Iva Bittová
Encyclopedia
Iva Bittová is a Czech avant-garde
violinist, singer and composer. She began her career as an actress in the mid 1970s, appearing in several Czech feature films, but switched to playing violin and singing in the early 1980s. She started recording in 1986 and by 1990 her unique vocal and instrumental technique gained her international recognition. Since then, she has performed regularly throughout Europe, the United States and Japan, and has released over eight solo albums.
In addition to her musical career, Bittová has continued acting and still occasionally appears in feature films. In 2003 she played the part of Zena in Želary
, a film nominated for Best Foreign Language Film
at the 2004 Academy Awards.
, Czech Silesia
, in what was then the Republic of Czechoslovakia
. The second of three daughters, she grew up in a musical family where her father Koloman Bitto , a famous musician of Hungarian–Romany origin from southern Slovakia
, played guitar, trumpet and double bass
in folk
and classical
ensembles
, and her mother Ludmila Bittová (née Masařová) sang in professional vocal groups. As a child, Bittová took ballet and violin lessons in Opava
and played child roles in the Silesian Theatre of Zdeněk Nejedlý. When her family moved to Brno
in 1971, she dropped music in favour of drama and studied at the Brno Conservatory
. For the next ten years, Bittová worked as an actress, appearing in several Czech feature films and Brno television and radio productions.
In the early 1980s, Bittová returned to music and studied violin under Rudolf Šťastný, professor of Janáček Academy
in Brno. She had received her vocal training while at drama college and quickly developed a unique way of singing and playing the violin. In 1985, Bittová collaborated with percussionist Pavel Fajt from the Czech rock group Dunaj
and recorded Bittová + Fajt, a fusion of alternative rock
music with Slavic
and Romani music. She then recorded a few solo EPs in 1986 and sang with Dunaj for the next few years. Her breakthrough came in 1987 when she and Fajt recorded their second album Svatba (The Wedding), which was released internationally by Review Records. This attracted the attention of English percussionist Chris Cutler
of Recommended Records
, who re-issued Bittová + Fajt internationally. The duo also attracted the attention of English avant-garde
guitarist Fred Frith
, who featured them in a documentary film on him, Step Across the Border
(1990), which gave them their first broad international exposure and a tour outside of Eastern Europe.
Bittová recorded her first full length solo album Iva Bittová in 1991, followed by River of Milk, her first United States release. In 1997, she began exploring classical music with a series of concerts and recording an album of Béla Bartók
's violin duets with Dorothea Kellerová. She collaborated with Vladimír Václavek to record a double album Bílé Inferno (White Inferno) in 1997, and the success of this release lead to Bittová and Václavek establishing Čikori, an association of musicians involved in improvisational music
.
Bittová has performed with a number of avant-garde musicians internationally, including Fred Frith, Chris Cutler and the late Tom Cora
, and has given solo concerts across the world. Bittová lived in the village of Lelekovice
near Brno with her two sons, Matouš and Antonín. She now resides in Rhinebeck
, New York, with her son Antonín.
With Dunaj
With Dorothea Kellerová
With Vladimír Václavek
With Škampa Quartet
With the Netherlands Wind Ensemble
With Andreas Kröper
With Čikori
With Miloš Valent
With DJ Javas
With Miloš Valent Marek Štryncl, Solamente Naturali, Bratislava Conservatory Choir
With Bang on a Can
With Susumu Yokota
With George Mraz
, Emil Viklický
and Lolo Tropp
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
violinist, singer and composer. She began her career as an actress in the mid 1970s, appearing in several Czech feature films, but switched to playing violin and singing in the early 1980s. She started recording in 1986 and by 1990 her unique vocal and instrumental technique gained her international recognition. Since then, she has performed regularly throughout Europe, the United States and Japan, and has released over eight solo albums.
In addition to her musical career, Bittová has continued acting and still occasionally appears in feature films. In 2003 she played the part of Zena in Želary
Želary
Želary is a 2003 Czech/Slovak film directed by Ondřej Trojan, starring Anna Geislerová. The movie received a 2004 Academy Award nomination in the Best Foreign Language Film category. It was produced by Barrandov Studios in Prague.- Plot :...
, a film nominated for Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
at the 2004 Academy Awards.
Biography
Iva Bittová was born on 22 July 1958 in the town of BruntálBruntál
Bruntál is a town located near the western boundary of Moravian-Silesian Region, in Czech Silesia. A suitable position in the middle of the Jeseníky Mountains provides an ample number of touristic opportunities to the town...
, Czech Silesia
Czech Silesia
Czech Silesia is an unofficial name of one of the three Czech lands and a section of the Silesian historical region. It is located in the north-east of the Czech Republic, predominantly in the Moravian-Silesian Region, with a section in the northern Olomouc Region...
, in what was then the Republic of Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
. The second of three daughters, she grew up in a musical family where her father Koloman Bitto , a famous musician of Hungarian–Romany origin from southern Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, played guitar, trumpet and double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
in folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
ensembles
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, and her mother Ludmila Bittová (née Masařová) sang in professional vocal groups. As a child, Bittová took ballet and violin lessons in Opava
Opava
Opava is a city in the northern Czech Republic on the river Opava, located to the north-west of Ostrava. The historical capital of Czech Silesia, Opava is now in the Moravian-Silesian Region and has a population of 59,843 as of January 1, 2005....
and played child roles in the Silesian Theatre of Zdeněk Nejedlý. When her family moved to Brno
Brno
Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
in 1971, she dropped music in favour of drama and studied at the Brno Conservatory
Brno Conservatory
The Brno Conservatory, also Brno Conservatoire , was established in Brno on 25 September 1919 by Moravian composer Leoš Janáček.- History :...
. For the next ten years, Bittová worked as an actress, appearing in several Czech feature films and Brno television and radio productions.
In the early 1980s, Bittová returned to music and studied violin under Rudolf Šťastný, professor of Janáček Academy
Janácek Academy of Music and Performing Arts
Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts is a university-level school in Brno in the Czech Republic.The Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts is one of two academies of music and the dramatic arts in the Czech Republic...
in Brno. She had received her vocal training while at drama college and quickly developed a unique way of singing and playing the violin. In 1985, Bittová collaborated with percussionist Pavel Fajt from the Czech rock group Dunaj
Dunaj (band)
Dunaj were a Czech art/alternative rock band from Brno active between 1986 and 1998. The band is notable for its inclusion of Czech rock figureheads Iva Bittová and Pavel Fajt, as well as its own international success and influence on the Czech alternative rock scene...
and recorded Bittová + Fajt, a fusion of alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
music with Slavic
Slavic peoples
The Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
and Romani music. She then recorded a few solo EPs in 1986 and sang with Dunaj for the next few years. Her breakthrough came in 1987 when she and Fajt recorded their second album Svatba (The Wedding), which was released internationally by Review Records. This attracted the attention of English percussionist Chris Cutler
Chris Cutler
Chris Cutler is an English percussionist, composer, lyricist and music theorist. Best known for his work with English avant-rock group Henry Cow, Cutler was also a member and drummer of a number of other bands, including Art Bears, News from Babel, Pere Ubu and Gong/Mothergong...
of Recommended Records
Recommended Records
Recommended Records is a British independent record label and distribution network founded by Chris Cutler in March 1978. RēR features largely "Rock in Opposition" and related music, but it also distributes selected music released on other independent labels.In 1982 Cutler established November...
, who re-issued Bittová + Fajt internationally. The duo also attracted the attention of English avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
guitarist Fred Frith
Fred Frith
Fred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
, who featured them in a documentary film on him, Step Across the Border
Step Across the Border
Step Across the Border is a 1990 avant-garde documentary film on English guitarist, composer and improviser Fred Frith. It was written and directed by Nicolas Humbert and Werner Penzel and released in Germany and Switzerland...
(1990), which gave them their first broad international exposure and a tour outside of Eastern Europe.
Bittová recorded her first full length solo album Iva Bittová in 1991, followed by River of Milk, her first United States release. In 1997, she began exploring classical music with a series of concerts and recording an album of Béla Bartók
Béla Bartók
Béla Viktor János Bartók was a Hungarian composer and pianist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century and is regarded, along with Liszt, as Hungary's greatest composer...
's violin duets with Dorothea Kellerová. She collaborated with Vladimír Václavek to record a double album Bílé Inferno (White Inferno) in 1997, and the success of this release lead to Bittová and Václavek establishing Čikori, an association of musicians involved in improvisational music
Musical improvisation
Musical improvisation is the creative activity of immediate musical composition, which combines performance with communication of emotions and instrumental technique as well as spontaneous response to other musicians...
.
Bittová has performed with a number of avant-garde musicians internationally, including Fred Frith, Chris Cutler and the late Tom Cora
Tom Cora
Thomas Henry Corra , better known as Tom Cora, was a United States cellist and composer, best known for his improvisational performances in the field of experimental jazz and rock...
, and has given solo concerts across the world. Bittová lived in the village of Lelekovice
Lelekovice
Lelekovice is a village in Brno-Country District, South Moravian Region, Czech Republic. It has a population of 1,571 . The asteroid 167208 Lelekovice was named in its honour on the occasion of the 720th anniversary of its founding, by the co-discoverer Kamil Hornoch, whose birthplace this is.-...
near Brno with her two sons, Matouš and Antonín. She now resides in Rhinebeck
Rhinebeck (town), New York
Rhinebeck is a town in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 7,548 at the 2010 census.The Town of Rhinebeck in the northwest part of Dutchess County in the Hudson Valley. Rhinebeck is also the name of a village in the town. US Route 9 passes through the town...
, New York, with her son Antonín.
Bittová's music
Bittová's music is a blend of rock and East European music which she describes as "my own personal folk music". Her violin playing mixes different techniques, including playing the strings with various objects and plucking them like a banjo. Her vocal utterances range from traditional singing to chirping, cackling and deep throat noises. She puts her whole body into her performances, drawing on her theatrical skills. AllMusic.com writes: "Her irresistible charm, original use of voice, and fondness of melodies that sit on the border of avant-garde and playground nursery rhymes won her devoted fans around the world."Collaborations
With Pavel Fajt- Bittová + Fajt (1987, LP, Panton)
- Svatba (The Wedding) (1987, LP, Review Records)
With Dunaj
- The Danube (1989, LP, Panton)
- Pustit Musíš (You Must Let Go) (1996, CD, Rachot Behemot)
With Dorothea Kellerová
- 'Béla Bartók: 44 Dueta pro Dvoje Housle (44 Duets for Two Violins) (1997, CD, Rachot Behemot)
With Vladimír Václavek
- Bílé Inferno (White Inferno) (1997, 2xCD, Indies RecordsIndies RecordsIndies Records is a record label based in Brno, Czech Republic. The label was founded in 1990 by Milan Páleš and Miloš Gruber and has since released over 200 titles, working under the label motto "We only release music that we like". Starting out releasing different types of alternative music, the...
)
With Škampa Quartet
- Classic (1998, CD, SupraphonSupraphonSupraphon Music Publishing is a Czech record label, it is oriented mainly towards publishing classical music, with an emphasis on Czech and Slovak composers.- History :...
)
With the Netherlands Wind Ensemble
- Dance of the Vampires (2000, CD, N.W.E.)
With Andreas Kröper
- Echoes (2001, CD, SupraphonSupraphonSupraphon Music Publishing is a Czech record label, it is oriented mainly towards publishing classical music, with an emphasis on Czech and Slovak composers.- History :...
)
With Čikori
- Čikori (2001, CD, Indies RecordsIndies RecordsIndies Records is a record label based in Brno, Czech Republic. The label was founded in 1990 by Milan Páleš and Miloš Gruber and has since released over 200 titles, working under the label motto "We only release music that we like". Starting out releasing different types of alternative music, the...
)
With Miloš Valent
- Leoš JanáčekLeoš JanácekLeoš Janáček was a Czech composer, musical theorist, folklorist, publicist and teacher. He was inspired by Moravian and all Slavic folk music to create an original, modern musical style. Until 1895 he devoted himself mainly to folkloristic research and his early musical output was influenced by...
: Moravian folk poetry in songs (2004, CD, SupraphonSupraphonSupraphon Music Publishing is a Czech record label, it is oriented mainly towards publishing classical music, with an emphasis on Czech and Slovak composers.- History :...
)
With DJ Javas
- The Party (2004, CD, Indies RecordsIndies RecordsIndies Records is a record label based in Brno, Czech Republic. The label was founded in 1990 by Milan Páleš and Miloš Gruber and has since released over 200 titles, working under the label motto "We only release music that we like". Starting out releasing different types of alternative music, the...
)
With Miloš Valent Marek Štryncl, Solamente Naturali, Bratislava Conservatory Choir
- Vladimír Godár: Mater (2006, CD, ECMECM (record label)ECM is a record label founded in Munich, Germany, in 1969 by Manfred Eicher. While ECM is best known for jazz music, the label has released a wide variety of recordings, and ECM's artists often refuse to acknowledge boundaries between genres...
)
With Bang on a Can
- Elida (2006, CD, Indies RecordsIndies RecordsIndies Records is a record label based in Brno, Czech Republic. The label was founded in 1990 by Milan Páleš and Miloš Gruber and has since released over 200 titles, working under the label motto "We only release music that we like". Starting out releasing different types of alternative music, the...
)
With Susumu Yokota
Susumu Yokota
Susumu Yokota is a prolific Japanese composer.Yokota is well known in the English-speaking independent music scene for his albums of experimental ambient music...
- Wonder Waltz (Skintone) (2006, CD, Japan)
With George Mraz
George Mraz
George Mraz is a jazz bassist and alto saxophonist. He was a member of Oscar Peterson's group, and has worked with Stan Getz, Tommy Flanagan, Chet Baker and many other important jazz musicians...
, Emil Viklický
Emil Viklický
Emil Viklický is a Czech jazz pianist and composer. In 1971 he graduated from Palacký University with a degree in mathematics. While a student he devoted much time to playing jazz piano. In 1974, he was awarded the prize for best soloist at the Czechoslovak Amateur Jazz Festival, and that same...
and Lolo Tropp
- Moravian Gems (2007, CD, Cube Metier)
Solo
- Iva Bittová (1986, EP, Panton)
- Balada pro Banditu (A Ballad for a Bandit) (1986, EP, Panton)
- Iva Bittová (1991, LP, Pavian)
- River of Milk (1991, CD, EVA Records)
- Ne, Nehledej (No, Do Not Seek) (1994, CD, BMGBMGBertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
) - Kolednice (Carol singer) (1995, CD, BMGBMGBertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
) - Divná Slečinka (A Strange Young Lady) (1996, CD, BMGBMGBertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
) - Solo (1997, CD, Nonesuch RecordsNonesuch RecordsNonesuch Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:Nonesuch was founded in 1964 by Jac Holzman to produce "fine records at the same price as a trade paperback", which would be half the price of a normal LP...
)
Filmography
- Ružové snyRosy DreamsRosy Dreams is a 1977 Czechoslovak film. Despite its whimsical poetic style, it was the first Central European feature film that put the Romani community at the center stage in a realistic manner...
(Rosy DreamsRosy DreamsRosy Dreams is a 1977 Czechoslovak film. Despite its whimsical poetic style, it was the first Central European feature film that put the Romani community at the center stage in a realistic manner...
) (1976) - Die Insel der Silberreiher (Island of the Silver Herons) (1976)
- Jak se budí princezny (1977)
- Balada pro Banditu (Ballad for a Bandit) (1978)
- Únos Moravanky (1983)
- Mikola a Mikolko (1988)
- Něha (Tenderness) (1991)
- The Man Who CriedThe Man Who CriedThe Man Who Cried is an 2000 Anglo-French film, written and directed by Sally Potter. The film stars Christina Ricci, Cate Blanchett, Johnny Depp, Harry Dean Stanton, and John Turturro....
(as the voice for Christina RicciChristina RicciChristina Ricci is an American actress. Ricci received initial recognition and praise as a child star for her performance as Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family and Addams Family Values , and her role as Kat Harvey in Casper...
) (2000) - ŽelaryŽelaryŽelary is a 2003 Czech/Slovak film directed by Ondřej Trojan, starring Anna Geislerová. The movie received a 2004 Academy Award nomination in the Best Foreign Language Film category. It was produced by Barrandov Studios in Prague.- Plot :...
(2003) - Tajnosti (Little Girl Blue) (2007)
External links
- Official homepage.
- Iva Bittová biography. Czech Music Information Centre.
- Videos of Iva Bittová performing live...