Jan Kubelík (5 July 18805 December 1940) 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 ...

Biography

He was born in Michle (now part of

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 ...

). His father, a gardener by occupation, was an amateur violinist. He taught his two sons the violin and after discovering the talent of Jan, who was aged five at the time, arranged for him to study with Karel Weber and Karel Ondříček. Aged eight he studied at the

Prague Conservatory The Prague Conservatory () is a public music school in Prague, Czech Republic, founded in 1808. Currently, the school offers four- or six-year courses, which can be compared to the level of a high school diploma in other countries. Graduates c ...

with

Otakar Ševčík Otakar Ševčík (22 March 185218 January 1934) was a Czechs, Czech violinist and influential teacher. He was known as a Solo (music), soloist and an Musical ensemble, ensemble player, including his occasional performances with Eugène Ysaÿe. ...

, of whose technique he became the most famous representative. As a child, he used to practice 10 to 12 hours a day, or "until my fingers started to bleed." After 1898, he toured as a soloist, soon becoming renowned for his great virtuosity and flawless intonation, and his very full and noble tone. He played a

Guarneri del Gesù Bartolomeo Giuseppe "del Gesù" Guarneri (, , ; 21 August 1698 – 17 October 1744) was an Italian luthier from the Guarneri family of Cremona. He rivals Antonio Stradivari (1644–1737) with regard to the respect and reverence accorded his inst ...

and also two

Stradivarius A Stradivarius is one of the string instruments, such as violins, violas, cellos, and guitars, crafted by members of the Stradivari family, particularly Antonio Stradivari (Latin: Antonius Stradivarius), in Cremona, Italy, during the late 17th ...

violins: he acquired the 1715 Stradivarius Emperor in 1910. After great success following his debut in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

, and in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

(where he first appeared at a Hans Richter concert in 1900), Kubelík toured in the USA in 1901 for the first time. He made his first appearance for the

Royal Philharmonic Society 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 memb ...

, London in the season of 1901–2, and in 1902 was awarded the Society's Gold Medal (in succession to

Eugène Ysaÿe Eugène-Auguste Ysaÿe (; 16 July 185812 May 1931) was a Belgian virtuoso violinist, composer, and conductor. He was regarded as "The King of the Violin", or, as Nathan Milstein put it, the "tsar". Early years Born in Liège, Ysaÿe began ...

). In 1902 he brought the

Czech Philharmonic Orchestra The Czech Philharmonic () is a symphony orchestra based in Prague. Its principal performing venue is the Rudolfinum concert hall. History The name "Czech Philharmonic Orchestra" appeared for the first time in 1894, as the title of the orche ...

to London, having assisted it financially in the previous year. In 1903, he married Countess Anna Julie Marie Széll von Bessenyö (born 1 March 1880 in

Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...

), niece of former Prime Minister of Hungary Kálmán Széll, with whom he had eight children, five violinist daughters and three sons, among them conductor

Rafael Kubelík Rafael Jeroným Kubelík, KBE (29 June 1914 – 11 August 1996) was a Czech conductor and composer. The son of a distinguished violinist, Jan Kubelík, he was trained in Prague and made his debut with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra at the a ...

. Kubelík made a number of recordings; his acoustic recordings were made for The Gramophone and Typewriter Company Ltd., the

Victor Talking Machine Company The Victor Talking Machine Company was an American recording company and phonograph manufacturer, incorporated in 1901. Victor was an independent enterprise until 1929 when it was purchased by the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) and became ...

, Fonotipia/ Odeon and Schallplatte Grammophon/

Polydor Polydor Limited, also known as Polydor Records, is a British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in ...

(who also recorded

Váša Příhoda Váša Příhoda (22 August 1900Nicolas Slonimsky, ed. Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, 8th ed.26 July 1960) was a Czechoslovakia, Czech List of classical violinists, violinist and minor composer. Considered a Niccolò Paganini, Pagan ...

, Franz von Vecsey and Jacques Thibaud). The Gramophone Company recorded him as accompanist to Dame Nellie Melba in 1904, a match which reflected the classical phrasing, tonal purity and security of his art and was an ideal complement to it. Their early version of the

Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: �joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety of instruments and forms, including the or ...

Gounod Charles-François Gounod (; ; 17 June 181818 October 1893), usually known as Charles Gounod, was a French composer. He wrote twelve operas, of which the most popular has always been ''Faust (opera), Faust'' (1859); his ''Roméo et Juliette'' (18 ...

Ave Maria The Hail Mary or Ave Maria (from its first words in Latin), also known as the Angelic or Angelical Salutation, is a traditional Catholic prayer addressing Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary, the mother of Jesus. The prayer is based on two biblical pa ...

'' (G.C. 03033) was recorded twice, in October 1904 and again in February 1905, and this was one of the great early classics of the

gramophone A phonograph, later called a gramophone, and since the 1940s a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogue reproduction of sound. The sound vibration waveforms are recorded as corresponding physic ...

, one of those records which 'made' the instrument a popular success, though the double celebrity single-sided title retailed at one guinea. Nine years later (when technology had improved) the partnership was reformed to re-make the record (as 03333), in May 1913 with

organ Organ and organs may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function * Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body. Musical instruments ...

accompaniment and again in October 1913. It was the latter version which then survived in the inter-war catalogue in two-sided form. His 1935

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

concert was also recorded and has been reissued. He wrote music, including six

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 ...

s, and continued to perform in public until his death, with a pause between the end of

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 ...

and 1920, during which period he composed. In 1920 he resumed his concert career. In 1917, he was elected as an honorary member of

Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia (legally Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America, colloquially known as Phi Mu Alpha, PMA, or simply Sinfonia) () is an American collegiate social Fraternities and sororities, fraternity for men with a special interest ...

music fraternity by the fraternity's Alpha chapter at the

New England Conservatory The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a Private college, private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. The conservatory is located on Huntington Avenue along Avenue of the Arts (Boston), the Avenue of the Arts near Boston Symphony Ha ...

in Boston. Jan Kubelík died in Prague in 1940, aged 60.

Critical reception and legacy

In 1907, reviewing a concert by Kubelik at New York's massive Hippodrome Theatre, the ''New York Times'' wrote In 1903 Kubelik's portrait was painted by

Philip de László Philip Alexius László de Lombos (born Fülöp Laub; ; 30 April 1869 – 22 November 1937), known professionally as Philip de László, was an Anglo-Hungarian painter known particularly for his portraits of royal and aristocratic personages. ...

, and a 1912 Cubist painting by

Georges Braque Georges Braque ( ; ; 13 May 1882 – 31 August 1963) was a major 20th-century List of French artists, French painter, Collage, collagist, Drawing, draughtsman, printmaker and sculptor. His most notable contributions were in his alliance with ...

incorporates a handbill featuring the words "Mozart Kubelick" (sic).

Carl Sandburg Carl August Sandburg (January 6, 1878 – July 22, 1967) was an American poet, biographer, journalist, and editor. He won three Pulitzer Prizes: two for his poetry and one for his biography of Abraham Lincoln. During his lifetime, Sandburg w ...

mentions Jan Kubelík in his ''Chicago Poems'', 1916. He is adored by the sisters in Sally Benson's collected short stories which later became the film '' Meet Me in St. Louis'' (1944). He is also referred to in

Robert Ludlum Robert Ludlum (May 25, 1927 – March 12, 2001) was an American author of 27 Thriller (genre), thriller novels, best known as the creator of Jason Bourne from the original ''Bourne (novel series), The Bourne Trilogy'' series. The number of copi ...

's 2002 novel '' The Janson Directive''.

Selected works

Violin and orchestra

* Concerto No. 1 in C major (published 1920) * Concerto No. 2 in D major * Concerto No. 3 in E major * Concerto No. 4 in B major (published c.1932) * Concerto No. 5 * Concerto No. 6 * Cadenzas for the Violin Concerto in D major, Op.61 by

Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

* Cadenzas for the Violin Concerto in D major, Op.77 by

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

* Cadenzas for the Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major by

Wolfgang Amadeus 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 ...

Violin and piano

* ''Burlesque'' * ''Oriental Scene'' (published c.1931) * ''Menuett'' (published 1931)

Discography of Fonotipia titles

*39162 Souvenir (Drdla) XPh 270 (27 cm) *39163 Danse Hongroise (Nachez) XPh 272 (27 cm) *39164 Variazioni sulla ballata di Mefisto (Gounod) XPh 273² (27 cm) *39191 Serenade (d'Ambrosio) (27 cm) *39192 Perpetuum mobile (Paganini) XPh 276 (27 cm) *39193 Serenade (Drdla) (27 cm) *39194 Traumerei (Schumann) XPh 285? (27 cm) *39195 La Ronde des Lutins (Bazzini) XPh 295 (27 cm) *39884 Scherzo Tarantella (Wieniawski) XPh 2231 (27 cm) *39925 Der Zephir (Hubay) XPh 2228 (27 cm) *62036 Cavatina (Raff) XPh 2400 (27 cm) *62037 Vision (Drdla) (27 cm) *62496 Serenata napolitana (Sgambati) (27 cm) *62497 Le cygne (Saint-Saëns) (27 cm) *62573 Poeme (Fibich) (27 cm) *62574 Berceuse (Drdla) (27 cm) *62603 Serenade de Pierrot (Randegger) (27 cm) *69010 Sextet, Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti) (35 cm) *69013 Variazioni sull'Inno Nazionale Inglese XXPh 275 (35 cm) *74083 Danza Spagnola ''Zapateado'' (Sarasate) 5526F (30 cm) *74084 Zingaresca (Sarasate) 5526F (30 cm) *75085 Capriccio in Sol minore (Paganini) 5527F (30 cm) *75086 Cadenza del Concerto Paganini in Re Maggiore (Kubelik) 5527F (30 cm) Source: J.R. Bennett, ''Dischi Fonotipia Numerical Catalogue - A Golden Treasury'' (J. Dennis/Record Collector Shop, Ipswich 1953).

References

* Blom, Eric, ed.,

Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' is an encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians. Along with the German-language '' Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart'', it is one of the largest reference works on the history and th ...

, 5th edition, London, 1954, pp. 287–88 * Stanislav Jandík, Čaroděj houslí. Vyprávění o Janu Kubelíkovi, který proslavil české jméno po celém světě, Za svobodu, Praha, 1949, Czech language

External links

*
The Jan Kubelík Society
* * * * František Sláma (musician)br>Archive
. More on the history of the Czech Philharmonic between the 1940s and the 1980s {{DEFAULTSORT:Kubelik, Jan 1880 births 1940 deaths 19th-century Czech classical composers Czechoslovak classical composers Czech male classical composers Czech male classical violinists Fonotipia Records artists Honorary members of the Royal Philharmonic Society Prague Conservatory alumni Czech Romantic composers Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medallists 20th-century Czech classical violinists 20th-century Czech male musicians 19th-century Czech male musicians Musicians from Prague