Richard Batka (14 December 1868 – 24 April 1922) was an Austrian

musicologist Musicology (from Greek μουσική ''mousikē'' 'music' and -λογια ''-logia'', 'domain of study') is the scholarly analysis and research-based study of music. Musicology departments traditionally belong to the humanities, although some mu ...

music critic ''The Oxford Companion to Music'' defines music criticism as "the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres". In this sense, it is a branch of mus ...

and

librettist A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major litu ...

. Educated at

German Charles-Ferdinand University Charles University ( cs, Univerzita Karlova, UK; la, Universitas Carolina; german: Karls-Universität), also known as Charles University in Prague or historically as the University of Prague ( la, Universitas Pragensis, links=no), is the oldest an ...

in his native city of Prague, he began his career as a lecturing academic at that institution in 1900; leaving that post in 1906 to teach on the faculty of 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 1908 he moved to Vienna where he taught courses in the history of opera at the

University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna The University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (german: link=no, Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien, abbreviated MDW) is an Austrian university located in Vienna, established in 1817. With a student body of over three thousa ...

from 1909 to 1914. Batka worked as an editor, music critic, and writer on music for several publications in Prague and Vienna during his liftemine. The author of numerous popular music-historical and aesthetic writings, he was one of the first German language writers to write on the

Music of the Czech Republic Music of the Czech Republic comprises the musical traditions of that state or the historical entities of which it is compound, i.e. the Czech lands ( Bohemia, Moravia, Czech Silesia). Czech music also constitutes a substantial part of the music ...

. His ''Aus der Opernwelt: Prager Kritiken und Skizzen'' (1907, Munich) was the first book in the German language about Czech opera. He also penned his own opera

libretti A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major litu ...

for composers like Eugen d’Albert,

Leo Blech Leo Blech (21 April 1871 – 25 August 1958) was a German opera composer and conductor who is perhaps most famous for his work at the Königliches Opernhaus (later the Berlin State Opera / Staatsoper Unter den Linden) from 1906 to 1937, and late ...

, and Richard Stöhr. Also notable among his writings was his three volume discourse on the history of music ''Allgemeine Geschichte der Musik'' which was published in Stuttgart between the years 1909 and 1915.

Life

Born in Prague on December 14, 1862, Batka was the nephew of music critic and archivist Ján Nepomuk Batka (1845–1917). He studied the German language and literature with August Sauer and musicology with

Guido Adler Guido Adler (1 November 1855, Ivančice (Eibenschütz), Moravia – 15 February 1941, Vienna) was a Bohemian-Austrian musicologist and writer. Biography Early life and education Adler was born at Eibenschütz in Moravia in 1855. He moved ...

(now Charles University) in his native city. He received his doctorate from that institution in 1893 and received his

habilitation Habilitation is the highest university degree, or the procedure by which it is achieved, in many European countries. The candidate fulfills a university's set criteria of excellence in research, teaching and further education, usually including a ...

at the university in 1900; the same year he was appointed lecturer at that institution. From 1896 to 1898 he published the ''Neue musikalische Rundschau'' together with Hermann Teibler in Prague, from 1897 he worked among other things as an editor for the magazines ''Neue Revue'' and ' as well as for the ''

Prager Tagblatt The ''Prager Tagblatt'' was a German language newspaper published in Prague from 1876 to 1939. Considered to be the most influential liberal-democratic German newspaper in Bohemia, it stopped publication after the German occupation of Czechos ...

''. In 1903 he founded the Austrian Section of the

Dürerbund The Dürerbund (named after Albrecht Dürer) was an organization of writers and artists with a strong influence on the intellectual life of the middle class in the German Reich, but also in Austria and Switzerland. The Dürerbund was founded in ...

es Prague, which he also headed. He taught on the faculty of the

in 1906–1907. In 1908 Batka moved to Vienna, where he was a

and writer on music for the daily Vienna newspaper ' from 1908 to 1919. Together with

Richard Specht Richard Specht (7 December 1870, Vienna – 19 March 1932) was an Austrian lyricist, dramatist, musicologist and writer. Specht is most well known for his writings on classical music, and in his time was seen as a leading music journalist. He ...

he was also editor of the journal ''Der Merker'', which was founded in 1909. From 1909 to 1914 Batka taught courses on the history of

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 ...

at the

. As a writer, Batka wrote numerous popular music-historical and aesthetic writings. He was one of the first German speaking writers to examine Czech music; and he translated several Czech operas and other Czech literary texts into German. His book ''Aus der Opernwelt: Prager Kritiken und Skizzen'' (1907, Munich) was the first book in the German language about Czech opera. He also translated several Polish, Italian and French operas into German, and penned several of his own opera

. One of his more important publications, was his three volume discourse on the history of music ''Allgemeine Geschichte der Musik'' (Stuttgart, 1909–15). Batka died in Vienna on April 24, 1922, at the age of .

Work

Publications

* ''Schumann.'' Reclam. Leipzig 1891, series Musiker-Biographien, vol. 13. * ''J. S. Bach.'' Reclam, Leipzig 1892, series Musiker-Biographien, vol. 15. * ''Musikalische Streifzüge.'' Diedrichs, Florence 1899. * ''Kranz. Gesammelte Blätter über Musik.'' Lauterbach & Kuhn, Leipzig 1903. * ''Denkmäler deutscher Musik in Böhmen.'' Prague 1905. * ''Geschichte der Musik in Böhmen.'' Vol. 1: ''Böhmen unter deutschem Einfluß. 900–1333.'' Dürerverlag, Prague 1906. * ''Die Musik in Böhmen.'' Bard, Marquardt & Co., Berlin circa 1906, series: Die Musik, vol. 18. * ''Aus der Opernwelt. Prager Kritiken und Skizzen.'' Callwey, Munich 1907. * ''Richard Strauss.'' Virgil Verlag, Charlottenburg 1908. * ''Allgemeine Geschichte der Musik.'' Three volumes. Grüninger, Stuttgart 1909, 1912 and 1915 (3rd volue with Wilibald Nagel). * ''Richard Wagner.'' Schlesische Verlagsanstalt, Berlin 1912, series Berühmte Musiker, vol. 20. * Richard Batka and Aloys Obrist: ''Klavierspielapparate.'' Munich, Callwey; Leipzig, Schlüter & Co.: 1914 (4th ed.). (Flugschrift zur Ausdruckskultur, Dürer-Bund; 8)

Libretti

* ''Der Zerrissene''. Comic opera in three acts after the eponymous play by

Johann Nestroy Johann Nepomuk Eduard Ambrosius Nestroy (; 7 December 1801 – 25 May 1862) was a singer, actor and playwright in the popular Austrian tradition of the Biedermeier period and its immediate aftermath. He participated in the 1848 revolutions an ...

, music by Bretislav Emil Lvovsky, circa 1900. * ''Der polnische Jude''. Volksoper in two acts after

Erckmann-Chatrian Erckmann-Chatrian was the name used by French authors Émile Erckmann (1822–1899) and Alexandre Chatrian (1826–1890), nearly all of whose works were jointly written.Mary Ellen Snodgrass, ''Encyclopedia of Gothic Literature''. New York, Facts ...

by Victor Léon and Richard Batka, music by Karl Weis, 1901. * '. Village idyll after Johann Hutt. Music by

, 1902. * ''Alpenkönig und Menschenfeind'', after the eponymous work by

Ferdinand Raimund Ferdinand Raimund (born Ferdinand Jakob Raimann; 1 June 1790 – 5 September 1836, Pottenstein, Lower Austria) was an Austrian actor and dramatist. Life and work He was born in Vienna as a son of Bohemian woodturning master craftsman Jako ...

, music by Leo Blech, 1903.
The Berlin version of ''Alpenkönig und Menschenfeind'' was published under the title ''Rappelkopf'', 1917. * ''Aschenbrödel''. A fairytale in three acts, music by Leo Blech, 1905. * ''Stock im Eisen''. Opera in three acts by Richard Batka and Julius Sikkind-Schwarz, music by Leopold C. Welleba. * ''Zierpuppen'' (Les précieuses ridicules). Musical comedy after Molière by Richard Batka, music by Anselm Götzl, circa 1906. * ''Versiegelt''. Comic opera in one act after Raupach by Richard Batka and Pordes-Milo, music by Leo Blech, 1908. File:Blech Batka Pordes-Milo Versiegelt 00.jpg, „Versiegelt“,
Textbuch, Titel File:Blech Batka Pordes-Milo Versiegelt 01-sm.jpg, Interior page File:Blech Batka Pordes-Milo Versiegelt 02-sm.jpg, pages 2–3 File:Blech Batka Pordes-Milo Versiegelt 03-sm.jpg, Pages 4–5 File:Blech Batka Pordes-Milo Versiegelt 04-sm-A.jpg, Page 58 File:Blech Batka Pordes-Milo Versiegelt lp.jpg, Back cover * ''Rumpelstilzchen''. Fairytale opera in three acts, music by Richard Stöhr, 1911. * ''

Der Kuhreigen ''Der Kuhreigen'' (; "The Cow Round") is an opera or musical play in three acts by the Austrian composer Wilhelm Kienzl. The libretto, by Richard Batka, is after Rudolf Hans Bartsch's novel ''Die kleine Blanchefleur''. It was first performed at ...

''. A musical play in three acts. Poetry after the novella ''Die kleine Blanchefleure'' by Rudolf Hans Bartsch, music by

Wilhelm Kienzl Wilhelm Kienzl (17 January 1857 – 3 October 1941) was an Austrian composer. Biography Kienzl was born in the small, picturesque Upper Austrian town of Waizenkirchen. His family moved to the Styrian capital of Graz in 1860, where he studied ...

premiere A première, also spelled premiere, is the debut (first public presentation) of a play, film, dance, or musical composition. A work will often have many premières: a world première (the first time it is shown anywhere in the world), its first ...

23 November 1911 Vienna, Volksoper. * ''Das Hexlein''. Comic opera in three acts after a

novella A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian ''novella'' meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) facts ...

Fritz Wittels Fritz Wittels, born Siegfried Wittels" parents, who were full of the Wagnerian enthusiasm of those days, named me Siegfried. I was always ashamed of that name, which was too glorious to be used on weekdays, so they called me Fritz..." (November ...

, music by Julius Wachsmann, 1912. * ''Ländliches Liebesorakel''.

One-act A one-act play is a play that has only one act, as distinct from plays that occur over several acts. One-act plays may consist of one or more scenes. The 20-40 minute play has emerged as a popular subgenre of the one-act play, especially in writi ...

opera, music by Theodor Veidl, premiere 1913 Teplitz-Schönau. * ''Maria von Magdala''. Opera in three acts, music by Hans Lio, 1917. * '' Der Stier von Olivera''. After Heinrich Lilienfein, music by Eugen d’Albert, premiere 1918 Leipzig. * ''Eroica''. musical drama in three acts (4 scenes), music by Marco Frank, 1918. * ''Ilse''. Fantastic opera in three acts, music by Richard Stöhr, 1919. * ''Die Bäuerin''. Opera in one act based on the drama of the same name from

Clara Viebig Clara Emma Amalia Viebig (17 July 1860 – 31 July 1952) was a German author. Life Viebig was born in the German city of Trier, the daughter of a Prussian civil servant. She was related to Hermann Göring. At the age of eight, her father was t ...

's one-act cycle "Kampf um den Mann" set up by Richard Batka, music by Robert Hernried, 1923.

Translations

* ''Bauernrecht'' (Psohlavci). Opera in three acts (6 scenes) by Karl Šípek after thee novel by Alois Jirásek, music by

Karel Kovařovic Karel Kovařovic (Prague, 9 December 1862 Prague, 6 December 1920) was a Czech composer and conductor. Life From 1873 to 1879 he studied clarinet, harp and piano at the Prague Conservatory.''Dopisy o životě hudebním i lidském, p. 484'' He ...

, premiere 1898 Prague (Übersetzung 1900). * ''Die Ahne'' (L’Ancêtre). Opera in three acts by Lucien Augé de Lassus, music by

Camille Saint-Saëns Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (; 9 October 183516 December 1921) was a French composer, organist, conductor and pianist of the Romantic music, Romantic era. His best-known works include Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso (1863), the Piano C ...

, 1908. * ''

The Devil and Kate ''The Devil and Kate'', Op. 112, B.201, (''Čert a Káča'' in Czech) is an opera in three acts by Antonín Dvořák to a Czech libretto by Adolf Wenig. It is based on a farce by Josef Kajetán Tyl, and the story also had been treated in the ''F ...

'' (Čert a Káča). Opera in three acts after a Bohemian folk tale by Adolf Wenig, music by

Antonín Dvořák Antonín Leopold Dvořák ( ; ; 8 September 1841 – 1 May 1904) was a Czechs, Czech composer. Dvořák frequently employed rhythms and other aspects of the folk music of Moravian traditional music, Moravia and his native Bohemia, following t ...

, premiere 1899 (translated circa 1908). * ''Lepa Vida (Die schöne Vida)''. Opera in four acts by Josip Jurčič, music by

Risto Savin Risto Savin Risto Savin (Žalec, July 11, 1859 – Zagreb, December 15, 1948), born Fridrich Širca, was a Slovenian composer. He is one of the composers credited with creating a Slovenian national tradition of opera. Risto Savin was a pseudonym ...

, 1907, premiere 1909 Laibach. * ''Rhea''. Opera in three acts by

Paul Milliet Paul Milliet (14 February 1848 – 21 November 1924) was a French playwright and librettist of the Parisian Belle Époque. His opera librettos include Jules Massenet's ''Hérodiade'' (1881) and ''Werther'' (1892), Alfred Bruneau's ''Kérim'' ( ...

, music by

Spyridon Samaras Spyridon-Filiskos Samaras (also Spyros, Spiro Samára; el, Σπυρίδων Σαμάρας) () was a Greek composer particularly admired for his operas who was part of the generation of composers that heralded the works of Giacomo Puccini. His com ...

, 1911, premiere 1908 Florene. * ''Die Rosenkönigin'' (La rosiera). Tragic idyll in three acts by Carlo Zangarini, music by Vittorio Gnecchi, 1912 (translation by Richard Batka and Hans Schilling-Ziemssen). * ''Lodoletta''. Lyrical drama in three acts by Gioacchino Forzano, music by

Pietro Mascagni Pietro Mascagni (7 December 1863 – 2 August 1945) was an Italian composer primarily known for his operas. His 1890 masterpiece ''Cavalleria rusticana'' caused one of the greatest sensations in opera history and single-handedly ushered in the ' ...

, 1917. * ''Der Liebhaber als Arzt'' (L’amore medico). Musical comedy in two acts after

Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and world ...

by Enrico Golisciani, music by

Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari (born Ermanno Wolf) (January 12, 1876 – January 21, 1948) was an Italian composer and teacher. He is best known for his comic operas such as '' Il segreto di Susanna'' (1909). A number of his works were based on plays by ...

, (translated in 1913). * ''Das Geheimnis''. (Tajemství). Comic opera in three acts by Elišky Krásnohorské, music by

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 ...

, premiere 18 September 1878 Prague. * ''Jessika''. Comic opera in three acts after ''

The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock. Although classified as ...

'' by Shakespeare by Jaroslav Vrchlický, music by

Josef Bohuslav Foerster Josef Bohuslav Foerster (30 December 1859 – 29 May 1951) was a Czechs, Czech composer and musicologist. He is often referred to as J. B. Foerster, and his surname is sometimes spelled Förster. Life Foerster was born in Prague. His ancestors ...

, 1905. * ''Psyche''. Opera in three acts (6 scenes) by André Arnyvelde, music by Maurice Levy, 1910 extbookGerman translation by Dr. Richard Batka

Editing

* ''Lully''. Comic opera in four acts by

Josef Weyl Josef may refer to *Josef (given name) *Josef (surname) * ''Josef'' (film), a 2011 Croatian war film *Musik Josef Musik Josef is a Japanese manufacturer of musical instruments. It was founded by Yukio Nakamura, and is the only company in Japan spe ...

. Arranged for the stage by Richard Batka, music by Karl Hofmann, 1910. * ''Die himmelblaue Zeit''.

Singspiel A Singspiel (; plural: ; ) is a form of German-language music drama, now regarded as a genre of opera. It is characterized by spoken dialogue, which is alternated with ensembles, songs, ballads, and arias which were often strophic, or folk-like ...

in three acts by Paul Wertheimer, edited by Richard Batka, music by Oscar Straus, 1914.

Literature

* * *

Horst Seeger Horst Seeger (6 November 1926 – 2 January 1999), pseudonyme ''Horst Schell'', was a German musicologist, music critic, dramaturg, librettist and opera director. Leben Born in Erkner, Seeger studied musicology at the Humboldt University of Be ...

: ''Musiklexikon Personen A–Z''. Deutscher Verlag für Musik, Leipzig 1981, .
Richard Batka
on Vienna History Wiki * Brockhaus, ''

Riemann Musiklexikon The Riemann Musiklexikon (RML), is a music encyclopedia founded in 1882 by Hugo Riemann. The 13th edition appeared in 2012. History The Riemann Musiklexikon is the last undertaking of an individual to write a comprehensive encyclopedia in the fi ...

''. Vol. 1. Mainz 1998, . * Susanne Blumesberger, Michael Doppelhofer, Gabriele Mauthe: ''Handbuch österreichischer Autorinnen und Autoren jüdischer Herkunft 18. bis 20. Jahrhundert.'' Vol. 1: ''A–I.'' Edited by the

Austrian National Library The Austrian National Library (german: Österreichische Nationalbibliothek) is the largest library in Austria, with more than 12 million items in its various collections. The library is located in the Neue Burg Wing of the Hofburg in center of V ...

. Saur, Munich 2002, , . * Helmut Brenner/ Reinhold Kubik: Mahlers Menschen. Freunde und Weggefährten. St. Pölten – Salzburg – Vienna 2014, , .

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Batka, Richard 1862 births 1922 deaths 19th-century musicologists Academic staff of the Prague Conservatory Academic staff of the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna Austrian music critics Austrian musicologists Austrian librettists Charles University alumni Academic staff of Charles University Writers from Prague