Jaroslav Řídký (25 August 1897 – 14 August 1956) 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, conductor, harpist, and music teacher.

Life

Řídký was born at Reichenberg, now Liberec. From 1919 to 1923 he studied 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 ...

with

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 ...

, Karel Boleslav Jirák, and

Jaroslav Křička Jaroslav Křička (; 27 August 1882 in Kelč, Moravia – 23 January 1969 in Prague) was a Czech people, Czech composer, Conducting, conductor, and Music education, music teacher. He was the brother of poet Petr Křička:de:Petr_Křička, e...

. Besides teaching at the Conservatory from 1924 to 1949, he also played the harp for the

Czech Philharmonic Orchestra The Česká filharmonie (Czech Philharmonic) is a symphony orchestra based in Prague. The orchestra's principal concert venue is the Rudolfinum. History The name "Czech Philharmonic Orchestra" appeared for the first time in 1894, as the title ...

between 1924 and 1938, and conducted the Philharmonic

choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...

from 1925 to 1930. In 1928 Řídký attended as a conductor the premiere of

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 f ...

´s chamber composition Capriccio. He died at

Poděbrady Poděbrady (; german: Podiebrad) is a spa town in Nymburk District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 14,000 inhabitants. It lies on the river Elbe. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an u ...

Style

He composed seven symphonies and one sinfonietta, one string serenade, concertos for

violin The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...

(1),

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...

(1), and

cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a bowed (sometimes plucked and occasionally hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually tuned in perfect fifths: from low to high, C2, G ...

(2), chamber music, pieces for piano, cantatas, and also prepared his own arrangements of

folk songs Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has be ...

. His work is composed rather in traditional style, first compositions are influenced by

romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate ...

, later he composed in traditional, neo-classical style. His oeuvre contains 47 numbered opuses, both in chamber and orchestral instrumentation. Řídký composed also violin, piano and two violoncello concertos. In 1954 he was awarded National Prize for his Piano Concerto Op. 46.

Selected works

;Orchestral * ''Symfonietta'' in C minor, Op. 1 * Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 3 (1924) * Symphony No. 2 in D minor for orchestra with obbligato cello, Op. 4 (1925) * Symphony No. 3 in A major, Op. 8 (1927–1928) * Symphony No. 4 in A major, Op. 10 (1928) * ''Předehra (Ouvertura)'' (Overture), Op. 11 (1929) * Symphony No. 5 in E (C?) minor, Op. 17 (1932) * ''Malá suita'' (Little Suite), Op. 18 (1931–1932); original version for cello and piano * Symphony No. 6, Op. 35 (1938); incomplete: movement I in sketch form * ''Serenáda'' (Serenade) in E major for string orchestra, Op. 37 (1941) * ''Symfonietta'' for chamber orchestra, Op. 40 (1945–1946) * ''Slavnostní pochod'' (Marcia festiva) (1947, 1950); 1947 version for wind orchestra * Symphony No. 7, Op. 47 (1955–1956) * ''Smuteční fanfára'' * ''Dvě suity z hudby k filmu „Mánes“'' (Mánes: 2 Suites from the Film) ;Wind orchestra * ''Slavnostní pochod'' (Marcia festiva) (1947) * ''Milada'' (1951) ;Concertante * Concerto for violin and orchestra, Op. 7 (1927) * Concerto No. 1 in F minor for cello and orchestra, Op. 14 (1930) * ''Nocturne'' for cello and orchestra, Op. 19 (1931–1932) * Concerto No. 2 for cello and orchestra, Op. 36 (1940) * Concerto for piano and orchestra, Op. 46 (1952); written for his wife Jaroslava Řídká, who gave the premiere in 1953 ;Chamber music * Sonata in E minor for cello and piano, Op. 2 (1923) * Quintet in A major for clarinet and string quartet, Op. 5 (1926) * String Quartet No. 1 in G minor, Op. 6 (1927) * String Quartet No. 2, Op. 9 (1929) * ''Serenata appasionata'' in C minor for violin and piano, Op. 12 (1930) * ''Adagio'' for cello and piano (published 1932); also for viola and piano * ''Furiant'' in G major for cello and piano, Op. 15 (published 1932) * String Quartet No. 3 in A major, Op. 16 (1932) * ''Malá suita'' (Little Suite) for cello and piano, Op. 18 (1931–1932); also orchestrated * ''Pět snadných kusů'' (5 Easy Pieces) for cello or violin and piano (1932) :# Ekloga (Eclogue) :# Alla marcia :# Valse moderato :# Scherzino :# Menuet * ''Nokturno a gavota'' (Nocturne and Gavotte) for cello or violin and piano (1932) * String Quartet No. 4 in G major, Op. 20 (1933) * ''Capriccio'' for cello and piano, Op. 21 (published 1933) * ''Alla polka'' for cello and piano (published 1933) * ''Andante a allegretto'' (Andante and Allegretto) for cello and piano (published 1933) * ''Cantabile a menuetto'' (Cantabile and Menuetto) for cello and piano (published 1933) * ''Ukolébavka a groteska'' (Lullaby and Grotesque; Berceuse et grotesque) for violin and piano, Op. 26 (published 1933); ''Ukolébavka'' also for viola and piano * ''Polka-fantasie'' for violin or cello and piano (published 1933) * ''Čtyři snadné skladby'' (4 Easy Pieces; 4 Morceaux faciles) for violin and piano, Op. 28 (published 1934) :# Polka-capriccio :# Air; also for cello and piano :# Chanson :# Marche grotesque * ''Melodia a marcia'' (Melodie and Marcia) for cello and piano (published 1934) * ''Pohádka máje . maj' (Fairy Tale: In May; En mai), Trio for violin, cello and piano (published 1934) * ''Čtyři skladby pro mládež'' (4 Pieces for Young Players) for violin and piano * ''Čtyři malé skladby'' (4 Little Pieces; 4 Morceaux petites) for cello and piano, Op. 29 (1934) :# Elegie :# Capriccietto :# Barcarolla :# Menuetto * ''Čtyři skladbičky'' (4 Bagatelles) for cello and piano, Op. 31 :# Ukolébavka (Berceuse) :# Český tanec (Danse bohème) :# Sousedská (Danse rustique) :# Pochodem (En marche) * Nonet No. 1 in F minor for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, violin, viola, cello and double bass, Op. 32 (1934–1935) * String Quartet No. 5 in A minor, Op. 34 (1937) * Nonet No. 2 for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, violin, viola, cello and double bass, Op. 39 (1943) * ''Kvintet pro dechové nástroje'' (Wind Quintet) for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and horn, Op. 41 (1945) * ''Radostná sonatina'' (Sonatina gioiosa) for violin and piano (published 1953) * Sonata No. 2 for cello and piano, Op. 43 (1951) * Piano Trio, Op. 44 (1950–1951) ;Piano * ''Klavírní skladby'' (Piano Pieces), Op. 13 * ''Rytmus a melodie'' (Rhythm and Melody), 10 Instructive Pieces, Op. 23 * ''Tři polky pro klavír'' (3 Polkas for Piano) :# Poetická polka II. :# Polka pro Jarušku :# Polka in C ;Choral * ''Zimní pohádka'' (A Winter's Tale) for chorus and orchestra, Op. 33 (1937) * ''Rodnému kraji'', Cantata for mixed chorus and orchestra, Op. 38 (1941); after a Poem by František Branislav (1900–1968) ;Film scores * ''Mánes''

References

*''Čeští skladatelé současnosti.''Praha: Panton, 1985

External links

Commemorative website (in Czech)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ridky, Jaroslav 1897 births 1956 deaths Czech classical composers Czech male classical composers 20th-century classical composers Czech conductors (music) Male conductors (music) Czech classical harpists Musicians from Liberec Prague Conservatory alumni Academics of the Prague Conservatory 20th-century conductors (music) 20th-century Czech male musicians