Karel Husa
Encyclopedia
Karel Husa is a Czech
-born classical composer
and conductor, winner of the 1969 Pulitzer Prize and 1993 University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award
in Music Composition. In 1954 he came to the United States and became an American citizen in 1959.
in 1941 where he studied in a class of Jaroslav Řídký
, and attended courses in conducting led by Metod Doležil and Pavel Dědeček.
After the end of the Second World War, Husa was admitted to the graduate school of the Prague Academy, where he attended courses led by Řídký
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
, Eugène Bigot
and André Cluytens
. After finishing his courses in conducting at École Normale de Musique de Paris
and at Conservatoire 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 String Quartet marked a big step on the composer's path to the realm of international music: the Quartet received the 1950 Lili Boulanger Award and the 1951 award at the music festival in Bilthoven in the Netherlands. It has since also been performed on many other occasions, e.g., 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, Évocations de Slovaquie, Musique d'amateurs, 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 Vítězslav Novák
, Janáček, Bartók 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. Husa is the 1993 recipient of the Grawemeyer Award
for Music Composition presented by the University of Louisville
for his Concerto for Cello and Orchestra. From 1954 until 1992 he was a professor at Cornell University
and lecturer at Ithaca College
from 1967 to 1986. Husa now resides in Apex, North Carolina
.
He is a National Patron of Delta Omicron
, an international professional music fraternity.
The University of Massachusetts Amherst held a Wind Ensemble at the Fine Arts Center Concert Hall celebrating Karel Husa's 90th birthday on October 21, 2011.
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...
-born classical 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 conductor, winner of the 1969 Pulitzer Prize and 1993 University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award
Grawemeyer Award
The Grawemeyer Awards are five awards given annually by the University of Louisville in the state of Kentucky, United States. The prizes are presented to individuals in the fields of education, ideas improving world order, music composition, religion, and psychology...
in Music Composition. In 1954 he came to the United States and became an American citizen in 1959.
Overview
Husa 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 ConservatoryPrague 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 :...
in 1941 where he studied in a class of Jaroslav Řídký
Jaroslav Rídký
Jaroslav Řídký was a Czech composer, conductor, harpist, and music teacher.-Life:Řídký was born at Reichenberg, now Liberec. From 1919 to 1923 he studied at the Prague Conservatory with Josef Bohuslav Foerster, Karel Boleslav Jirák, and Jaroslav Křička...
, and attended courses in conducting led by Metod Doležil and Pavel Dědeček.
After the end of the Second World War, Husa was admitted to the graduate school of the Prague Academy, where he attended courses led by Řídký
Jaroslav Rídký
Jaroslav Řídký was a Czech composer, conductor, harpist, and music teacher.-Life:Řídký was born at Reichenberg, now Liberec. From 1919 to 1923 he studied at the Prague Conservatory with Josef Bohuslav Foerster, Karel Boleslav Jirák, and Jaroslav Křička...
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
Arthur Honegger
Arthur Honegger was a Swiss composer, who was born in France and lived a large part of his life in Paris. He was a member of Les six. His most frequently performed work is probably the orchestral work Pacific 231, which is interpreted as imitating the sound of a steam locomotive.-Biography:Born...
and Nadia Boulanger
Nadia Boulanger
Nadia Boulanger was a French composer, conductor and teacher who taught many composers and performers of the 20th century.From a musical family, she achieved early honours as a student at the Paris Conservatoire, but believing that her talent as a composer was inferior to that of her younger...
. He studied conducting with Jean Fournet
Jean Fournet
Jean Fournet was a French conductor.Fournet’s father was a flutist who gave him some instruction on the flute and music theory. Fournet was then trained at the Conservatoire de Paris in flute by Gaston Blanquart and Marcel Moyse, and conducting by Philippe Gaubert...
, Eugène Bigot
Eugène Bigot
Eugène Bigot was a French composer and conductor. He also taught at the Conservatoire de Paris where his notable pupils included Émilien Allard, Louis de Froment, Henri-Claude Fantapié, António Fortunato de Figueiredo, Karel Husa, Paul Kuentz, Jean-Bernard Pommier, Pierre Rolland, and Mikis...
and André Cluytens
André Cluytens
André Cluytens was a Belgian-born French conductor who was active in the concert hall, opera house and recording studio. His repertoire extended from Viennese classics through French composers to 20th century works...
. After finishing his courses in conducting at École Normale de Musique de Paris
École Normale de Musique de Paris
The École Normale de Musique de Paris is a leading conservatoire located in Paris, France. The school was founded by Auguste Mangeot and pianist Alfred Cortot in 1919...
and at Conservatoire de Paris
Conservatoire de Paris
The Conservatoire de Paris is a college of music and dance founded in 1795, now situated in the avenue Jean Jaurès in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, France...
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 String Quartet marked a big step on the composer's path to the realm of international music: the Quartet received the 1950 Lili Boulanger Award and the 1951 award at the music festival in Bilthoven in the Netherlands. It has since also been performed on many other occasions, e.g., at the festival of the International Society for Contemporary Music
International Society for Contemporary Music
The International Society for Contemporary Music is a music organization that promotes contemporary classical music.ISCM was established in 1922, in Salzburg. Its core activity is the World Music Days Festival, held every year at a different location. The festival includes cutting edge productions...
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, Évocations de Slovaquie, Musique d'amateurs, 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 Vítězslav Novák
Vítezslav Novák
Vítězslav Novák was one of the most well-respected Czech composers and pedagogues, almost singlehandedly founding a mid-century Czech school of composition...
, Janáček, Bartók and Stravinsky.
He is probably best known for his Music for Prague 1968
Music for Prague 1968
Music for Prague 1968 is a programmatic work written by Czech-born composer Karel Husa for symphonic band and later transcribed for full orchestra, written shortly after the crushing of the Prague Spring reform movement in Czechoslovakia in 1968. Karel Husa was sitting on the dock at his cottage in...
, a work in memory of the 1968 Soviet bloc invasion 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...
. His String Quartet No. 3 won the Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
in 1969. Husa is the 1993 recipient of the Grawemeyer Award
Grawemeyer Award
The Grawemeyer Awards are five awards given annually by the University of Louisville in the state of Kentucky, United States. The prizes are presented to individuals in the fields of education, ideas improving world order, music composition, religion, and psychology...
for Music Composition presented by the University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
for his Concerto for Cello and Orchestra. From 1954 until 1992 he was a professor at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
and lecturer at Ithaca College
Ithaca College
Ithaca College is a private college located on the South Hill of Ithaca, New York. The school was founded by William Egbert in 1892 as a conservatory of music. The college has a strong liberal arts core, but also offers several pre-professional programs and some graduate programs. The college is...
from 1967 to 1986. Husa now resides in Apex, North Carolina
Apex, North Carolina
Apex is a town in Wake County, North Carolina and a suburb of Raleigh. The population was 37,476 according to the 2010 census., wakegov.com-Geography:Apex is located at ....
.
He is a National Patron of Delta Omicron
Delta Omicron
Delta Omicron is a co-ed international professional music honors fraternity whose mission is to promote and support excellence in music and musicianship.-History:...
, an international professional music fraternity.
The University of Massachusetts Amherst held a Wind Ensemble at the Fine Arts Center Concert Hall celebrating Karel Husa's 90th birthday on October 21, 2011.
Ballet
| Date | |English Title | Hans Christian Andersen Hans Christian Andersen Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author, fairy tale writer, and poet noted for his children's stories. These include "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," "The Snow Queen," "The Little Mermaid," "Thumbelina," "The Little Match Girl," and "The Ugly Duckling."... | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Monodrama (Portrait of an Artist) | commissioned by the Butler University Ballet | |
| 1980 | Trojské ženy | The Trojan Women | commissioned by the University of Louisville |
Orchestra
| Date | |English Title | 1948 | Divertimento pro smyčcový orchestr | Divertimento 1. Overture 2. Aria 3. Finale |
for string orchestra |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Musique d'amateurs, Four Easy Pieces | for oboe (clarinet or flute), trumpet, and string orchestra with percussion | |
| 1953 | Portrait pro smyčce | Portrait | for string orchestra |
| 1953 | Symfonie č.1 | Symphony No.1 | |
| 1955 | Čtyři malé kusy pro smyčce | Four Little Pieces (Vier kleine Stücke) | for string orchestra (or soloists) |
| 1956–1957 | Fantaisies 1. Aria 2. Capriccio 3. Nocturne |
for orchestra | |
| 1960 | Mosaïques | for orchestra | |
| 1963 | Fresque | for orchestra; revision of No.1 from Trois fresques (1946–1947) | |
| 1968 | Hudba pro Prahu 1968 | Music for Prague 1968 Music for Prague 1968 Music for Prague 1968 is a programmatic work written by Czech-born composer Karel Husa for symphonic band and later transcribed for full orchestra, written shortly after the crushing of the Prague Spring reform movement in Czechoslovakia in 1968. Karel Husa was sitting on the dock at his cottage in... |
original for symphonic band |
| 1971 | Two Sonnets by Michelangelo | for orchestra | |
| 1979 | Pastoral for strings | commissioned by the American String Teachers Association (ASTA) | |
| 1980 | Scenes from The Trojan Women | suite from the ballet | |
| 1983 | Reflections (Symphony No.2) | ||
| 1984 | Symphonic Suite | for orchestra | |
| 1986 | Concerto for Orchestra | ||
| 1990 | Předehra „Mládí“ | Overture "Youth" | commissioned by Seattle Youth Symphony |
| 1996 | Celebration Fanfare | for orchestra | |
| 1997 | Celebración | for orchestra |
Band
| Date | |English Title | 1968 | Hudba pro Prahu 1968 | Music for Prague 1968 Music for Prague 1968 Music for Prague 1968 is a programmatic work written by Czech-born composer Karel Husa for symphonic band and later transcribed for full orchestra, written shortly after the crushing of the Prague Spring reform movement in Czechoslovakia in 1968. Karel Husa was sitting on the dock at his cottage in... 1. Introduction and Fanfare 2. Aria 3. Interlude 4. Toccata and Chorale |
original version for concert band; also for orchestra |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Apoteóza planety země | Apotheosis of This Earth 1. Apotheosis 2. Tragedy of Destruction 3. Postscript |
original version for concert band; also for chorus and orchestra (1972) |
| 1973 | Al Fresco pro koncertní dechový orchestr | Al Fresco | for concert band |
| 1974 1995 |
Divertimento pro dechové a bicí nástroje | Divertimento | for symphonic winds and percussion |
| 1980 | Fanfara pro žesťové a bicí nástroje | Fanfare | for brass and percussion |
| 1980 | Intrady a interludia pro sedm trubek a bicí nástroje | Intradas and Interludes for Seven Trumpets and Percussion | |
| 1982 | Koncert pro dechový ansembl | Concerto for (Large) Wind Ensemble | winner of the first Sudler International Prize, 1983 |
| 1984 | Smetanovská fanfara | Smetana Fanfare | for large wind ensemble |
| 1996 | Les Couleurs fauves (Vivid Colors) | commissioned by Northwestern University | |
| 1996 | Midwest Celebration | fanfare for 3 brass and percussion ensembles | |
| 2006 | Cheetah | commissioned by the University of Louisville University of Louisville The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General... Wind Symphony |
Concertante
| Date | |English Title | Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition Grawemeyer Award (Music Composition) The Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition is an annual prize instituted by H. Charles Grawemeyer, industrialist and entrepreneur, at the University of Louisville in 1984. The award was first given in 1985... | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Koncert pro housle a orchestr | Concerto for Violin and Orchestra |
Chamber
| Date | |English Title | String Quartet "0" | Op.2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | Suita pro violu a klavír | Suite for Viola and Piano | Op.5 |
| 1945 | Sonatina pro housle a klavír | Sonatina for Violin and Piano | Op.6; also for flute and piano |
| 1948 | Smyčcový kvartet č.1 | String Quartet No.1 | Op.8 |
| 1951 | Slovenské evokace | Évocations de Slovaquie (Evocations of Slovakia) | for clarinet, viola and cello |
| 1953 | Smyčcový kvartet č.2 | String Quartet No.2 | |
| 1963 | Serenáda pro dechový kvintet a klavír | Serenade | for wind quintet and piano |
| 1966 | Deux Préludes (Two Preludes) | for flute, clarinet and bassoon | |
| 1968 | Smyčcový kvartet č.3 | String Quartet No.3 | winner of the 1969 Pulitzer Prize for Music Pulitzer Prize for Music The Pulitzer Prize for Music was first awarded in 1943. Joseph Pulitzer did not call for such a prize in his will, but had arranged for a music scholarship to be awarded each year... |
| 1968 | Divertimento pro žesťový kvintet | Divertimento | for brass quintet and optional percussion; expansion of movements from the Eight Czech Duets (1955) |
| 1976 | Drum Ceremony | for 5 percussionists from American Te Deum | |
| 1977 | Krajinomalby pro žesťový kvintet | Landscapes for brass quintet | commissioned by Western Brass Quintet |
| 1978 | Sonáta pro housle a klavír | Sonata for Violin and Piano | |
| 1979 | Tři taneční skici pro bicí nástroje | Three Dance Sketches for Percussion | 4 or more performers |
| 1981 | Sonata à tre | Sonata à tre | for violin, clarinet and piano |
| 1982 | Vzpomínky pro dechové kvinteto a klavír | Recollections | for woodwind quintet and piano |
| 1984 | Variace pro housle, violu, violoncello a klavír | Variations | for piano quartet |
| 1984 | Intrada pro žesťový kvintet | Intrada | for brass quintet |
| 1990 | Smyčcový kvartet č.4 | String Quartet No.4 "Poems" | |
| 1991 | Cayuga Lake (Memories) | for string, woodwind and brass quartets, piano and percussion | |
| 1992 | Tubafest Celebration | for tuba quartet | |
| 1994 | Five Poems | for woodwind quintet | |
| 1997 | Postcard from Home | for alto saxophone and piano | |
| 2003 | "Sonatina" for flute and piano | transcription of "Sonatina" for violin and piano, Op. 6 | |
| 2008 | Three Studies for solo clarinet | commissioned for 60th anniversary of "Prague Spring Festival" and dedicated to Jiří Hlaváč on his 60th birthday |
Keyboard
| Date | |English Title | Date | |English Title | „Čas od času jsou jitra...“ pro smíšený sbor a cappella | There Are from Time to Time Mornings... | for baritone and mixed chorus a cappella; text from An American Te Deum by Henry David Thoreau Henry David Thoreau Henry David Thoreau was an American author, poet, philosopher, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, historian, and leading transcendentalist... |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Americké Te Deum pro baryton, smíšený sbor a orchestr | An American Te Deum | for baritone, chorus and wind ensemble; for baritone, chorus and orchestra (1977); text compiled by the composer from the writings of Henry David Thoreau Henry David Thoreau Henry David Thoreau was an American author, poet, philosopher, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, historian, and leading transcendentalist... , Ole Edvart Rølvaag Ole Edvart Rølvaag Ole Edvart Rølvaag was an American novelist and professor who became well known for his writings regarding the Norwegian American immigrant experience... , Otokar Březina Otokar Brezina Otakar or Otakar Březina ; pen name of Václav Jebavý.; was a Czech poet and essayist, considered the greatest of Czech Symbolists.-Biography :... , folk, traditional and liturgical sources |
| 1981 | Tři moravské písně pro smíšený sbor a cappella | Three Moravian Songs | for mixed chorus a cappella |
| 1981 | Každý den pro smíšený sbor a cappella | Every Day | for mixed chorus a cappella; text by Henry David Thoreau Henry David Thoreau Henry David Thoreau was an American author, poet, philosopher, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, historian, and leading transcendentalist... |
| 1982 | Cantata for Male Chorus and Brass Quintet | text by Edwin Arlington Robinson Edwin Arlington Robinson Edwin Arlington Robinson was an American poet who won three Pulitzer Prizes for his work.- Biography :Robinson was born in Head Tide, Lincoln County, Maine, but his family moved to Gardiner, Maine, in 1870... , Emily Dickinson Emily Dickinson Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was an American poet. Born in Amherst, Massachusetts, to a successful family with strong community ties, she lived a mostly introverted and reclusive life... , Walt Whitman Walt Whitman Walter "Walt" Whitman was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse... |
|
| 2000 | Dobrou noc | Good Night | song for mixed chorus a cappella |
External links
- Karel Husa interview by Bruce Duffie
- Karel Husa at G. SchirmerG. SchirmerG. Schirmer Inc. is an American classical music publishing company based in New York City, founded in 1861. It publishes sheet music for sale and rental, and represents some well-known European music publishers in North America, such as the Italian Ricordi, Music Sales Affiliates ChesterNovello,...
- Karel Husa at Czech Music Information Centre
- Karel Husa at Sigma Alpha Iota
- Cornell Chronicle