Vilém Blodek, born Vilém František Plodek (October 3, 1834,

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 ...

– May 1, 1874, Prague), 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 A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

flautist The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

, and

pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...

Biography

Blodek was born into a poor family and was educated at a German Piarist school in Prague. After studying with

Alexander Dreyschock Alexander Dreyschock (15 October 1818 – 1 April 1869) was a Czech pianist and composer. Born in Žáky in Bohemia, his musical talents were first noticed at age of eight, and at age fifteen he travelled to Prague to study piano and composition ...

(piano) and 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 ...

(1846–52) with Antonín Eiser (flute) and Johann Friedrich Kittl (composition), he became a music teacher in Lubycza, Galicia (1853–5). On returning to Prague, he worked as a concert pianist and music teacher and, briefly, as second conductor of the Prague Männergesangverein, for which he wrote a number of patriotic choruses. In 1860 he succeeded Anton Eiser as professor of flute at the conservatory, and, as a basis for teaching, he wrote his own flute tutor (1861). He was active as a writer of incidental music for the German and Czech theatres: from 1858 onwards he wrote music for 60 plays and collaborated with

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 ...

on music for the tableaux for the 1864 Shakespeare celebrations.

Style

Blodek began composing at the conservatory at the age of 13 (wind sextet, 1847) in a style that owed much to his teacher Kittl, to Mendelssohn, and to the early German Romantics. His Symphony in D minor (1858–9) was his most ambitious work at the time. His Flute Concerto (1862) is a brilliant and attractive flute work. Blodek's best-known work is his one-act opera ''V studni'' (''In the Well''), first performed at the Provisional Theater in November 1867. One of several comic village operas written to

Sabina Sabina may refer to: Places and jurisdictions * Sabina (region), region and place in Italy, and hence: * the now Suburbicarian Diocese of Sabina (-Poggio Mirteto), Italy * Magliano Sabina, city, Italy * Pozzaglia Sabina, city, Italy *Fara Sab ...

librettos (The Bartered Bride is the most famous), it has a cast of four characters and is made up of a handful of closed numbers: five solos, two duets, one quartet, an overture and an intermezzo, and three brief ensembles for chorus and soloists. It was the first Czech comic opera to replace spoken dialogue with recitative. Blodek's opera is often considered to be one of the most ‘Czech’ operas after those of Smetana – it was written shortly after the première of The Bartered Bride. Blodek's next opera, ''Zítek'', again to a Sabina libretto (a historical comedy set in the 14th century), was a more ambitious work both in its musical vocabulary and in its operatic form. A full-length three-act opera with a large cast, it made some attempt to break down the divisions between the closed numbers of its predecessor, using arioso and a chorus more integrated into the action. Blodek completed only one act and part of the second before his death; Smetana, already ill, declined to finish it, but it was eventually completed by F.X. Vaňa and was performed for the first time in 1934 on the 100th anniversary of Blodek's birth.

Works

:Principal publishers: Urbánek, Vilímek, E. Starý, J.A. Christophe & Kuhé, Český hudební fond ;Stage * ''Mlhavé obrazy'' (Misty Pictures), Incidental music (Prague, 1859); music to the play by J. Brandeis; lost * ''Clarissa'', Opera (1861); unfinished; lost * ''Choralista aneb Čtverákovský z Žertovic'' (The Chorister, or Čtverákovský from Žertovice), Vaudeville (1861, Prague, 22 March 1862); libretto by František Hainiš-Zdobnický; lost * ''Suita perdita: Hudba k slavnosti Shakespeareově'' (Music for the Shakespeare Celebrations) (Prague, Novoměstské divadlo, 23 April 1864) * '' V studni'' (In the Well), Comic Opera in 1 act (Prague,

Provisional Theatre The Prague Provisional Theatre ( cz, Prozatímní divadlo, ) was erected in 1862 as a temporary home for Czech drama and opera until a permanent National Theatre could be built. It opened on 18 November 1862 and functioned for 20 years, during wh ...

, 17 November 1867); libretto by

Karel Sabina Karel Sabina (pen names include Arian Želinský and Leo Blass) (29 December 1813 – 8 November 1877) was a Czech writer and journalist. Life Karel Sabina grew up in poverty as an extramarital child of a daughter of a sugar producing factory' ...

* ''Svatojánská pouť'' (St John's Pilgrimage), Incidental music (Prague, 1868); music for the play by František Ferdinand Šamberk * '' Zítek'', Comic Opera in 3 acts (1868–1869); libretto by

; unfinished; completed by František Xaver Váňa (Prague, National Theatre, 3 October 1934) * Incidental music to approximately 60 plays ;Orchestral * ''Concert Overture'' in C major, Op. 2 (1850) * Overture in D major (1854) * Symphony in D minor (1858–1859) * ''Concert Overture'' in E major (1859) * Overture in E minor (1862) ;Concertante * Flute Concerto in D major (1862); published by Jindřich Kàan (Prague, 1903) * ''Skladba'' (Composition) in A major for 2 flutes and orchestra (?1862) ;Chamber music * Sextet in D major for flute, 2 violins, oboe, horn, and trombone (1847) * ''Salon Piece'' in C major for violin and piano (1850) * ''Grand solo'' in D major for flute and piano, Op. 1 (1851); lost * ''Allegro bravour'' in D major for flute and piano (1852); lost * ''Fantasie e capriccio'' in F major for flute and piano (1863) * ''Andante cantabile'' for cello and piano (1863) ;Piano * ''Lípový lístek'' (Linden Leaf) for piano 4-hands * ''Impromptu – Scherzo – Valčík – Barkarola (Fischerlied)'' ;Vocal * ''Die Kapelle'', Songs for voice and piano (1951); words by

Ludwig Uhland Johann Ludwig Uhland (26 April 1787 – 13 November 1862) was a German poet, philologist and literary historian. Biography He was born in Tübingen, Württemberg, and studied jurisprudence at the university there, but also took an interest i ...

* ''Písně milostné'' (Love Songs) for voice and piano (c.1860, Prague, 1909); Czech translation by

Karel Hašler Karel Hašler (31 October 1879 in Prague – 22 December 1941 in Mauthausen) was a Czech songwriter, actor, lyricist, film and theatre director, composer, writer, dramatist, screenwriter and cabaretier. He was murdered in the Mauthausen concent ...

:# Hoře (Wehmut); words by

Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff (10 March 178826 November 1857) was a German poet, novelist, playwright, literary critic, translator, and anthologist. Eichendorff was one of the major writers and critics of Romanticism.Cf. J. A. Cuddon: ' ...

:# Předsevzetí (Vorsatz); words by

Robert Prutz Robert Eduard Prutz (30 May 1816 – 21 June 1872) was a German poet and prose writer. He was born at Stettin, modern day Szczecin. He studied philology, philosophy and history at Berlin, Breslau, and Halle, and in the last-named became associate ...

:# Květy lotosu (Die Lotosblume); words by

Heinrich Heine Christian Johann Heinrich Heine (; born Harry Heine; 13 December 1797 – 17 February 1856) was a German poet, writer and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of '' Lied ...

:# Jen Ty! (Nur Du); words by

:# Kdybych byl ptáčetem (Wann i a Vögerl wär); words by J. Körnlein :# Sladce spi! (Gute Nacht); words by

Robert Reinick Robert Reinick (22 February 1805 – 7 February 1852) was a German painter and poet, associated with the Düsseldorf school of painting. One of his poems, ''Dem Vaterland'', was set to music by Hugo Wolf and another, ''The Flight into Egyp ...

:# Návrat pocestného (Wanderers Heimkehr); anonymous words :# Znám jednu perlu krásnou (Ich kenne eine Perle); words by Eduard Maria Öttinger :# Ty v dálce dlíš (Du bist fern); words by

Emanuel Geibel Emanuel von Geibel (17 October 18156 April 1884) was a German poet and playwright. Life Geibel was born at Lübeck, the son of a pastor. He was originally intended for his father's profession and studied at Bonn and Berlin, but his real interests ...

:# Ptáčku můj poslíčku (Vöglein mein Bote); words by

Johann Gabriel Seidl Johann Gabriel Seidl (21 June 1804 – 18 July 1875) was an Austrian archeologist, poet, storyteller and dramatist. He wrote the lyrics to "Gott erhalte, Gott beschütze unsern Kaiser, unser Land!" This was the 1854 version of the Austrian ...

:# Loučení (Abschied vom Walde); words by

:# Krádež (Diebstahl); words by

:# Nocturno (Nachtgedanken); anonymous words * ''Dvě písně ve snadném slohu'' (Two Songs in Easy Style) ;Choral * ''Abschied vom Walde'' for chorus (c.1855) * ''Náš zpěv'' for chorus (1859); words by

Vítězslav Hálek Vítězslav Hálek (; 5 April 1835, in Odolena Voda – 8 October 1874), also known as Vincenc Hálek, was a Czech poet, writer, journalist, dramatist and theatre critic. He is considered one of the most important representatives of the May Schoo ...

* ''6 mužských sborů'' (6 Male Choruses) (1859) * ''K bratrům'' (To the Brothers) * ''Ach ty Labe tiché'' (O Quiet Elbe) for male chorus (1865) * ''Pijácká (Společná)'' (A Drinking-Song, A Social Song) for male chorus (1867) * ''Pochod'' (March) for male chorus (1867) * ''Starý ženich'' (The Old Groom) for male chorus; words by

* ''Lovecká'' (Hunting), Hymn; words by Václav Jaromír Picek * ''Festmesse ke cti Nejsvětější Trojice'' (Solemn Mass in Honor of the Holy Trinity) (1863) * ''Mše D dur'' (Mass in D major) (1865) * ''Ave Maria'' in C major for mixed chorus (1859, Prague 1888) * ''Otče náš'' (Our Father) in F major for male chorus (1863) * ''Veni creator'' for mixed chorus (1863) * ''Adoramus'' in A minor (mužský sbor, hudba k Raffaelovu obrazu Sixtinská Madona). * ''Offertorium''; lost * 20 choruses for male voices, some to German texts by

Joseph von Eichendorff Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff (10 March 178826 November 1857) was a German poet, novelist, playwright, literary critic, translator, and anthologist. Eichendorff was one of the major writers and critics of Romanticism.Cf. J. A. Cuddon: '' ...

, and Adalbert von Chamisso, and to Czech texts by Václav Hanka, Jiljí Vratislav Jahn, Václav Jaromír Picek, and Karel Sabina; several published

References

Biography based on article by John Tyrrell in ''Grove Music Online'' (Cambridge, 1988)

External links

Vilém Blodek: Short biography
at Česká hudba (Czech Music) * *
Vilém Blodek: Biography and list of works
at ''Czech Music Dictionary of People and Institutions (Český hudební slovník osob a institucí)'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Blodek, Vilem 1834 births 1874 deaths Czech male classical composers Czech classical flautists Czech classical pianists Musicians from Prague Prague Conservatory alumni Czech Romantic composers 19th-century classical composers 19th-century classical pianists Male classical pianists 19th-century Czech male musicians 20th-century flautists