Karel Kovařovic
Karel Kovařovic was a Czech composer and conductor from Prague.
Life
From 1873 to 1879 he studied clarinet, harp and piano at the Prague Conservatory. He began his career as a harpist. In 1900 Kovařovic became the conductor of the national theatre in Prague, due mostly to the success of his opera Psohlavci , after the novel of the same name by Alois Jirásek. His engagement at the National Theatre lasted twenty years, until 1920. He composed seven operas.Kovařovic is most remembered today for the revisions he made to Leoš Janáček's Jenůfa for its premiere in Prague, and it was in his version that the opera was heard for many years.
A recording of The Dogheads, featuring Beno Blachut, exists.
Compositions
Orchestra
- 1880 Předehra veseloherní
- 1883 Únos Persefony, symphonic poem
- 1887 Concerto in f mineur, for piano and orchestra, op. 6
- 1892 Předehra dramatická
- 1900 Fantasie from the opera "Prodaná nevěsta" of Bedřich SmetanaDeux suites de balletGavotta, for violin and string quartet, op. 4Havířská polka from play Mr Brouček's excursion to the Exhibition Valčík , for chamber orchestra
Works for wind band
- 1911 Lustspiel Ouverture
- 1914 Vzpomínky
- ''Havířská polka''
Theatre
Incidental music
- 1918 Loutkářův sirotek, melodrama – text: Svatopluk Čech "Ve stínu lípy"Zlatý kolovrat, melodrama – text: Karel Jaromír Erben
Vocal music
Works for choir
- 1890 Královničky; staré obřadné tance moravské se zpěvy, for women en piano
Song
- 1880 Osmero písní, for soprano and piano, op. 1
- 1885 Tři žertovné písně
- 1887 Jarní květy , for soprano and piano, op. 7
- 1892–1893 Čtyři písně , op. 18
- # Der Abendstern – text: August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben
- # Gottes Nähe
- # Frühlings Mahnung – text: August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben
- # Im Arm der Liebe schlummre ein – text:
- 1897–1898 Dvě písně , for soprano or tenor and piano
- 1915 Slovácká píseň, for high voice and piano – text: Ema Destinnová
- 1919 Svítání , for voice and orchestra – text:
Chamber music
- String quartet No 1
- String quartet No 2
- String quartet No 3 Romance for violin and piano, op. 2
Works for piano
- 1885 Co ti to napadá, polka
- 1910 Deux valses,
- 1910 Polka
- 1910 Deux mazurkasČtverylka, quadrille Národní tance
- # Pasačka
- # Starodávný
- # HoluběnkaNaše vlast, fantasie