prague, 6 December 1920) was 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 ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus' Places *Czech, ...

composer and conductor.

Life

From 1873 to 1879 he studied clarinet,

harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orche ...

and piano 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 ...

.''Dopisy o životě hudebním i lidském, p. 484'' He began his career as a

harpist The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orc ...

. In 1900 Kovařovic became the conductor of the national theatre in Prague, due mostly to the success of his opera ''The Dogheads'', after the novel of the same name (about

Jan Sladký Kozina Jan Sladký Kozina (10 September 1652 in Újezd – 26 November 1695 in Plzeň) was the Czech revolutionary leader of the Chodové peasant rebellion at the end of the 17th century. Biography Jan Sladký Kozina was first named Rosocha, after Ro ...

) by

Alois Jirásek Alois Jirásek () (23 August 1851, Hronov, Kingdom of Bohemia – 12 March 1930, Prague) was a Czech writer, author of historical novels and plays. Jirásek was a high school history teacher in Litomyšl and later in Prague until his retirement in ...

. His engagement at the National Theatre lasted twenty years, until 1920. He composed seven operas. Kovařovic is most remembered today for the revisions he made to

Leoš Janáček Leoš Janáček (, baptised Leo Eugen Janáček; 3 July 1854 – 12 August 1928) was a Czech composer, musical theorist, folklorist, publicist, and teacher. He was inspired by Moravian and other Slavic musics, including Eastern European fol ...

's ''

Jenůfa ''Její pastorkyňa'' (''Her Stepdaughter''; commonly known as ''Jenůfa'' ) is an opera in three acts by Leoš Janáček to a Czech libretto by the composer, based on the play ''Její pastorkyňa'' by Gabriela Preissová. It was first performed ...

'' for its premiere in Prague, and it was in his version that the opera was heard for many years. A recording of ''The Dogheads'', featuring

Beno Blachut Beno Blachut (14 June 1913 – 10 January 1985) was a lauded Czech operatic tenor. An icon in his own nation, Blachut drew international acclaim through his many commercial recordings of Czech music. He was an instrumental part of the post-World ...

, exists.

Compositions

Orchestra

* 1880 ''Předehra veseloherní (Comic overture)'' * 1883 ''Únos Persefony'', symphonic poem * 1887 ''Concerto in f mineur'', for piano and orchestra, op. 6 * 1892 ''Předehra dramatická (Dramatic overture)'' * 1900 ''Fantasie from the opera "

Prodaná nevěsta ''The Bartered Bride'' ( cz, Prodaná nevěsta, links=no, ''The Sold Bride'') is a comic opera in three acts by the Czech composer Bedřich Smetana, to a libretto by Karel Sabina. The work is generally regarded as a major contribution towards the ...

" of

Bedřich Smetana Bedřich Smetana ( , ; 2 March 1824 – 12 May 1884) was a Czech composer who pioneered the development of a musical style that became closely identified with his people's aspirations to a cultural and political "revival." He has been regarded i ...

'' * ''Deux suites de ballet'' * ''Gavotta'', for violin and string quartet, op. 4 * ''Havířská polka (Miners' polka)'' from play Mr Brouček's excursion to the Exhibition (1894) * ''Valčík (waltz)'', for chamber orchestra

Works for wind band

* 1911 ''Lustspiel Ouverture'' * 1914 ''Vzpomínky'' * ''Havířská polka''

Theatre

Operas

Ballet

Incidental music

* 1918 ''Loutkářův sirotek'', melodrama – text: Svatopluk Čech "Ve stínu lípy" * ''Zlatý kolovrat'', melodrama – text:

Karel Jaromír Erben Karel Jaromír Erben (; 7 November 1811 – 21 November 1870) was a Czech folklorist Folklore studies, less often known as folkloristics, and occasionally tradition studies or folk life studies in the United Kingdom, is the branch of anthropol ...

Vocal music

Works for choir

* 1890 ''Královničky; staré obřadné tance moravské se zpěvy'', for women (SSAA) en piano (of harmonium)

Song

* 1880 ''Osmero písní'', for soprano and piano, op. 1 * 1885 ''Tři žertovné písně (Three humorous songs)'' * 1887 ''Jarní květy (Spring blossoms)'', for soprano and piano, op. 7 * 1892–1893 ''Čtyři písně (Four songs)'', op. 18 *# Der Abendstern – text:

August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben August Heinrich Hoffmann (, calling himself von Fallersleben, after his hometown; 2 April 179819 January 1874) was a German poet. He is best known for writing "Das Lied der Deutschen", whose third stanza is now the national anthem of Germany, an ...

*# Gottes Nähe *# Frühlings Mahnung – text: August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben *# Im Arm der Liebe schlummre ein – text:

Georg Scheurlin Georg may refer to: * ''Georg'' (film), 1997 *Georg (musical), Estonian musical * Georg (given name) * Georg (surname) George is a surname of Irish, English, Welsh, South Indian Christian, Middle Eastern Christian (usually Lebanese), French, or ...

* 1897–1898 ''Dvě písně (Two songs)'', for soprano or tenor and piano * 1915 ''Slovácká píseň'', for high voice and piano – text:

Ema Destinnová Emmy Destinn ( (); 26 February 1878 – 28 January 1930) was a Czech operatic soprano with a strong and soaring lyric-dramatic voice. She had a career both in Europe and at the New York Metropolitan Opera. Biography Destinn was born Emíl ...

* 1919 ''Svítání (Dayspring)'', for voice and orchestra – text:

Vojtěch Martínek Vojtěch ( Czech pronunciation: ) or Vojtech is a, respectively, Czech and Slovak given name of Slavic origin. It is composed of two parts: ''voj'' – "troops"/"war(rior)" and ''těch'' – "consolator"/"rejoicing man". So, the name could be inter ...

Chamber music

* String quartet No 1 (1885) * String quartet No 2 (1887) * String quartet No 3 (1889) * ''Romance'' for violin and piano, op. 2

Works for piano

* 1885 ''Co ti to napadá'', polka * 1910 ''Deux valses'', * 1910 ''Polka'' * 1910 ''Deux mazurkas'' * ''Čtverylka'', quadrille * ''Národní tance'' *# Pasačka *# Starodávný *# Holuběnka * ''Naše vlast'', fantasie

Notes

References

External links

Works
1862 births 1920 deaths Czech classical composers Czech male classical composers Czech conductors (music) Male conductors (music) 19th-century conductors (music) Czech opera composers Male opera composers 19th-century classical composers 20th-century classical composers 20th-century conductors (music) Musicians from Prague Prague Conservatory alumni 20th-century Czech male musicians {{CzechRepublic-composer-stub