Karel Kovařovic (9 December 1862 6 December 1920) 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 ...

composer and conductor from

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 ...

Life

From 1873 to 1879 he studied clarinet,

harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orchestras or ...

and piano 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 ...

.''Dopisy o životě hudebním i lidském, p. 484'' He began his career as a

harpist The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has individual string (music), strings running at an angle to its sound board (music), soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing ...

. In 1900 Kovařovic became the conductor of the national theatre in Prague, due mostly to the success of his opera '' Psohlavci (The Dogheads)'', after the novel of the same name (about

Jan Sladký Kozina Jan Sladký Kozina (10 September 1652 – 26 November 1695) was a Czechs, Czech revolutionary leader of the Chods peasant rebellion. Biography Jan Sladký Kozina was born on 10 September 1652 in Újezd (Domažlice District), Újezd. He was first ...

) by

Alois Jirásek Alois Jirásek () (23 August 1851 – 12 March 1930) was a Czech writer, author of historical novels and plays. Jirásek was a high school history teacher in Litomyšl and later in Prague until his retirement in 1909. He wrote a series of histor ...

. His engagement at the National Theatre lasted twenty years, until 1920. He composed seven operas. Kovařovic is most remembered today for the revisions he made to

Leoš Janáček Leoš Janáček (, 3 July 1854 – 12 August 1928) was a Czech composer, Music theory, music theorist, Folkloristics, folklorist, publicist, and teacher. He was inspired by Moravian folk music, Moravian and other Slavs, Slavic music, includin ...

's ''

Jenůfa ''Její pastorkyňa'' (''Her Stepdaughter''; commonly known as ''Jenůfa'' ) is an opera in three acts by Leoš Janáček to a Czech libretto by the composer, based on the Play (theatre), play ''Její pastorkyňa'' by Gabriela Preissová. It was ...

'' for its premiere in Prague, and it was in his version that the opera was heard for many years. A recording of ''The Dogheads'', featuring

Beno Blachut Beno Blachut (14 June 1913 – 10 January 1985) was a lauded Czechoslovakia, Czech operatic tenor. An icon in his own nation, Blachut drew international acclaim through his many commercial recordings of Czech music. He was an instrumental part o ...

, exists.

Compositions

Orchestra

* 1880 ''Předehra veseloherní (Comic overture)'' * 1883 ''Únos Persefony'', symphonic poem * 1887 ''Concerto in f mineur'', for piano and orchestra, op. 6 * 1892 ''Předehra dramatická (Dramatic overture)'' * 1900 ''Fantasie from the opera "

Prodaná nevěsta ''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 ...

" of

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 ...

'' * ''Deux suites de ballet'' * ''Gavotta'', for violin and string quartet, op. 4 * ''Havířská polka (Miners' polka)'' from play Mr Brouček's excursion to the Exhibition (1894) * ''Valčík (waltz)'', for chamber orchestra

Works for wind band

* 1911 ''Lustspiel Ouverture'' * 1914 ''Vzpomínky'' * ''Havířská polka''

Theatre

Operas

Ballet

Incidental music

* 1918 ''Loutkářův sirotek'', melodrama – text:

Svatopluk Čech Svatopluk Čech (21 February 1846 – 23 February 1908) was a Czechs, Czech writer, journalist and poet. Biography Čech was born in Ostředek. He studied at Gymnasium (school), gymnasium in Prague, then studied law, and later worked in the jour ...

"Ve stínu lípy" * ''Zlatý kolovrat'', melodrama – text:

Karel Jaromír Erben Karel Jaromír Erben (; 7 November 1811 – 21 November 1870) was a Czech folklorist and poet of the mid-19th century, best known for his collection '' Kytice'', which contains poems based on traditional and folkloric themes. He also wrote ''Pí ...

Vocal music

Works for choir

* 1890 ''Královničky; staré obřadné tance moravské se zpěvy'', for women (SSAA) en piano (of harmonium)

Song

* 1880 ''Osmero písní'', for soprano and piano, op. 1 * 1885 ''Tři žertovné písně (Three humorous songs)'' * 1887 ''Jarní květy (Spring blossoms)'', for soprano and piano, op. 7 * 1892–1893 ''Čtyři písně (Four songs)'', op. 18 *# Der Abendstern – text:

August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben August Heinrich Hoffmann (, calling himself von Fallersleben, after his hometown; 2 April 179819 January 1874) was a German poet. He is best known for writing "", whose third stanza is now the national anthem of Germany, and a number of popular ...

*# Gottes Nähe *# Frühlings Mahnung – text: August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben *# Im Arm der Liebe schlummre ein – text:

Georg Scheurlin Georg may refer to: * ''Georg'' (film), 1997 *Georg (musical), Estonian musical * Georg (given name) * Georg (surname) * , a Kriegsmarine coastal tanker * Spiders Georg, an Internet meme See also * George (disambiguation) George may refer to: ...

* 1897–1898 ''Dvě písně (Two songs)'', for soprano or tenor and piano * 1915 ''Slovácká píseň'', for high voice and piano – text:

Ema Destinnová Emmy Destinn ( (); 26 February 1878 – 28 January 1930) was a Czech operatic dramatic soprano. She had a career both in Europe and at the New York Metropolitan Opera. She was one of the greatest opera singers of the 19th and 20th centuries. B ...

* 1919 ''Svítání (Dayspring)'', for voice and orchestra – text:

Vojtěch Martínek Vojtěch (Czech pronunciation: ) or Vojtech is a, respectively, Czech and Slovak given name of Slavic origin. It is composed of two parts: ''voj'' – "troops"/"war(rior)" and ''těch'' – "consolator"/"rejoicing man". So, the name could be interp ...

Chamber music

* String quartet No 1 (1885) * String quartet No 2 (1887) * String quartet No 3 (1889) * ''Romance'' for violin and piano, op. 2

Works for piano

* 1885 ''Co ti to napadá'', polka * 1910 ''Deux valses'', * 1910 ''Polka'' * 1910 ''Deux mazurkas'' * ''Čtverylka'', quadrille * ''Národní tance'' *# Pasačka *# Starodávný *# Holuběnka * ''Naše vlast'', fantasie

Notes

References

External links

*
Works
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kovarovic, Karel 1862 births 1920 deaths Czech male conductors (music) 19th-century conductors (music) Czech opera composers Czech male opera composers 19th-century Czech classical composers 20th-century Czech classical composers 20th-century Czech conductors (music) Composers from Prague Prague Conservatory alumni 20th-century Czech male musicians Composers from Austria-Hungary