Flosman, Oldřich

Flosman, Oldřch, Czech composer; b. Plzeň, April 5, 1925. He studied composition with K. Janecek at the Prague Cons. (1944–6), and with Bofkovec at the Prague Academy of Music, graduating in 1950. In his music, he follows the neo-Romantic tradition of the Czech school of composition, with strong formal design and an animating rhythmic pulse; the influence of Prokofiev’s lyrical dynamism is much in evidence.

Works

DRAMATIC B a l l e t : Pierrot and Columbine (1957); The Woman Partisan (1959); The Taming of the Shrew (1960); The Salted Fairy-Tale (1982). ORCH.: Double Concerto for Harp, Clarinet, and Orch. (1950); Clarinet Concerto (1954); Bassoon Concertino (1956); 2 violin concertos (1958, 1972); Dances for Harp and String Quartet or String Orch. (1961); Cuban Overture (1962); 3 syms. (1964, 1974, 1984); 3 Studies for Piano and Strings (1965); Concertant Music for Wind Quintet and Chamber Orch. (1965); Flute Concerto (1969); Horn Concerto (1970); Fugues for Strings (1970); Fires on the Hills, overture (1973); Visions of Michelangelo for Viola and Orch. (1979); Rural Partita for Chamber Orch. (1976); Symphonic Fugue (1977); Sym.- Concerto for Piano and Orch. (1979); Philharmonic Variations (1980); Symphonic Plays for Bass Clarinet, Piano, and Orch. (1983); Nuptial Dances of Charles IV for Piano and Chamber Orch. (1984). CHAMBER: 2 wind quintets (1948, 1962); Bagatelles for Winds and Piano (1950); Clarinet Sonatina (1952); Jesenik Suite for Viola and Piano (1956); 3 string quartets (1956, 1963,1966); Dreaming about a Violin for Violin and Piano (1962); Romance and Scherzo for Flute and Harp (1962); Nonet No. 2 (1967); Sonata for Wind Quintet and Piano (1970); Chamber Music for Flute, Oboe, Violin, Viola, and Cello (1971); Sonata for Violin, Cello, and Piano (1971); Music for Double Bass and String Quartet (1980); Serenade for Brass Quintet (1981); Music for Flute and Piano or Guitar (1984); piano pieces, including Motyli zde neziji (Butterflies Don’t Live Here Any Longer), sonata inspired by the film about children’s drawings from a Nazi concentration camp (1961). VOCAL: Sonata for Soprano and Strings (1967); choral pieces; songs.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire