Bartoš, Jan Zdeněk

Bartoš, Jan Zdeněk, Czech composer; b. Dvůr Králové nad Labem, June 4, 1908; d. Prague, June 1, 1981. He played the violin as a youth, then took composition lessons with šín and Křička at the Prague Cons., graduating in 1943. He earned his living playing in dance orchs. From 1945 to 1956 he was a member of the Music Section of the Ministry of Education and Culture. In 1958 he was appointed a teacher of composition at the Prague Cons. In his music, he followed the national traditions of the Czech school.

Works

DRAMATIC: Opera: Rýparka (Ripar’s Wife; 1949); Proklet´y zámek (The Accursed Castle; 1949); Útok na nebe (The Attack of Heaven; 1953-54). operetta:Je libo ananas? (Do You Like Pineapples?; 1956). Ballet: Hanuman (1941); Mirella (1956); Král manézž (King of the Manege; 1963). ORCH.: Song of St. Matthias, symphonic poem (1945); 7 syms: No. 1 (1949–52), No. 2, da camera (1956), No. 3, Giocosa, for Strings (1964–65), No. 4, Concertante, for Oboe d’Amore and Strings (1968), No. 5 for Wind Orch. (1973–74), No. 6 for Wind Quartet and Strings (1977), and No. 7, Brevis (1978); Intermezzo (1961); Concerto da camera for Oboe and Strings (1963); 2 viola concertos (1963, 1970); Fantasy for Flute and Orch. (1964); Inventions for Bass Clarinet and Strings (1966); Concerto for Accordion and Strings (1966); Horn Concerto (1967); Concerto for Violin and Strings (1970); Concerto-Sym. for Violin and String Orch. (1973); Fantasy for Organ and Strings (1975); Concerto per due Boemi for Bass Clarinet, Piano, and Strings (1975); Concerto for Violin, Viola, and Strings (1976); Music for String Quartet and Orch. (1976); Rhapsody for Cello and Strings (1979). CHAMBER: Cello Sonata (1938); 2 nonets (1939, 1974); 11 string quartets (1940, 1946, 1948, 1951, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1963, 1970, 1971, 1973); Partita for Viola (1944); 3 wind quintets (1946–63); Quintet for Flute, Harp, Viola, Cello, and Guitar (1947); 17 divertimentos for various combinations of instruments (1956–79); Trio for Violin, Viola, and Harp (1961); Double Bass Sonata (1962); Suite concertante for Viola, Double Bass, and 9 Wind Instruments (1964); String Trio (1967); 4 piano trios (1968, 1969, 1971, 1979); Sextet for 2 Oboes, English Horn, 2 Bassoons, and Harp (1976); Trombone Sonata (1978); Trio for Viola, Clarinet, and Piano (1980). Piano : 2 sonatas (1953, 1959). VOCAL: Cantatas; choruses; songs, including Sonnets of Prague for Narrator, Tenor, Harp, and String Orch. (1966).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire