Karel Berman
Encyclopedia
Karel Berman was a Jewish Czech
opera
singer, composer
and opera director.
. In March, 1943, Berman was deported to Theresienstadt, where he took part in cultural life as a singer, composer and director. On 11 July 1944, for example, he and Rafael Schächter produced the "Four songs to words of Chinese poetry" by Pavel Haas
for the first time. Later he was also imprisoned in Kaufering
and Auschwitz. He survived the camps and later became famous as an opera singer. In 1953, he joined the Prague National Theatre opera. Berman is also remembered as an opera director, having directed more than 70 operas. He also as taught at the Prague Conservatory
from 1961–1971, and from 1964 at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague
.
Czech people
Czechs, or Czech people are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries...
opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
singer, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and opera director.
Life
After extensive musical education, Karel Berman started his career as a bass singer of opera in OpavaOpava
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....
. In March, 1943, Berman was deported to Theresienstadt, where he took part in cultural life as a singer, composer and director. On 11 July 1944, for example, he and Rafael Schächter produced the "Four songs to words of Chinese poetry" by Pavel Haas
Pavel Haas
Pavel Haas was a Czech composer who was murdered during the Holocaust. He was an exponent of Leoš Janáček's school of composition, and also utilized elements of folk music and jazz. Although his output was not large, he is notable particularly for his song cycles and string quartets.-Pre-war:Haas...
for the first time. Later he was also imprisoned in Kaufering
Kaufering concentration camp
Kaufering concentration camps were a network of subsidiary camps of the Dachau concentration camp.With the intensification of the Allied air war against German industrial and military enterprises after 1943, the German Armaments Ministry and the Schutzstaffel agreed to accelerate construction of...
and Auschwitz. He survived the camps and later became famous as an opera singer. In 1953, he joined the Prague National Theatre opera. Berman is also remembered as an opera director, having directed more than 70 operas. He also as taught at the Prague Conservatory
Prague Conservatory
Prague Conservatory, sometimes also Prague Conservatoire, in Czech Pražská konzervatoř, is a Czech secondary school in Prague dedicated to teaching the arts of music and theater acting.- Instruction :...
from 1961–1971, and from 1964 at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague
Academy of Performing Arts in Prague
The Academy of Performing Arts in Prague is a university level school of music, dance, drama, film, TV and multi-media studies.- Faculties :*Film and TV School - FAMU*Music Faculty - HAMU*Theatre Faculty - DAMU-Notable alumni:...
.
Works
- 1944 Poupata ("Buds") Bass-baritone songs and piano
- Majové ráno (Eva Nonfriedová)
- Co se děje při probuzení (Kamil BednářKamil BednárKamil Bednář was a Czech poet, translator, prose writer, dramatist and publishing house editor.-Life:After 1931, he studied law, and then 6 years of philosophy in Charles University...
) - Děti si hrají (Josef HoraJosef HoraJosef Hora was a Czech poet.-Early life:Josef Hora was born in Dobříň, Litoměřice District, Bohemia in a farmstead, which now houses the Museum of Josef Hora. His father soon sold the house in the village and the family moved to Prague...
) - Před usnutím č. 1 (František HalasFrantišek HalasFrantišek Halas was one of the most significant Czech lyric poets of the 20th century, an essayist, and a translator.- Life :...
) - Velikonoční (František HalasFrantišek HalasFrantišek Halas was one of the most significant Czech lyric poets of the 20th century, an essayist, and a translator.- Life :...
)
- 1938 - 1945 Reminiscences Suite Piano (first published in 2000)
- Terezín Suite Piano
- BroučciBroučciBroučci is a classic children's book by Jan Karafiát published in the Czech language in the early 1870s. The title is the Czech word for beetles, and the word is also used for "traditional Czech figures of fairylike insect people" such as the characters in the book...
("Glow-worms" - after the children's book by Jan KarafiátJan KarafiátJan Karafiát was a Czech clergyman of the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren and author. He is best known for his classic children's book Broučci, the Czech language word for beetle, that was first published in the early 1870s...
) Soprano and piano (later made world-famous by Jiří TrnkaJirí TrnkaJiří Trnka was a Czech puppet maker, illustrator, motion-picture animator and film director. In addition to his extensive career as an illustrator, especially of children's books, he is best known for his work in animation with puppets, which began in 1946...
as a cartoonCartoonA cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
)