Oskar Nedbal (26 March 1874 – 24 December 1930) 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, ...

violist ; german: Bratsche , alt=Viola shown from the front and the side , image=Bratsche.jpg , caption= , background=string , hornbostel_sachs=321.322-71 , hornbostel_sachs_desc=Composite chordophone sounded by a bow , range= , related= *Violin family ...

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 ...

, and conductor of

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...

Early life

Nedbal was born in

Tábor Tábor (; german: Tabor) is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 33,000 inhabitants. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument reservation. Administrative parts The followi ...

, in southern

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...

. He studied the violin 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 ...

under Antonín Bennewitz.

Career

He was principal conductor with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra from 1896 to 1906 and was a founder member of the Bohemian String Quartet, as

. A great admirer of his teacher

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 ...

, Nedbal also paid homage to other composers. For example, in his 1910 composition, ''Romantic Piece, Op. 18'' for

cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...

and

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 keyboa ...

, Nedbal cleverly inserts a theme usually associated with

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...

, '' Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman''. His works include one (unsuccessful)

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 ...

, ''Jakob the Peasant'' (1919–1920), and the operettas ''Chaste Barbara'' (1910), ''Polish Blood'' (1913), ''The Vineyard Bride'' (1916), and ''Beautiful Saskia'' (1917). in 1926 he conducted the premiere of Jan Levoslav Bella's opera, '' Wieland der Schmied'' in

Bratislava Bratislava (, also ; ; german: Preßburg/Pressburg ; hu, Pozsony) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Slovakia. Officially, the population of the city is about 475,000; however, it is estimated to be more than 660,000 — approxim ...

Death and legacy

Because of mounting personal debts, Nedbal committed suicide by jumping out of a window of the Zagreb Opera House on 24 December 1930.ON
/ref> In recent years, Nedbal's haunting ''Valse Triste'' featured in his ballet ''Der Faule Hans'' (''The Tale of Simple Johnny'') has been a favorite stand-alone encore piece of 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 ...

. The waltz is also played on the piano at a key moment by one of the characters in

Heimito von Doderer Franz Carl Heimito, Ritter von Doderer; known as Heimito von Doderer (5 September 1896 23 December 1966) was an Austrian writer. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature five times. Family Heimito von Doderer was born in Weidling ...

's novel of the inter-war years in Vienna, ''The Demons'' (''Die Dämonen'') (1956).

Selected works

;Opera * ''Sedlák Jakub'' (Jakub the Peasant; Le paysan Jakob) (1919–1920, revised 1928); libretto by L. Novák after

Lope de Vega Félix Lope de Vega y Carpio ( , ; 25 November 156227 August 1635) was a Spanish playwright, poet, and novelist. He was one of the key figures in the Spanish Golden Age of Baroque literature. His reputation in the world of Spanish literature ...

; premiere performance 13 October 1922 in

Brno Brno ( , ; german: Brünn ) is a city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava and Svratka rivers, Brno has about 380,000 inhabitants, making it the second-largest city in the Czech Republic ...

;Operettas * ''Cudná Barbora'' (Chaste Barbara; Barbara the Chaste; Die keusche Barbara), Operetta in 3 acts (1910); libretto by

Rudolf Bernauer Rudolf Bernauer (20 January 1880, in Vienna – 27 November 1953, in London) was an Austrian lyricist, librettist, screenwriter, film director, producer, "Rudolph Bernauer" (aka Rudolf Bernauer), IMDb, 2009, webpageIMDb-76587 and actor. His ...

, and V. Stech; premiere performance 14 September 1910,

Vinohrady Theatre Vinohrady Theatre ( cs, Divadlo na Vinohradech) is a theatre in Vinohrady, Prague. Construction began on February 27, 1905. It served as the Theatre of the Czechoslovak Army from autumn 1950 to January 1966. It contains a curtain painted by Vla ...

, Prague * ''Polská krev'' (Polish Blood; Polenblut), Operetta in 3 acts (1913); libretto by

Leo Stein Leo Stein (May 11, 1872 – July 29, 1947) was an American art collector and critic. He was born in Allegheny City (now in Pittsburgh), the older brother of Gertrude Stein. He became an influential promoter of 20th-century paintings. Education ...

; premiere performance 25 October 1913,

Carltheater The Carltheater was a theatre in Vienna. It was in the suburbs in Leopoldstadt at Praterstraße 31 (at that time called Jägerzeile). It was the successor to the Leopoldstädter Theater. After a series of financial difficulties, that theater had ...

, Vienna * ''Vinobraní'' (The Vineyard Bride; Die Winzerbraut), Operetta in 3 acts (1916); libretto by Leo Stein and ; premiere performance 11 February 1916,

Theater an der Wien The is a historic theatre in Vienna located on the Left Wienzeile in the Mariahilf district. Completed in 1801, the theatre has hosted the premieres of many celebrated works of theatre, opera, and symphonic music. Since 2006, it has served prima ...

, Vienna * ''Krásná Saskia'' (Beautiful Saskia; Die schöne Saskia), Operetta in 3 acts (1917); libretto by A. M. Willner and ; premiere performance 16 November 1917, Carltheater, Vienna * ''Eriwan'', Operetta in 3 acts (1918); libretto by ; premiere performance 29 November 1918, Komödienhaus (Colosseum), Vienna * ''Mamselle Napoleon'', Operetta in 1 act (1918, revised 1928); libretto by Emil Gölz and Arnold Gölz; premiere performance 21 January 1919, Die Hölle, Vienna * ''Donna Gloria'', Operetta in 3 acts (1925); libretto by Viktor Léon and Heinz Reichert; premiere performance 30 December 1925, Carltheater, Vienna * ''Das Dorf ohne Männer'', Operetta in 1 act (manuscript) * ''Die Erntebraut''; revision of ''Polská krev'' with a German libretto by Hermann Hermecke; premiere performance 1942, Admiralspalast, Berlin * ''Podzimní píseň'' (Autumn Song; Le Chant d'automne); revision of ''Vinobraní'' with Czech libretto by Václav Špilar and Václav Mírovský; premiere performance 24 October 1930, Velká opereta, Prague ;Ballets * ''Pohádka o Honzovi'' (The Tale of Honza; Tale of Simple Johnny; Jean le paresseux; Der faule Hans), Ballet-Pantomime in 5 scenes (1901–1902); libretto by František Karel Hejda; premiere performance 24 January 1902, National Theatre, Prague * ''Z pohádky do pohádky'' (From Fairy Tale to Fairy Tale; De conte en conte; Großmütterchens Märchenschätze) (1907); libretto by Ladislav Novák; premiere performance 25 January 1908, National Theatre, Prague * ''Princezna Hyacinta'' (Princess Hyacinth) (1910); libretto by Ladislav Novák; premiere performance 1 September 1911, National Theatre, Prague * ''Čertova babička'' (The Devil's Grandmother; Des Teufels Großmutter), Ballet-Pantomime in 3 scenes (1912); libretto by Karl van Zeska and Gertrude Stöhr; premiere performance 20 April 1912, Wiener Hofoper, Vienna * ''Andersen'', Fairy Tale Ballet in 7 scenes, a prologue and an epilogue (1912); libretto by Ladislav Novák and Jaroslav Kvapil; premiere performance 1 March 1914, Ronacher, Vienna * ''Pevec lásky'' (Le Minnesänger) (1921); libretto by Ladislav Novák; premiere performance 9 April 1921 in Vienna (manuscript) * ''Cikánské kouzlo'' (La magicien tzigane); libretto by V. Stech (manuscript, incomplete) * ''Tajna''; libretto by C. Sylva (manuscript, incomplete) ;Incidental music * ''Die Hermannsschlacht'', Music for the play by

Heinrich von Kleist Bernd Heinrich Wilhelm von Kleist (18 October 177721 November 1811) was a German poet, dramatist, novelist, short story writer and journalist. His best known works are the theatre plays '' Das Käthchen von Heilbronn'', ''The Broken Jug'', ''Amph ...

(1914); premiere performance 10 December 1914, Burgtheater, Vienna ;Orchestral * ''Slavnostní pochod'' (Festival March; Festmarsch), Op. 3 (premiere 1894) * ''Scherzo caprice'' (Scherzo capriccioso) in G major, Op. 5 (1892) * ''Suite mignonne''; orchestration (1920–1923) of the piano work ''Aus dem Kinderleben'', Op. 15 * ''Unie'' (Union), Festival March (1928) * ''Česká polka'' (Czech Polka) for string orchestra ;Concertante * ''Romance et sérénade'' for violin and piano (or orchestra), Op. 6 (1893) * ''Romance'' for cello and orchestra ;Chamber music * ''Romance et sérénade'' for violin and piano (or orchestra), Op. 6 (1893) * Sonata in B minor for violin and piano, Op. 9 (published 1896) * ''Dvě skladby'' (2 Pieces) for cello and piano (or orchestra), Op. 12 (1899) :# Romance in F major :# Capriccio in F major * ''Valse triste'' in G minor for string quartet (1907); from the ballet ''Pohádka o Honzovi'' * ''Romantický kus'' (Pièce romantique) in D major for cello and piano, Op. 18 (1910) * Sonata in D major for violin and piano (manuscript) * Fugue in D major for string quartet * ''Prosba'' for 3 violins * ''Romance'' for clarinet (manuscript) ;Piano * ''Variace na thema Antonína Dvořáka'' (Variations of a Theme of Dvořák), Op. 1 * ''Lettres intimes'', 3 Pieces, Op. 7 (1894) * ''Čtyři kusy'' (4 Pièces), Op. 8 (1894) :# Barcarola :# Valse petite :# Impromptu :# Valse caprice * ''Silhouette'', Op. 10 (1895) * ''Humoreska'' in G major (1896) * ''Aus vergangenen Zeiten'', Op. 13 (1897); An orchestral version also exists in manuscript form. * ''Z dětského života'' (Aus dem Kinderleben), Suite, Op. 15; orchestrated as ''Suite mignonne'' (1920–1923) * ''Pohádka o smuku a štěstí'' (Fairy Tale of Grief and Joy; In Leid und Lust), Op. 16 (1905) * ''Valses silhouettes'', Op. 17 (1907) * Sonata in D major (manuscript) * ''Humoreske en do majeur sur un thème de Dvořák'' (manuscript) * ''Reisebildchen'' (manuscript) * ''Weihnachtsstimmung'' (published 1908) * ''Preludium'' ; Vocal * ''4 písně'' (4 Songs) for voice and piano, Op. 2 (published 1896) :# Za svitu luny :# Anděl strážce :# Dívčí popěvek :# Píseň v národním tónu * ''4 písně'' (4 Songs) for voice and piano, Op. 4 (1892) * ''4 písně'' (4 Songs) for voice and piano, Op. 11 (1896); words by

Josef Václav Sládek Josef Václav Sládek (27 October 1845 in Zbiroh – 28 June 1912 in Zbiroh) was a Czech poet, journalist and translator, member of the literary group , pioneer of children's poetry in Czech lands. In 1865, he graduated at the Academic Gymnasi ...

:# Sen :# Oči :# Dudák :# Co na nebi je hvězdiček * ''Píseň pro nová srdce'' (Chant pour les nouveaux cœurs) (manuscript) * ''Militär und Volkslieder''; words by Karel Dostál-Lutinov and Hornoff (manuscript) ;Film scores * ''Svatý Václav'' (Saint Wenceslas) (1929); directed by Jan Stanislav Kolár

References

http://www.johann-strauss.org.uk/composers-n-z.php?id=184

External links

* *
Photographs in Šechtl & Voseček archiveScores by Oskar Nedbal
in digital library

Polona Polona is a Polish digital library, which provides digitized books, magazines, graphics, maps, music, fliers and manuscripts from collections of the National Library of Poland and co-operating institutions. It began its operation in 2006. Colle ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nedbal, Oskar 1874 births 1930 suicides Czech classical composers Czech male classical composers Czech opera composers Male opera composers Czech classical violists Academics of the Prague Conservatory 19th-century classical composers 20th-century classical composers Czech conductors (music) Male conductors (music) Suicides by jumping in Croatia Suicides in Yugoslavia 20th-century conductors (music) 20th-century Czech male musicians 19th-century Czech male musicians 1930 deaths 20th-century violists Violists