Rudolf Karel


Rudolf Karel was a distinguished Czech composer.

Biography

Rudolf Karel was a son of a railway employee. He studied law at Charles University and then composition from 1899 to 1904 with Antonín Dvořák and organ with Josef Klička. When WWI started he was visiting Russia. He was arrested, but managed to escape. He joined Czechoslovak Legions and served as a conductor of their orchestra. In 1923 he became a professor at Prague Conservatory. During WWII he took part in the resistance and in March 1943 was arrested. After being interned and tortured at Pankrác prison for two years Karel was sent to Theresienstadt [Small Fortress (1940–1945)|Theresienstadt prison]. The conditions in the prison were dire and he became ill with dysentery and pneumonia. SS-Oberscharführer Stefan Rojko sent all ill prisoners outside in freezing cold to disinfect the cell. As a result Karel and 8 other prisoners died on 6 March 1945.
Ih Pankrác and Theresienstadt he continued working. He composed five-act fairy-tale opera Three Hairs of the Wise Old Man, writing on toilet paper using pencil or medicinal charcoal. The 240 sheets containing a detailed sketch of the opera was secretly passed to a friendly warden. The orchestrations were completed after his death and from his notes by his pupil Zbynek Vostřák.
His Nonet op. 43 was composed between January and February 1945. It was orchestrated by František Hertl and premiered in December 1945.

Works (selection)

Piano

Opera

  • 1909 Ilseino srdce
  • 1932 Smrt Kmotřička, Op.30
  • 1944 ''Tří vlasy děda Vševěda''

Orchestra works

  • 1904/1911 Scherzo Capriccio op.6
  • 1909 Ideals, a symphonic epic op.11
  • 1914 Symphony for violin and orchestra op.20
  • 1918/1920 Demon Symphony op.23
  • 1921 Renaissance Symphony op.15
  • 1938 Spring Symphony op.38
  • 1941 Revolution Overture. Op.39

Chamber music