Bakala, Bretislav

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Bakala, Břetislav

Bakala, Břetislav, Czech conductor and composer; b. Fryšták, Feb. 12, 1897; d. Brno, April 1, 1958. He studied with Kurz (piano), Neumann (conducting), and Janáček (composition) at the Brno Cons. He was chief conductor of the Opera (1929–31), the Radio Sym. Orch. (1937–56), and the State Phil. (1956–58) in Brno, where he also taught conducting at the Janáček Academy of Music (1951–58). Bakala championed the music of Janáček. His own works include a Scherzo for Orch. (1923), a Fantasie for String Quartet, choruses, and songs.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

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