Podéšt, Ludvík

Podéšt, Ludvík , Czech composer; b. Dubňany, Dec. 19, 1921; d. Prague, Feb. 27, 1968. He was a student of Kvapil (composition) at the Brno Cons. (1945–18) and of Racek and B. Štědroň (musicology) at the Univ. of Brno (Ph.D., 1949). After working at the Brno Radio (1947–51), he was music director of the Vit Nejedly Army Artistic Ensemble (1953–56) and head of the music dept. of the Czech TV (1958–60).

Works

DRAMATIC: Opera: Tri apokryfy (3 Apocryphas; 1957–58); Hrátky s čertem (Frolics with the Devil; 1957–60; Liberec, Oct. 12, 1963). ORCH .: Sym. (1947–48; rev. 1964); Raymonda Dienová, symphonic poem (1950–51); 4 suites (1951, 1954, 1956, 1960); 2 piano concertos (1951–53; 1958–59); Violin Concerto, Jarní Serenáda (1953); Advent Rhapsody (1956–57); Cimbalom Concertino (1963); The Seconds of a Day, symphonic variations (1965); Concertino for 2 Cellos and Chamber Orch. (1965); Partita for Strings, Guitar, and Percussion (1967). CHAMBER : 2 string quartets (1942, 1942); Litanie for String Quartet (1944); Wind Quintet (1946); Violin Sonata (1947); Cello Sonata (1947); Hojačky for 2 Clarinets and Piano (1947); Suite for Viola and Piano (1955–56). Piano : Sonatina (1945); Sonata (1946). VOCAL : Smrt (Death), cantata (1942); Pisně z koncentráku (Songs from the Concentration Camp) for Baritone and Orch. (1946); Měsíce (Months) for Soprano and Orch. (1948; rev. 1957–58).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire