Otomar Kvěch (25 May 1950 – 16 March 2018) was a Czech music composer and teacher.
Biography
Kvěch 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 ...
,
Czechoslovakia
, rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי,
, common_name = Czechoslovakia
, life_span = 1918–19391945–1992
, p1 = Austria-Hungary
, image_p1 ...
. His father was a sound engineer with Czechoslovak Radio, and later held technical jobs in various industrial companies. Kvěch's mother was shop-assistant.
[Biography]
/ref>
In 1955 he had his first lessons in piano. He prepared for three years for his entry exam to 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 ...
, and graduated after studying composition with Jan Zdeněk Bartoš
Jan Zdeněk Bartoš (4 June 1908, Dvůr Králové nad Labem – 1 June 1981, Prague) was a Czechs, Czech composer.
Biography
Bartoš started to play the violin as a pupil of Karel Hršel in Hradec Králové. In 1924, after he graduated from busi ...
and organ with Joseph Kuban. After 1969 he studied composition at the Prague Academy of Performing Arts with Jiří Pauer and one semester with Emil Hlobil. After graduation he worked as an accompanist at the Opera National Theatre.
In 1972 he married Miluška Wagnerová, a fellow-student from his organ class, and had daughters Eva (b. 1974) and Martina (b. 1977). In 1976 he returned from a yearlong national service in the Army Art Ensemble, and took a job as music director in Czechoslovak Radio. In 1980 he took a position as secretary of the Composers Union which allowed him better opportunities for composition.[Kvech bio]
/ref>
In 1990 political and social changes in his country forced Kvěch to return to a job at Czechoslovak Radio as programme manager and music editor. At the same time he began teaching music theory and composition at Prague Conservatory. In 2000 Kvěch's wife died, and three years later he married Jana Smékalová, long-time programme manager of 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. T ...
, and from 2000 to 2018 was employed at the Jewish Museum in Prague.
As a composer, Kvěch adopted a number of technical elements (concepts of "colour") from "Musica Nova", and transplanted these into the "Classical" approach. At the time of his death Kvěch was Head of the Department of Composition at the National Conservatory in Prague and taught music analysis at the Academy of Music. He also worked as a music editor at the Czech radio station Vltava
Vltava ( , ; german: Moldau ) is the longest river in the Czech Republic, running southeast along the Bohemian Forest and then north across Bohemia, through Český Krumlov, České Budějovice and Prague, and finally merging with the Labe at M ...
. He died in Prague on 16 March 2018.Zemřel Otomar Kvěch
Works
;Orchestral
* ''Pocta Bachovi'' (Homage to Bach), Suite (1971)
* ''Předehra'' (Overture) (1979)
* Symphony in E major (1982)
* ''Karneval světa'' (Carnival of the World), Overture (1983)
* Symphony in D major (1984)
* ''RUR: Passacaglia na námět hry K. Čapka'' (RUR: Passacaglia Inspired by a Play of Karel Čapek
Karel Čapek (; 9 January 1890 – 25 December 1938) was a Czech writer, playwright and critic. He has become best known for his science fiction, including his novel ''War with the Newts'' (1936) and play ''R.U.R.'' (''Rossum's Universal Ro ...
) (1986)
* Symphony in E minor for string quartet and orchestra (1987)
* ''Serenata notturna'' for string orchestra (1996)
* ''Nocturnalia'' for woodwind ensemble (1997)
* ''Serenáda na témata českých koled'' (Serenade on Themes of Czech Carols) (2004)
;Concertante
* Symphony in C minor for organ and orchestra (1973)
* ''Proměna'' (Metamorphosis), Sinfonietta for violin and string orchestra (1976)
* ''Capriccio'', Concerto for piano trio and orchestra (1986)
* ''Čtvero ročních dob'' (The Four Seasons), Symphony in A major for organ and orchestra (2001)
* ''Kassadandra'', Symphonic Picture for English horn and orchestra (2004)
* ''Švandovo uvolněné odpoledne'' (Švanda's Leisurely Afternoon), Overture for bagpipes
Bagpipes are a woodwind instrument using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. The Great Highland bagpipes are well known, but people have played bagpipes for centuries throughout large parts of Europe, No ...
and orchestra (2008)
;Chamber music
* String Quartet No. 1 (1972)
* String Quartet No. 2 (1973)
* ''Hudba pro soutěž'' (Competition Music) for bassoon and piano (1974)
* ''Kvintetiáda'' (Quintetiade) for woodwind quintet (1974)
* Sonata No. 1 for violin and piano (1974)
* String Quartet No. 3 (1974)
* ''Shakespearovské ozvěny'' (Shakespearean Echoes) for flute, violin, cello and piano (1974–1996)
* Piano Trio (1976)
* ''Furioso'', Dance for oboe and piano (1977)
* Scherzo for violin and viano (1979)
* String Quartet No. 4 (1979)
* ''Adagio and Allegro'' for tuba and piano (1980)
* Sonata No. 2 for violin and piano (1980)
* Sonata No. 3 for violin and piano (1982)
* Duo for violin and cello (1983)
* ''Šest preludií'' (6 Preludes) for flute solo (1983)
* Duo for oboe and bassoon (1985)
* Sonata for cello and piano (1985)
* Trio for oboe, clarinet and bassoon (1987)
* ''Otisky'' (Impressions) for flute, bass clarinet (or cello) and piano (1988)
* Scherzo for 5 cellos (1988)
* ''Taneční fantasie'' (Dance Fantasy) for guitar quartet (1988)
* Sonata for viola and viano (1989)
* String Quartet No. 5 (1985)
* Piano Quintet (1990)
* ''Muzikou zní každá žilka'', Polka for recorder choir (1992)
* ''Tři pastorale'' (3 Pastorales) for oboe solo (1994)
* Sonata for oboe and piano (1995)
* ''Idyllica'' (Idyllic) for oboe, clarinet and bassoon (or 3 basset horns, or 4 clarinets) (1996)
* Sextet ''"Hrubínovské variace"'' (Hrubínovský Variations) for oboe, harp and string quartet (1999)
* String Quartet No. 7 (2002)
* String Quartet No. 8 with solo soprano (2005)
* String Quartet No. 6 ''"Mozartův stesk"'' (Mozart's Nostalgia) (2006)
* ''Koncertantní etuda'' (Concertante Etudes) for oboe and piano (2006)
;Keyboard
* ''Malá svita'' (Little Suite) for organ (1972)
* ''Tři momentky'' (3 Snapshots) for accordion (1973)
* Sonata for piano (1977)
* ''Introdukce, fuga a coda'' (Introduction, Fugue and Coda) for accordion (1978)
* ''Pražské panorama'' (Prague Panorama) for organ (1982)
* ''Portrét'' (Portrait), Sonata-Fantasia for organ (1986)
* ''Album'', Cycle of Compositions for piano (1988)
* ''Chorální sonáta'' (Choral Sonata) for organ (2000)
* ''Variační sonáta'' (Variation Sonata) for organ (2003)
* Sonata No. 4 for organ (2005)
;Radio opera Radio opera (German: 'Funkoper' or 'Radiooper') is a genre of opera. It refers to operas which were specifically composed to be performed on the radio and is not to be confused with broadcasts of operas which were originally written for the stage. ...
s for children
* ''Jaro je tu'' (Spring Is Here) (1975)
* ''Před vánocemi'' (Before Christmas) (1978)
* ''Jak přišel podzim'' (When Autumn Came) (1980)
;Vocal
* ''Když zašla cesta'' (When the Road Ended), Song Cycle for soprano and piano (1972); words by Jan Hora
Jan Hora (born 1900, date of death unknown) was a Czech water polo player. He competed at the 1920 Summer Olympics and the 1924 Summer Olympics
The 1924 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1924), officially the Games of the VI ...
* ''Sonáta lásky k životu'' (Sonata of Love for Life) for baritone and string orchestra (1975)
* ''Co v sobě skrýváš'' (What Do You Hide), Song Cycle for baritone and piano (1976)
* ''V krajině vzpomínání'' (Landscape of Memories), Song Cycle for high voice and piano (or string orchestra) (1977, 1986); words by František Branislav
František () is a masculine given name of Czech origin. It is a cognate of Francis, Francisco, François, and Franz. People with the name include:
*Frank Daniel (František Daniel) (1926–1996), Czech film director, producer, and screenwriter
...
* ''Pijácké popěvky'' (Drinking Songs), Song Cycle for baritone and piano (1983)
* ''Aufer a nobis'' for voice and organ (1992)
* ''Alleluja'' for voice and organ (1996)
* ''Crescendo'', Song Cycle for baritone and orchestra (2001)
* ''Haiku o Praze'' (Haiku of Prague), Melodrama for recitor and viola (or violin) (2007); words by Karel Trinkewitz
* ''Hlubina bezpečnosti'', Short Cantata for soprano and piano (2007); words by John Amos Comenius
John Amos Comenius (; cs, Jan Amos Komenský; pl, Jan Amos Komeński; german: Johann Amos Comenius; Latinized: ''Ioannes Amos Comenius''; 28 March 1592 – 15 November 1670) was a Czech philosopher, pedagogue and theologian who is considere ...
* ''Pouštěj chléb svůj po vodě'' (Cast Thy Bread upon the Waters), 5 Meditations for 2 baritones and organ (2008); Biblical text
* ''Bouře a klid'' (Storm and Calm), Melodrama for recitor, violin and orchestra (2009); words by Emmy Destinn
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 ...
* ''To nechce klid'', 5 Melodramas for recitor, flute (piccolo) and contrabassoon (2009); words by Jaroslav Hašek
Jaroslav Hašek (; 1883–1923) was a Czech writer, humorist, satirist, journalist, bohemian and anarchist. He is best known for his novel '' The Fate of the Good Soldier Švejk during the World War'', an unfinished collection of farcical incide ...
;Choral
* ''Vánoční chvalozpěv'' (Christmas Eulogium), Cantata for soloists, mixed chorus and orchestra (1973)
* ''Pohádka o smrčku'' (Tale of the Spruce) for children's choir, child soloists, narrator and small orchestra (1975)
* ''Cesta světnicí'' (The Way across the Room), Cantata for baritone, male chorus and orchestra (1978)
* ''Ukolébavka pro Martina'' (Lullaby for Martin) for male chamber chorus (1978)
* ''Tři mužské sbory s křídlovkou na Ladovy obrázky'' (3 Male Choruses with Bugle-horn to Lada's Pictures) (1982); words by Kamil Bednář
Kamil Bednář (4 July 1912 – 23 May 1972), also known by his pen name "Prokop Kouba", was a Czechoslovak poet, translator, prose writer, dramatist and publishing house editor.
Life
Bednář was born in Prague. After 1931, he studied law, and t ...
* ''Kuchyňská kapela'' (The Kitchen Band), Song for children's chorus (1983); words by Jan Krůta
* ''Ze Sci-fi zápisníku'' (From a Sci-fi Notebook), 3 Female Choruses (1985); words by Tomáš Janovic
* ''Jarní motivy'' (Spring Motifs), Cycle for mixed chorus a cappella (1987); words by Jan Neruda
Jan Nepomuk Neruda (Czech: jan ˈnɛpomuk ˈnɛruda 9 July 1834 – 22 August 1891) was a Czech journalist, writer, poet and art critic; one of the most prominent representatives of Czech Realism and a member of the "May School".
Early life
...
* ''Vivat Komenský'' (Vivat Comenius), Song Cycle for children's chorus (1988); words by Václav Fischer
Václav Fischer (born 22 June 1954) is a Czech-German businessman and politician. He founded CK Fischer and Fischer Air.
He attended the Prague University of Economics and Business. After graduating from Internal Commerce Studies, Fischer moved ...
* Requiem for soloists, children's, men's and mixed chorus, instrumental soloists, organ and orchestra (1992)
* ''Missa con Viola Obligata'' for mixed chorus, viola solo, percussion and organ (1998)
* ''Žalm 67'' (Psalm 67) for mixed chorus, trumpet and organ (2008)
* ''Zvony z Dvora králové'' (The Bells of Dvůr Králové), 3 Choruses with organ (2009)
References
External links
Osobní stránky
Rozhlas.cz
Pražská konzervatoř
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kvech, Otomar
1950 births
2018 deaths
Czech classical composers
Czech male classical composers
Czech music educators
Musicians from Prague
Prague Conservatory alumni
Academy of Performing Arts in Prague alumni