Karel Weis
Encyclopedia
Karel Weis (13 February 1862 – 4 April 1944) was a Czech composer and folksong collector. He was born in Prague
.
from 1873–1878, the Prague Organ School from 1878–1881, and privately with Zdeněk Fibich
. He was organist of St Štěpán and choirmaster at the main synagogue of Prague (1881–1882), a teacher at the music school of the Moravan choral society in Kroměříž (1882–1883), a violinist in the National Theatre
orchestra, Prague (1883–1886) and conductor of the Švanda Theatre Company in Prague and Brno (1886–1887). Subsequently he edited the monthly Hudební květy (1895–1899), conducted the Academic Orchestra (1898) and worked as an accompanist (1896–1904), mainly for the violinist František Ondříček
.
From 1896 to the end of his life in Prague
in 1944, Weis gave most of his attention to collecting and arranging folksongs, particularly those of the Chodsko region, south Bohemia. Between 1928 and 1941, he published a fifteen volume collection of folk songs, Český jih a Šumava v písni. The collection is his only work to have stood the test of time.
Weis’s large and varied output was influenced mostly by Smetana
and Dvořák
. Among his many compositions are eleven operas, (three in Czech
, and eight, of which six are operetta
s, in German
), five of which premiered at the Prague State Opera
. Czech nationalists however criticised him for setting German texts.
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
.
Biography
Weis studied at 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 :...
from 1873–1878, the Prague Organ School from 1878–1881, and privately with Zdeněk Fibich
Zdenek Fibich
Zdeněk Fibich was a Czech composer of classical music. Among his compositions are chamber works , symphonic poems, three symphonies, at least seven operas , melodramas including the substantial trilogy Hippodamia,...
. He was organist of St Štěpán and choirmaster at the main synagogue of Prague (1881–1882), a teacher at the music school of the Moravan choral society in Kroměříž (1882–1883), a violinist in the National Theatre
National Theatre (Prague)
The National Theatre in Prague is known as the Alma Mater of Czech opera, and as the national monument of Czech history and art.The National Theatre belongs to the most important Czech cultural institutions, with a rich artistic tradition which was created and maintained by the most distinguished...
orchestra, Prague (1883–1886) and conductor of the Švanda Theatre Company in Prague and Brno (1886–1887). Subsequently he edited the monthly Hudební květy (1895–1899), conducted the Academic Orchestra (1898) and worked as an accompanist (1896–1904), mainly for the violinist František Ondříček
František Ondrícek
František Ondříček was a Czech violinist and composer. He gave the first performance of the Violin Concerto by Antonín Dvořák, and his achievements were recognised by the rare award of honorary membership of the Philharmonic Society of London in 1891.Ondříček was born in Prague, the son of the...
.
From 1896 to the end of his life in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
in 1944, Weis gave most of his attention to collecting and arranging folksongs, particularly those of the Chodsko region, south Bohemia. Between 1928 and 1941, he published a fifteen volume collection of folk songs, Český jih a Šumava v písni. The collection is his only work to have stood the test of time.
Weis’s large and varied output was influenced mostly by Smetana
Smetana
Smetana is a Slavic loanword in English for a dairy product that is produced by souring heavy cream. Smetana is from Central and Eastern Europe, sometimes perceived to be specifically of Russian origin. It is a soured cream product like crème fraîche , but nowadays mainly sold with 15% to 30%...
and Dvořák
Dvorák
- Dvořák or Dvorak :* Ann Dvorak , American film actress* Antonín Dvořák , Czech composer of Romantic music* August Dvorak , American psychologist, co-creator of the Dvorak Simplified Keyboard...
. Among his many compositions are eleven operas, (three in Czech
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
, and eight, of which six are operetta
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
s, in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
), five of which premiered at the Prague State Opera
Prague State Opera
The Prague State Opera , is an opera and ballet company in Prague, Czech Republic. The theatre was originally founded in 1888 as the New German Theatre and from 1949 to 1989 it was known as the Smetana Theatre....
. Czech nationalists however criticised him for setting German texts.
Operas (partial listing)
- Viola (1892)
- Der polnische Jude (1901) (on the same plot as Camille ErlangerCamille ErlangerCamille Erlanger was a Parisian-born French opera composer. He studied at the Paris Conservatory under Léo Delibes and Émile Durand, and in 1888 won the Prix de Rome for his cantata Velléda...
's 1900 opera Le Juif polonaisLe Juif polonaisLe Juif Polonais is an opera in three acts by Camille Erlanger composed to a libretto by Henri Cain. The libretto was adapted from the 1867 play of the same name by Erckmann-Chatrian...
). - Die Dorfmusikanten (1905)
- Der Revisor (1907)
- Utok na mlýn (1912)
- Blizenci (1917)
- Lesetinský kovár (1920)
- Bojárska nevesta (1943)