Karel Kovařovic

Karel Kovařovic (9 December 1862  – 6 December 1920) was a Czech composer and conductor from Prague.

Portrait by Jan Vilímek

Life

From 1873 to 1879 he studied clarinet, harp and piano at the Prague Conservatory.[1] He began his career as a harpist. In 1900 Kovařovic became the conductor of the national theatre in Prague, due mostly to the success of his opera The Dogheads, after the novel of the same name (about Jan Sladký Kozina) by Alois Jirásek. His engagement at the National Theatre lasted twenty years, until 1920.[1] He composed seven operas.

Kovařovic is most remembered today for the revisions he made to Leoš Janáček's Jenůfa 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, exists.

Compositions

Orchestra
  • 1880 Předehra veseloherní (Comic overture)
  • 1883 Únos Persefony, symphonic poem
  • 1887 Concerto in f mineur, for piano and orchestra, op. 6[2]
  • 1892 Předehra dramatická (Dramatic overture)
  • 1900 Fantasie from the opera "Prodaná nevěsta" of Bedřich Smetana
  • 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

Operas
Years composed title acts première libretto
1882–1883 Ženichové (The Bridgrooms) 3 acts 13 May 1884, Prague, Prague National Theatre Antonín Koukl after Simeon Karel Macháček
1885 Cesta oknem (The Way through the Window), op. 4 1 act 11 February 1886, Prague, Prague National Theatre Emanuel František Züngel,
after Eugène Scribe and Gustave Lemoine
1890–1891 Noc Šimona a Judy (The Night of Saint Simon and Jude) 3 acts 5 November 1892, Prague National Theatre Karel Šípek after Pedro Antonio de Alarcón
1891 Edip král (Oedipus rex) 3-act opera-parody 19 March 1894, Prague Žofín Hall August Vojtěch Nevšímal after Sophocles
1895–1897 Psohlavci (The Dogheads) 3 acts,
6 scènes		 24 April 1898, Prague National Theatre Karel Šípek after Alois Jirásek
1898–1901 Na Starém bělidle (At the old bleachery) 4 scènes 22 November 1901, Prague National Theatre Karel Šípek afterBožena Němcová
1905 Slib (The Promise) Prologue only 9 December 1921, Prague, Prague National Theatre Karel Šípek after R Zamrzla

Ballet
Composed in title acts première libretto choreography
1884 Hašiš 1 act,
2 scenes		 20 June 1884, Prague National Theatre Václav Reisingra
1889 Pohádka o nalezeném štěstí (Fairy tale of found fortune) 3 acts,
7 scenes		 8 April 1889, Prague National Theatre Augustin Berger
1889 Královničky (Little Queens)
1889 Sedm havranů (Seven Ravens)
1909 Na Záletech (Love Affairs) 10 scènes 1909, Prague A. Viscusi

Incidental 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
    1. Der Abendstern – text: August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben
    2. Gottes Nähe
    3. Frühlings Mahnung – text: August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben
    4. Im Arm der Liebe schlummre ein – text: Georg Scheurlin
  • 1897–1898 Dvě písně (Two songs), for soprano or tenor and piano
  • 1915 Slovácká píseň, for high voice and piano – text: Ema Destinnová
  • 1919 Svítání (Dayspring), for voice and orchestra – text: Vojtěch Martínek

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
    1. Pasačka
    2. Starodávný
    3. Holuběnka
  • Naše vlast, fantasie

Notes
  1. Dopisy o životě hudebním i lidském, p. 484
  2. Karel Kovarovic - Piano Concerto in F-minor, Op.6 on YouTube

References
  • Suk, Josef (2005). Jana Vojtěšková (ed.). Dopisy o životě hudebním i lidském. Prague: Editio Bärenreiter. ISBN 80-86385-31-0.
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