Karel Husa
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Karel Husa (born August 7, 1921 in Prague) is a Czech-born classical composer and conductor. He is best know for his compositions for wind instruments.
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[edit] Overview
He learned to play the violin and the piano in early childhood and, after passing his final examination at high school, he enrolled in the Prague Conservatoire in 1939 where he studied in a class of Jaroslav Ridky, a Czech composer with traditional leanings, and attended courses in conducting led by Metod Dolezil and Pavel Dedecek. After the end of the Second World War Husa was admitted to the graduate school of the Prague Conservatoire, where he attended courses led by Jaroslav Ridky and graduated in 1947. At the same time, he decided to continue his studies of composition and conducting in Paris. In 1947 he studied with Arthur Honegger and Nadia Boulanger. He studied conducting with Jean Fournet, Eugene Bigot and Andre Cluytens. After finishing his courses in conducting at Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris and at Conservatoire de Musique de Paris he embarked on a career during which he has conducted the world's leading orchestras and participated in many major projects. He divided his time between composing and conducting, taking an ever more active part in Parisian and international musical life.
His First Quartet marked a big step on the composer's path to the realm of international music: the Quartet received the 1950 Lili Boulanger Prize and the 1951 award at the music festival in Bilthoven in the Netherlands. It has since also been performed on many other occasions, eg., at the festival of the International Society for Contemporary Music in Brussels (1950), festivals in Salzburg (1950), Darmstadt (1951), and the Netherlands (1952) as well as at various concerts in Germany, France, Sweden, England, Switzerland, Australia and the United States. Other compositions written by Karel Husa during his stay in Paris include Divertimento for String Orchestra, Concertino for Piano and Orchestra, Evocations de Slovaquie, Musique diamateurs, Portrait for String Orchestra, First Symphony, First Sonata for Piano, and Second String Quartet. Throughout this period, the composer's underlying preoccupation and interest was style, which was primarily influenced by Vitezslav Novak, Janacek, Bartok and Stravinsky. He is probably best known for his Music for Prague 1968, a work in memory of the 1968 Soviet bloc invasion of Czechoslovakia. His String Quartet No. 3 won the Pulitzer Prize in 1969. From 1954 until 1992 he was a professor at Cornell University and lecturer at Ithaca College from 1967 to 1986. Husa now resides in Ithaca, NY.
[edit] Compositions
[edit] Orchestral
- DIVERTIMENTO FOR STRING ORCHESTRA (1948)
- CONCERTINO PRO KLAVIR A ORCHESTR (1949)
- MUSIQUE D'AMATEURS - Four Easy Pieces
- PORTRAIT FOR STRING ORCHESTRA
- SYMPHONY NO. 1
- FANTASIES FOR ORCHESTRA 1
- NOCTURNE from Fantasies for Orchestra 1
- POEM FOR VIOLA AND STRING ORCHESTRA (Also for viola and piano)
- ELEGIE ET RONDEAU FOR ALTO SAXOPHONE AND ORCHESTRA (Also for alto saxophone and piano)
- MOSAIQUES FOR ORCHESTRA
- FRESQUE FOR ORCHESTRA
- SERENADE FOR WOODWIND QUINTET WITH STRING ORCHESTRA, XYLOPHONE AND HARP (Also for wind quintet and piano)
- CONCERTO FOR BRASS QUINTET AND STRING ORCHESTRA
- MUSIC FOR PRAGUE 1968 (Also for symphonic band)
- TWO SONNETS FROM MICHELANGELO
- CONCERTO FOR TRUMPET AND WIND ORCHESTRA (Also for trumpet and piano)
- PASTORAL FOR STRING ORCHESTRA
- THE TROJAN WOMEN, scenes from the ballet for orchestra
- SYMPHONIC SUITE
- CONCERTO FOR ORCHESTRA
- CONCERTO FOR ORGAN AND ORCHESTRA
- CONCERTO FOR TRUMPET AND ORCHESTRA (Also for trumpet and piano)
- KONCERT PRO VIOLONCELLO A ORCHESTR (1988) CONCERTO FOR VIOLONCELLO AND ORCHESTRA winner of the 1993 Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition.
- PREDEHRA ("MLADI") (1991) OUVERTURE ("YOUTH")
- CONCERTO FOR VIOLIN AND ORCHESTRA (1992)
- CAYUGA LAKE (MEMORIES) for string, wind and brass quartet, piano and percussion (1 player) (1991)
- CELEBRACION (1997)
- CELEBRATION FANFARE (1996)
[edit] Compositions for Woodwinds, Brass, and Percussion and Symphonic Band
- DIVERTIMENTO FOR BRASS AND PERCUSSION (Expansion of movements from the Eight Czech Duets, 1955)
- KONCERT PRO ALTSAXOFON A KONCERTNI DECHOVY ORCHESTR (1967) CONCERTO FOR ALTO SAXOPHONE AND CONCERT BAND (Also for alto saxophone and piano)
- HUDBA PRO PRAHU 1968 (1968) MUSIC FOR PRAGUE 1968 (Original version for concert band)
- APOTEOZA PLANETY ZEME (1970) APOTHEOSIS OF THIS EARTH (Original version for concert band, new version (1990) for concert band and chorus)
- KONCERT PRO BICI NASTROJE A DECHOVY SOUBOR (1971) CONCERTO FOR PERCUSSION AND WIND ENSEMBLE (Percussion: five soloists)
- KONCERT PRO TRUBKU A KONCERTNI DECHOVY ORCHESTR (1973) CONCERTO FOR TRUMPET AND WIND ORCHESTRA (Also for trumpet and piano)
- AL FRESCO PRO KONCERTNI DECHOVY ORCHESTR (1973) AL FRESCO FOR CONCERT BAND
- FANFARA PRO ZESTOVE A BICI NASTROJE (1980) FANFARE FOR BRASS AND PERCUSSION
- INTRADY A INTERLUDIA PRO SEDM TRUBEK A BICI NASTROJE (1980) INTRADAS AND INTERLUDES FOR SEVEN TRUMPETS AND PERCUSSION
- KONCERT PRO DECHOVY ANSAMBL (1982) CONCERTO FOR WIND ENSEMBLE (Large wind ensemble)
- KONCERTINO PRO KLAVIR A SOUBOR DECHOVYCH NASTROJU (1984) CONCERTINO FOR PIANO AND WIND ENSEMBLE (Version of 1949 work with orchestral accompaniment - small wind ensemble, ca. 35 players, also in a version for two pianos)
- SMETANOVSKA FANFARA (1984) SMETANA FANFARE (Large wind ensemble)
- LES COULEURS FAUVES (1996) for chamber ensemble
- MIDWEST CELEBRATION (Fanfare) (1996), chamber ensemble
- CHEETAH (2006) Commissioned by the University of Louisville Wind Symphony
[edit] Vocal and Choral Symphonic Compositions
- TWELVE MORAVIAN SONGS for voice and piano
- SLAVNOSTNI ODA pro sbor a orchestr (1964) FESTIVE ODE for chorus and orchestra Text Eric Blackall (Also for mixed chorus and band or brass ensembles or organ )
- APOTEZA PLANETY ZEME pro sbor a symfonicky orchestr (1972) APOTHEOSIS OF THIS EARTH for chorus and orchestra AMP, r LO (LS 799, LDC 005) (Original version for concert band, 1970)
- AMERICKE TE DEUM pro baryton, smiseny sbor a orchestr (1977) AN AMERICAN TE DEUM for baritone, chorus and orchestra (Text compiled by Karel Husa from the writings of): Henry David Thoreau, Ole E. Rolvaag, Otakar Brezina, folk, traditional and liturgical sources (Also for baritone, chorus and wind ensemble, 1976)
- "CAS OD CASU JSOU JITRA...", smiseny sbor a cappella (1981) "THERE ARE FROM TIME MORNINGS...", mixed chorus a cappella text Henry David Thoreau (From An American Te Deum)
- THREE MORAVIAN SONGS for mixed chorus a cappella (1981)
- "KAZDY DEN" , smiseny sbor a cappella (1981) "EVERY DAY", mixed chorus a caqppella Text Henry David Thoreau
- CANTATA FOR MALE CHORUS AND BRASS QUINTET Text Edwin A. Robinson, Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman
[edit] Ballet
- MONODRAMA (1976)
- THE STEADFAST TIN SOLDIER. From the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale
- TROJSKE ZENY. (1980) THE TROJAN WOMEN.
[edit] Compositions for Keyboard Instruments
- SONATINA FOR PIANO
- SONATA FOR PIANO No.1
- EIGHT CZECH DUETS FOR PIANO FOUR-HANDS
- ELEGIE PRO KLAVIR (1957) ELEGIE FOR PIANO
- SONATA PRO KLAVIR C. 2 (1975) SONAT FOR PIANO NO. 2
- FRAGMENTY PRO VARHANY (1986) FRAGMMENTI FOR ORGAN
[edit] Music for Chamber Ensembles
- SMYCCOVY KVARTET C. 1 (1948) STRING QUARTET No. 1
- SLOVENSKE EVOKACE (1951) EVOCATIONS OF SLOVAKIA for clarinet, viola and violoncello
- SMYCCOVY KVATET C. 2(1953) STRING QUARTET NO. 2
- CTYRI MALE KUSY PRO SMYCCE (1955) FOUR LITTLE PIECES FOR STRINGS
- POEM PRO VIOLU A KLAVIR (1959) POEM FOR VIOLA AND PIANO (or chamber orchestra)
- SERENADA PRO DECHOVY KVINTET A KLAVIR (1963) SERENADE FOR WIND QUINTET AND PIANO (See also Orchestral Compositions)
- ELEGIE A RONDO PRO ALTSAXOFON A KLAVIR (1961) ELEGIE ET RONDEAU FOR ALTO SAXOPHONE AND PIANO (also with orchestra)
- TWO PRELUDES FOR FLUTE, CLARINET AND BASSOON
- KONCERT PRO ALTSAXOFON A KLAVIR (1967) CONCERTO FOR ALTO SAXOPHONE AND PIANO (also with orchestra)
- SMYCCOVY KVARTET C. 3 (1968) STRING QUARTET NO. 3
- DIVERTIMENTO PRO ZESTOVE KVINTETO (1968) DIVERTIMENTO FOR BRASS QUINTET (Expansion of movements from the Eight Czech Duets, 1955)
- SONATA PRO HOUSLE A KLAVIR (1973) SONATA FOR VIOLIN AND PIANO
- KONCERT PRO TRUBKU A KLAVIR (1973) CONCERTO FOR TRUMPET AND PIANO (Also for trumpet and wind orchestra)
- DRUM CEREMONY (1976) for 5 percussions (from American Te Deum)
- KRAJINOMALBY PRO ZESTOVE KVINTETO (1977) LANDSCAPES FOR BRASS QUINTET
- TRI TANECNI SKICI PRO BICI NASTROJE (1979) THREE DANCE SKETCHES FOR PERCUSSION 4 or more performers
- SONATA A TRE (1982) SONATA A TRE for Violin, Clarinet and Piano
- VZPOMINKY PRO HOUSLE, VIOLU, VIOLONCELLO A KLAVIR RECOLLECTIONS FOR WIND QUINTET AND PIANO
- VARIACE PRO HOUSLE, VIOLU, VIOLONCELLO A KLAVIR (1984) VARIATIONS FOR VIOLIN, VIOLA, VIOLONCELLO AND PIANO
- INTRADA PRO ZESTOVE KVINTETO (1984) INTRADA FOR BRASS QUINTET
- SMYCCOVY KVARTET C. 4 (1990) STRING QUARTET NO. 4
- FIVE POEMS FOR WOOD WIND QUINTET (1994)
- SUITA PRO VIOLU A KLAVIR OP. (1945) SUITA FOR VIOLA AND PIANO OP. 5
- SONATINA PRO HOUSLE A KLAVIR OP. 6 (1945) SONATINA FOR VIOLIN AND PIANO OP. 6
- POSTCARD FROM HOME (1997) for alto saxophone and piano
[edit] Early Unpublished Works
- SMYCCOVY KVARTET OP. 2 (1943) STRING QUARTET OP. 2
- PREDEHRA PRO VELKY ORCHESTR OP. 3 (1944) OUVERTURE FOR LARGE ORCHESTRA OP.3
- SINFONIETTA PRO ORCHESTR OP. 4 (1944) SINFONIETTA FOR ORCHESTRA OP.4
- TRI FRESKY PRO ORCHESTR OP. 7 (1947) THREE FRESQUES FOR ORCHESTRA OP. 7 (Original version, see also Orchestral Compositions)
[edit] External links
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