Čestmír Gregor


Čestmír Gregor was a Czech composer, theorist and publicist. His career as a composer lasted from 1942 to 2005, and encompassed a variety of styles and formats.

Life and career

Čestmír Gregor was born in Brno, the son of composer and theorist Josef Gregor and Františka Gregorová Koldová. After graduating from grammar school, he studied composition at the Brno Conservatory with Jaroslav Kvapil and musicology at the Masaryk University in Brno. He then continued studies in studio tracks with Kvapil at the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts, which he eventually completed in 1970.
Gregor settled in Nový Jičín and worked as a composer. He married and had one son, Vit Gregor. He served as secretary of the creative branch of the Union of Czechoslovak Composers. Beginning in October 1959, he moved to Ostrava to work as head of the music broadcast station for Ostrava Czech Radio. In 1968 the arrival of Warsaw Pact troops disrupted his work at the radio station, and in 1972 Gregor was banned from publishing. In 1976 he moved to Prague, where he continued working as a composer.
As a composer, Gregor was initially heavily influenced by 20th century classical music, especially that of Igor Stravinsky, and by jazz. During the 1950s, with their requirements of Socialist realism, he produced songs for the Socialist Youth Movement, and expressed politically correct themes in his symphonic works. In later years, he endorsed the European modernist tradition.
He died in Prague in 2011.

Selected works

Musical compositions

Gregor produced stage, orchestral and chamber music and also songs and incidental music.

Stage

Lazebník sevillský, Incidental Music for the play by Pierre Beaumarchais Krvavé křtiny aneb Drahomíra a její synové, Incidental Music for the play by Josef Kajetán Tyl Závrať, Ballet version of the Choreographic Symphony ; libretto by Pavel ŠmokProfesionální žena, Opera ; based on the novel by Vladimír PáralHorko, aneb jak je důležité umět plavat, Ballet Comedy in 1 act ; libretto by Vladimír Vašut

Orchestral

Čekání, Symphonic Poem Symfonieta Jazzová symfonie
  • Symphony No. 1 "O slávě našeho života" Radostná předehra Variace na dětské téma "Kdyby všechny dívky světa", Symphonic Picture ; original title: "Svazačka"
  • Symphony No. 2 "Země a lidé" Výzva, Symphonic Overture Jednou z jara navečer, Suite for chamber orchestra Prosím o slovo, Symphonic Overture Tragická suita for chamber orchestra Suita pro smyčcový orchestr Polyfonietta Děti Daidalovy, Symphonic Poem
  • Symphony No. 3 "Choreografická symfonie" Kdyby všichni chlapi světa, Symphonic Overture Symfonie mého města Symfonietta Pražská noční symfonie Já na vojnu se dal, Variations on an Old French Ballad Symfonické metamorfózy na bluesové téma ...odešla po špičkách, Portrait for string orchestra Evropa, hranice tisíciletí, Symphony Pražský chodec, dvě nokturna for string orchestra
  • ''Zlověstná serenada''

Concertante

Nikdo není sám, Rhapsody for piano and orchestra Zlověstná serenáda for trumpet and chamber orchestra Concerto semplice for piano and orchestra
  • Concerto for violin and orchestra Kompliment každodenní hudbě, Concerto for cello and orchestra Concerto da camera for clarinet and string orchestra Valčík for piano and orchestra Concerto giocondo for piano and orchestra

Chamber music

  • Trio for flute, viola and bass clarinet
  • String Quartet No. 1 Červen, Pastorale for clarinet and piano Hry for 2 accordions Příjemnosti for violin and piano
  • Sonata No. 2 for violin and piano Dolce vita, 3 Pieces for viola and piano Důvěrnosti for violin and viola Tři generace for string quartet
  • Sonata No. 1 for violin and piano
  • Sonata for cello and piano Náklonnosti for viola and cello

Piano

Olympia, Suite Experiment, Suite Sonata brevis Popelec, Suite Sonata in tre tempi Tre movimenti Vyhrávanky, Cycle for Children Introdukce a toccata for 2 pianos Hudbánky for Young Pianists
  • Sonata in quattro tempi Polehčující okolnosti, Suite
  • ''Expromptu''

Choral

Slunečné přístavy Český zpěv, Cantata ; words by Marie PujmanováTy a já for male chorus a cappella ; words by the composerDěti moře, Folk Cantata for mixed chorus a cappella ; words by Saint-Pol-Roux in translation by Karel Čapek

Vocal

Dvě rozmarné balady for soprano and piano
  • ''Písnička pracovních záloh''

Literary works

  • Miloslav Klega. Creation 1953-1965
  • Břetislav Bakala
  • What my point. Self Portrait
  • Article twenty to Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra
  • Reflections on the melody
  • Serious and fun
  • Reflections on the evaluation of new songs
  • Emil Quail.
  • Search and find. The seventieth nedožitým M. Klegou
  • Audience opera
  • Approximately 100 radio programs and expert comments