Šrámek, Vladimír

Šrá;mek, Vladimír, Czech composer; b. Kosiče, March 3, 1923. He was a student of Picha at the Prague Cons. After working in the music division of the National Museum in Prague, he joined the staff of the Opera at the National Theater in Prague. In 1977 he became ed. of music at the FILIA. In his early works, Sramek composed in a traditional style. Later he embraced avant-garde techniques. In his orch. score The Astronauts (1959), he introduced the Monophon, an electronic device of his own creation.

Works

DRAMATIC: Driver to Aristofana, opera (1955); Flower of Cobalt, radio opera (1963); The Pit, pantomime (1963); Spectrum I (1964), II (1964), and III (1965), music theater; Light of the World, pantomime (1964); The Last Forest, musical television play (1965). ORCH.: Comedy for Winds and Percussion (1957); The Astronauts (1959); Metamorphoses I-VII for Various Instrumental Groups (1961–63); Swiss Diary (1966); Catastrophic Account (1966); Delta 12 (1986). CHAMBER: Suite for Trombone and Piano (1953); Recorder Sonatina (1955); Suite for Accordion, 2 Clarinets, Trumpet, and Bassoon (1958); Study for Flute and Piano (1960); Tempi for String Quartet (1960); Metra symmetrica for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, and Horn (1961); Rondo for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, 2 Horns, and 2 Trombones (1961); Prodomos for Flute, Bass Clarinet, Trumpet, and Violin (1962); The Laughter for Tape- Speaker, Flute, Piano, and Percussion (1962); Proportioni for Viola (1964); Dialogue for Violin and Viola (1965); Kaleidoscope for Violin, Viola, and Cello (1965); Anticomposizione for Violin, Viola, and Cello (1966); Circulus perpetuus for Flute, Oboe, and Clarinet (1975); Nonetto (1982); 5 Pieces for 2 Violins, Viola, and Cello (1984); The Puppet Show Music, quintet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, and Horn (1985); Trio for Oboe, Clarinet, and Bassoon (1986); Masques, quintet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, and Horn (1986); Quartet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, and Bassoon (1986). OTHER: The City, electronic music (1959); Sonnet for Sonnet Duo, electronic music (1966); The Play for Monophon (1966).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire