Burghauser, Jarmil

Burghauser, Jarmil, distinguished Czech composer, conductor, and musicologist; b. Pisek, Oct. 21, 1921. After training in composition with Křička (1933–37) and Jeremías (1937–40), he pursued studies in conducting at the Prague Cons, with Dolezil and Dë–deček (graduated, 1944), and then at its master school with Talich (graduated, 1946); subsequently he took courses in musicology and psychology at the Charles Univ. in Prague, but quit his studies in protest against the Communist coup in 1948; it was not until 1991 that he presented his diss. and was awarded his Ph.D. He served as chorus master and conductor at the National Theater in Prague from 1946 to 1950, and thereafter devoted himself principally to composition and scholarship. Following the Soviet–bloc invasion of his homeland in 1968 and the restoration of hard–line Communist rule, he became suspect. Although he had done valuable work on the critical edition of Dvořák’s works, his name was not acknowledged in the new vols. In order to get his music before the public, he took the pseudonym Michal Hajků. From 1978 to 1989 to was choirmaster at St. Margaret’s church in Prague. Following the overthrow of the Communist regime by the “Velvet Revolution” in 1989, Burghauser became a leading figure in the restoration of the musical life of his country by serving as chairman of the Guild of Composers and as a member of the rehabilitation committee of the Ministry of Culture. In addition to his valuable work on the critical edition of Dvorak’s compositions, he also ed. works for the critical editions of the music of Janácek, Smetana, and Fibich. In his own compositions, he developed a style which he described as harmonic serialism. Under his pseudonym, he composed an interesting series of works in the style of earlier periods which he called “Storica apocrifa della musica Boema.”

Works

DRAMATIC: Lakomec (The Miser), opera (1949; Libérée, May 20, 1950); Karolinka a Mr (Caroline and the Liar), opera (1950–53; Olomouc, March 13, 1955); Honza a ëert (Honza and the Devil), ballet (Ostrava, Nov. 23, 1954; rev. 1960); Sluha dvou pánu (Servant of 2 Masters), ballet (1957; Prague, May 9, 1958); Most (The Bridge), anti–opera (1963–64; Prague, March 31, 1967); Tristam a Izalda, ballet (1969).orch.: Syms.: No. 1 (1933; rev. 1974); No. 2 (1935; rev. 1979); No. 3 (1936; rev. 1959); Indiánská symfonie (1974); Sinfonia in F (1980); Jarní rondo (Spring rondo) for Small Orch. (1937; rev. 1970); Suite for Chamber Orch. (1939; rev. 1977); Concerto for Wind Quintet and Strings (1942; Prague, Feb. 12, 1948); Toccata for Small Orch. (1947); Symphonic Variations on We Greet the Spring (1952); Symphonic Suite (1955); Sedem reliefu (7 Reliefs; 1962; Prague, Feb. 19, 1963); Cesty (Ways) for Strings, Percussion, and Bowed Instruments (1964; Prague, Feb. 21, 1965); Barvy v ease (Colors in Time) for Small Orch. (Wexford, Ireland, Oct. 25, 1967); Strom zivota (The Tree of Life; 1968; Graz, Oct. 22, 1969); Rožmberská suita (Rožmberk Suite) for Small Orch. (1972); Concerto for Guitar and Strings (1978); Ciaconna per il fine d’un tempo for Piano and Orch. (1982). chamber:Romance for Violin and Piano (1933; rev. 1984); 5 trios for 2 Oboes and Bassoon (1933–83); 5 string quartets (1934, rev. 1953; 1937, rev. 1953; 1941; 1944; 1944–51); 2 suites for 6 Clarinets (1938, 1970); 2 trios for Flute, Viola, and Guitar (1938, rev. 1967; 1962); 2 piano trios (1938, rev. 1982; 1940); Nonet (1942); Molnosti (Possibilities) for Clarinet, Cimbalom, and Percussion (1965); 10 Sketches for Flute (1965); Patero zamyëleni (5 Reflections) for Violin and Guitar (1966); Pët barevnych stfepin (5 Colored Splinters) for Harp (1966); Violin Sonata, Neveselé vypmvëni (Cheerless Tale; 1970); Stanze dell’ansietà e speranza for Flute, Oboe, Violin, Viola, Cello, and Harpsichord (1971); Soumraky a svüání (Dusks and Dawns) for Bass Clarinet and Piano (1971); Plochy a £áry (Areas and Lines) for Violin, Guitar, and Cello (1972); Jitfnt hudba (Morning Music) for Flute and Guitar (1974); Partita for 2 Flutes, Guitar, and Cello (1976); Lobkovitz Trio for Flute, Guitar, and Cello (1977); Vchynice Trio for Flute, Violin, and Cello (1978); Parthia czeská for Recorder, Lute, and Viola da Gamba (1978); Coree regales for Early Instruments (1978); Sonata da chiesa for Flute, Oboe, Violin, Viola, Cello, and Harpsichord (1979); String Trio (1982); Aleji lasu (By the Alley of Time) for Trumpet, Horn, and Trombone (1982); Pianot, rabbia e conforto for Cello and Piano (1982); Tre ricercari for 9 Instruments (1983); Viola Sonata (1985); Recitativo e terzetto for Flute, Violin, and Cello (1989); Tesknice (Nostalgia) II for Violin and Cimbalom (1989); numerous works for 1 or 2 Guitars. VOCAL: Utrpenía vzkríSení (Suffering and Resurrection), vocal sym. (1937–^6; Prague, May 26, 1946); Vëânâ oblaka (Eternal Clouds), cantata (1942); Tajemny trubaë (The Mystic Trumpeter), cantata after Walt Whitman (1944); Ceská (Czech), cantata (1952); Zemë zamySlená (Thoughtful Earth), cantata (1966; Prague, March 24, 1968); Paëije podle Lukâëe (St. Luke Passion) for Soloists and Chorus (1977); Pro–prium de Nativiatate for Soloists, Chorus, and Orch. (1978); Missa brevis pastoralis for Soloists, Chorus, and Orch. (1980); V zemi ôeské (In the Czech Country) for Reciters, Chorus, and Orch. (1982); choruses; song cycles.

Writings

(all publ, in Prague): Orchestrace Dvofákovych Slonvanskych tancu (Orchestration of Dvorak’s Slavonic Dances; 1959); Antonin Dvorak: Tematicky katalog, bibliografie, pfehled zivota a dila (Antonin Dvorak: Thematic Catalog, Bibliography, Survey of Life and Work; 1960); Nejen Pommiky (Not Monuments Only; 1966); Antonin Dvofâk (1966); with A. èpelda, Akustické základy orchestrace (Acoustic Basis of Orchestration; 1967; Ger. tr., 1971); completion of J. Rychlik’s Moderni instrumentace (Modern Instrumentation; 1968); Ceská interpretalní tradice (Czech Tradition of Interpretation; 1982).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire