Kohoutek, Ctirad
Kohoutek, Ctirad
Kohoutek, Ctirad, prominent Czech composer, pedagogue, music theorist, and administrator; b. Zâbreh na Morave, March 18, 1929. He studied at the Brno Cons, with Vilâm Petrzelka, and with Jaroslav Kvapil at the Janacek Academy of Music there (1949–53). He later attended Lutoslawski’s lectures at the Dartington Summer School of Music (1963) and sessions given by Boulez and Ligeti at the Darmstadt summer courses in new music. He obtained his Ph.D. from Palacky Univ. in Olomouc (1973) and his C.Sc. from J.E. Purkynë Univ. in Brno (1980). In 1953 he joined the faculty of the Janacek Academy of Music in Brno (assoc. prof., 1965-80). In 1980 he became assoc. prof, of composition at the Prague Academy of Music, and later that year prof, of composition, which position he retained until 1990. He also served as artistic director of the Czech Phil. (1980–87). In 1988 he was made an Artist of Merit by the Czech government. His music follows the traditions of Central European modernism, well contained within Classical forms but diversified by serial procedures and glamorized by electronic sounds. He is the brother of the astronomer Lubos Kohoutek.
Works
dramatic:Opera: Kohoutkovi a Slepiëce (About the Cock and Hen; 1988-89). orch.:Mnichov (Munich), symphonic poem (1952–53); Festivalova pfedehra (Festival Overture; 1955-56); Violin Concerto (1958); Velky pfelom (Great Turning Point; 1960-62); Symfonické tance (Symphonic Dances; 1961); Symfonieta (1962–63); Concertino for Cello and Chamber Orch. (1964; also for Cello and Piano, 1966); Preludia for Chamber Orch. (1965); Teatro del mondo, symphonic rotation in 4 scenes (1968–69); Panteon, sound image (1970); Slavonstni prolog (Ceremonial Prologue; 1971); Slavnosti svëtla (Feast of Light), cycle of symphonic pictures (1975); Symfonické aktuality (Symphonic Newsreel), concert frescoes (1976–78); Poeta zivotu (Homage to Life; 1988-89; Brno, March 26, 1992). chamber:Sonatina semplice for Oboe and Piano (1950); Suita romantica for Viola and Piano (1957); Suite for Wind Quintet (1958–59); String Quartet (1959); Memento 1967, concerto for Percussion and Winds (1966); Panychida: Hudba dvou zvukovych vrstvach (Prayer for the Dead: Music in 2 Sound Layers) for 2 Violas, 2 Pianos, Percussion, and Tape (1968); Tkaniny doby (Fabrics of Time), sound fantasies for Bass Clarinet or Cello, Piano, and Percussion (1977); Minuty jara (Minutes of Spring), impressions for Wind Quintet (1980); 3 Variations of Folk Dances for 2 Accordions or Accordion Ensemble (1986); Motivy Uta (Motifs of Summer) for Violin, Cello, and Piano (1990); Zerty a usmëvy (The Fun and the Smiles, or Funny Smiles) for Oboe, Clarinet, and Bassoon (1991); V zahradach chramu Kyota (In the Gardens of Kyoto’s Temples) for English Horn, Bass Clarinet, and Percussion (1992); Zimni ticha (Winter Silences) for Brass and Percussion (1992–93); Ozivené zâtiSi (The Revived Still Life) for Horn (1994); Podzimni zpëvy (Autumn Songs) for String Quartet (1994–95); Promeny vody (Transformations of Water) for 4 Flutes (1996). Organ: Oáνη je tomu (So Long Ago; 1998). vocal: Za vëechny dëti: Ukolébavka ëernosské mamy (For All Children: Black Mama’s Lullaby), cantata for Contralto, Chorus, and Orch. (1951–52); Balady povstani (Ballads from the Uprising), 2 cantatas (1960); Paty zivel (The 5th Element), melodrama for Reciter and Small Orch. (1964); The Birth of Man, monologues for Man’s and Woman’s Voice and Orch. or Piano (1981); Broskvicka (The Little Peach) for Chorus, Piano, and Percussion (1993); choruses; songs.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire