Kubelik, (Jeronym) Rafael

Kubelik, (Jeronym) Rafael, eminent Czechborn Swiss conductor, son of Jan Kubelik; b. Bychory, near Kolin, June 29, 1914. He studied violin with his father, and then continued his musical training at the Prague Cons. He made his conducting debut with the Czech Phil, in Prague on Jan. 24, 1934, then was conductor at the National Theater in Brno (1939–41). He was chief conductor of the Czech Phil, from 1942 to 1948, one of the most difficult periods in the history of the orch. and the Czech nation. He refused to collaborate with the Nazi occupation authorities; when the Communists took control of the government in 1948, he left the country for the West, vowing not to return until the political situation changed. He appeared as a guest conductor in England and Western Europe, then made his U.S. debut with the Chicago Sym. Orch. on Nov. 17, 1949; his success led to his appointment as the orch/s music director in 1950; however, his inclusion of many contemporary works in his programs and his insistence on painstaking rehearsals antagonized some of his auditors, including members of the Chicago press, causing him to resign his post in 1953. He subsequently was music director at the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden in London (1955–58); his tenure was notable for important productions of Les Troyens, Boris Godunov (in the original version), and Jenùfa. He then was chief conductor of the Bavarian Radio Sym. Orch. in Munich (1961–79). He made his Metropolitan Opera debut in N.Y. as its first music director on Oct. 22, 1973, conducting Les Troyens; however, he again became an epicenter of controversy, and soon submitted his resignation. In spite of the contretemps, his artistic integrity remained intact; he continued to appear widely as a guest conductor in Western Europe and the U.S. In light of his controversial tenure in Chicago, it was ironic that he became an honored guest conductor with that orch. in later years. He retired in 1985. Following the “velvet” revolution which toppled the hard-line Communist regime in Czechoslovakia in 1989, Kubelik was invited to return to his free homeland to conduct Smetana’s Ma Vlast dit the Prague Spring Festival in 1990. Kubelik was the foremost Czech conductor of his generation; in addition to his idiomatic and authoritative performances of the music of his native country, he was greatly esteemed for his distinguished interpretations of the standard repertoire, which were marked by a pristine musicianship, unfettered by self-indulgence. Kubelik became a naturalized Swiss citizen in 1966. His 2^nd wife was Elsie Morison. He also composed several operas, including Veronika (Brno, April 19, 1947) and Cornelia Favoli (Augsburg, 1972), a Sym. for Chorus and Orch. (1941), Sym. in 1 Movement (WDR, Cologne, 1974), Sequences for Orch. (Lucerne Festival, 1976), Sym., Orphikon (N.Y., April 2, 1981), Symphonic Peripeteia for Organ and Orch. (Chicago Sym. Orch., March 14, 1985), a number of choral works, 6 string quartets and other chamber music works, and songs.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire