František Ondříček (29 April 1857 – 12 April 1922) 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 *Czech (surnam ...

violin The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...

ist and

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 def ...

. He gave the first performance of the

Violin Concerto A violin concerto is a concerto for solo violin (occasionally, two or more violins) and instrumental ensemble (customarily orchestra). Such works have been written since the Baroque period, when the solo concerto form was first developed, up thro ...

Antonín Dvořák Antonín Leopold Dvořák ( ; ; 8September 18411May 1904) was a Czech composer. He frequently employed rhythms and other aspects of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia, following the Romantic-era nationalist example of his predec ...

, and his achievements were recognised by the rare award of honorary membership of the

Philharmonic Society of London The Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) is a British music society, formed in 1813. Its original purpose was to promote performances of instrumental music in London. Many composers and performers have taken part in its concerts. It is now a membe ...

(now the Royal Philharmonic Society) in 1891. His younger brother Karel Ondříček (b. 1865) for a while lead the orchestra of the National Theatre, Prague, and was to go on to have a successful musical career in the USA. František Ondříček was born in

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

, the son of the violinist and conductor Jan Ondříček. He studied at the Prague Conservatory under

Antonín Bennewitz Antonín Bennewitz (also Anton Bennewitz; 26 March 1833 – 29 May 1926) was a Bohemian violinist, conductor, and teacher. He was in a line of violinists that extended back to Giovanni Battista Viotti, and forward to Jan Kubelík and Wolfgang ...

, and was then supported by

Henryk Wieniawski Henryk Wieniawski (; 10 July 183531 March 1880) was a Polish virtuoso violinist, composer, and pedagogue, who is regarded amongst the most distinguished violinists in history. His younger brother Józef Wieniawski and nephew :pl:Adam Tadeusz Wien ...

through two years studying at the Paris Conservatoire with Lambert

Massart Massart is a Belgian surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Dave Massart (1919–1993), English professional footballer *Jean Massart (1865–1925), Belgian botanist *Lambert Massart (1811–1892), Belgian violinist. *Lucien Massart ...

. He shared a first prize with

Achille Rivarde Achille Rivarde (31 October 186531 March 1940) was an American-born British violinist and teacher, who worked mainly in Europe and London. Biography Serge Achille Rivarde was born in New York City to a Spanish father and an American mother. He ...

. He was the soloist in the first performance of Dvořák's Violin Concerto, Op. 53 in Prague on 14 October 1883, and performed it again in Vienna on 2 December. In the late 1880s he settled in Vienna, where he taught. He also published a technical treatise on violin technique in 1909. After

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, Ondříček returned to Prague, where he directed the violin masterclass at the Prague Conservatory. Notable students include composer Karel Navrátil. He died in

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

. As well as being a highly regarded violinist, Ondříček was also a composer, his works including a set of ''Bohemian Dances'' Op. 3 for violin and piano composed in 1883, a ''Bohemian Rhapsody'' Op. 21 for violin and piano from 1906, and a String Quartet Op. 22 from 1907. He also left

cadenza In music, a cadenza, (from , meaning cadence; plural, ''cadenze'' ) is, generically, an improvised or written-out ornamental passage played or sung by a soloist(s), usually in a "free" rhythmic style, and often allowing virtuosic display ...

s for several violin concertos, including those of

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...

and

Brahms Johannes Brahms (; ; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor of the mid- Romantic period. His music is noted for its rhythmic vitality and freer treatment of dissonance, often set within studied ye ...

Selected works

;Chamber music * String Quartet in A major, Op. 22 (1905-1907) * ''Romance'' in A major for cello and piano, Op. 2 ;Violin and piano * ''Ballade'' in A major, Op. 1 (1877) * ''Danses bohèmes'' (Bohemian Dances), Op. 3 (1883, published 1891) * ''Fantasie on Motifs from the Opera "The Bartered Bride" by Bedřich Smetana'', Op. 9 (1888) * ''Barcarole'' in G major, Op. 10 (1890) * ''Romance'' in D major, Op. 12 (1891) * ''A la Canzona'', Morceau de Concert, Op. 13 (1894) * ''Vzpomínání'' (Sorrowful Rêverie), Op. 14 (published 1895); transcription of No. 6 from

's ''Poetické nálady'', Op. 85 * ''Skočná'', Czech Dance from the Opera ''

The Bartered Bride ''The Bartered Bride'' (, ''The Sold Bride'') is a comic opera in three acts by the Czech composer Bedřich Smetana, to a libretto by Karel Sabina. The work is generally regarded as a major contribution towards the development of Czech music. It ...

'' 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 ...

, Op. 15 (published 1895) * ''Fantasie on Motifs from the Opera "A Life for the Tsar" by Mikhail Glinka'', Op. 16 (1889) * ''Nocturno'', Op. 17 (1900) * ''Scherzo capriccioso'' in D minor, Op. 18 (1901) * ''Rhapsodie bohème'' in E minor, Op. 21 (1906) * ''Valse triste'' (1913) * ''Ukolébavka'' (Lullaby) (1913) * ''Idylka'' (published 1956); transcription of piano composition (Op. 7, No. 4, II) by Josef Suk * ''Koncertní etuda'' (Concert Etude) in D major * ''Koncertní etuda'' (Concert Etude) in E major ;Piano * ''Dumka'' (Elegie) (published 1907) ;Pedagogical works * ''Patnáct uměleckých etud'' (15 Artistic Etudes) for violin solo, or violin and piano (published 1912) * ''Tägliche Übungen'' (Daily Exercises) for the Violinist (published 1909) * ''Elementarschule des Violinspiels'' (Elementary School for the Violinist) (published 1910) * ''Mittelstufe des Violinspiels'' (Intermediate School for the Violinist) (published 1909) * ''Neue Methode zur Erlangung der Meistertechnik des Violinspiels'' (New Method for Acquiring the Master Technique of Violin Playing) (published 1909)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ondricek, Frantisek 1857 births 1922 deaths Czech classical composers Czech male classical composers Czech classical violinists Czech male classical violinists Honorary members of the Royal Philharmonic Society Musicians from Prague Musicians from Austria-Hungary Prague Conservatory alumni