Zbyněk Vostřák

Zbyněk Vostřák (June 10 1920 - August 4 1985) was a prominent Czech composer of "New Music".

Life

He studied composition privately with Rudolf Karel and was a conducting student of Pavel Dedecek in Prague. From 1939 to 1943 he was a member of the Prague Radio Orchestra. Vostrak held many jobs, including pedagogical jobs and conducting jobs for Czech radio and the National Theatre. He nonetheless spent the majority of his time on his compositions

tyle

Vostřák initiated his work in the generic Romantic style. Beginning with his cycle of songs entitled "While Falling Asleep", he turned to dodecaphony and techniques proceeding from this particular principle. In the following years Vostřák employed the style known by the general title of "New Music". During the late 1960s and early 1970s he was widely engaged in composing electronic music which he sometimes combined with live performers. During the first stage of his career Vostřák wrote several successful operas and ballets. The following phase featured almost exclusively concert compositions with a predominance of instrumental music. Many of Vostřák's works are regarded as pioneering achievements in this field. As a resuft of Czechoslovakia's official cultural policy in the 1970s and 1980s, particularly in relation to the kind of music composed by Vostřák at that time, the composer had steadily decreasing possibilities for introducing his compositions at home, even though he had succumbed to national pressure by resorting to the use of phony titles for some of his works.

election of Works

Operas

*"Four-cornered Hat". A comic opera in one act based on Vaclav Kliment Klicperas play of the same title to a libretto by Josef Bachtik, op.12 (1948)
*"The Miners of Kutna Hora" (The King s Master of the Mint). An opera in four acts, libretto by Josef Bachtik based on Josef Kajetan Tyls play
*"Prague Nocturne" An opera in six scenes, libretto by Jan Wenig based on short story by Frantisek Kubka op.23 (1957)
*"The Broken Jug" A comic opera, libretto by Karel Jernek based on Heinrich von Kleists comedy op.25 (1960)

Ballets

*"Primroses". Large ballet in two acts based on a story by Svatopluk Cech, libretto by Gabriela Najmanova, op.l0 (1944)
*"Philosophers History". A ballad in three scenes based on Alois Jiraseks novella of the same title, libretto by Jan Rey, op.l3
*"Vicky". A dance ballad in four scenes, libreno written by Jan Rey according to a theme by Bozena Nemcova, op 15 (1950)
*"Snow White" Ballet in seven scenes, libretto by Jan Rey op.20 (1955)
*"Merry Water Sprites". Ballet in three acts, libretto by Jan Rey (1979)

Orchestral Works from Operas and Ballets

*Suite from the ballet "Primroses" (1946) Four-cornered Hat. Overture to the opera, op.l2
*Suite from the balet "Philosophers History", op.l4
*Suite from the dance ballad "Vicky", op.l6 (1950, re-written 1958)
*Suite, from the ballet "Snow White", op.22a (1956)
*Dance suite from the ballet "Snow White", op.22b (1957)
*Music from the opera "Prague Nodurne", op. 24 (1950)

Orchestral Compositions

*"Serenade" for Orchestra in G, op. 5 (1940)
*"Prag overture" for Large Orchestra, op.6 (1941)
*"Polka Suite" for Orchestra, op.19 (1954)
*"The Birth of the Moon", for chamber orchestra, op.39 (1966)
*"Metamusic" for Large Orchestra, op 43 (1968)
*"The Mystery of the Ellipse", for large orchestra, op.44 (1970)
*"Mosaic" for Three Orchestral Groups, op.45 (1970)
*"Secret Fishing", for four groups of instruments whose composition will be determined by the condudor, op.49 (1973)
*"Trias" for orchestra, op.51 (1974)
*"The Pyramids Looking into Eternity", for orchestra, op 53 (1975)
*"Parable", for larg e orchestra and tape, op.55 (1977)
*"Cathedral" (AKA: "Variations"), for large orchestra, op.61 (1979)

References

* [http://www.musica.cz/comp/vostrak.htm Extended biography and full list of works]