- Karel Bendl
Karel or Karl Bendl (born
April 16 ,1838 inPrague ; diedSeptember 20 ,1897 in Prague ) was a Czech composer.He studied at the organ school, where he met and befriended Dvorak one year before graduating with honors in 1858. By then he had already composed a number of small choral works. In 1861 his "Poletuje holubice" won a prize and at once became a favorite with the local choral societies. In 1864 Bendl went to
Brussels , where for a short time he held the post of second conductor of the opera. After visitingAmsterdam andParis . In Paris, he became influenced by the stage works of Charles Gounod and Ambrose Thomas and especially by Giacomo Meyerbeer.By 1865 he was back in Prague where he was appointed conductor of the choral society known as Hlakoe, and he held the post until 1879, when
Baron Dervies engaged his services for his private band. Bendl's first opera "Lejla" was successfully produced in 1868. It was followed by "Bretislav a Jitka" (1870), "Stary Zenich", a comic opera (1883), "Karel Skreta" (1883), "Dite Tabora", a prize opera (1892), and "Matki Mila" (1891). Other operas by Bendl are "Indicka prin-cezna", "Cernohorci", a prize opera, and the two operas "Carovny Kvet" and "Gina". His ballad "Svanda dudak" acquired much popularity; he published a mass inD minor for male voices and another mass for amixed choir ; two songs to "Ave Maria"; aviolin sonata and astring quartet Op.119 in F Major; and a quantity of songs and choruses, many of which have come to be regarded as national possessions of Bohemia.References
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External links
* [http://www.editionsilvertrust.com/bendl.htm Karel Bendl String Quartet in F, Op.119]
*1911* [http://hdl.handle.net/1802/1413, Twelve Gipsy songs. 1st and 2nd series. With pianoforte accompaniment] (From the Sibley Music Library Digital Score Collection)
* [http://hdl.handle.net/1802/2223 Quartet, strings, op. 119, F major] (From the Sibley Music Library Digital Score Collection)
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