Horký, Karel

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Horký, Karel

Horký, Karel, Czech composer; b. Štěuml;mechy, near Třebíč, Sept. 4, 1909; d. Brno, Nov. 27, 1988. He played in a military band as a boy and also studied bassoon. He took lessons in composition with V. Polivka and Pavel Haas, then entered the Prague Cons, as a student of Křičcka, graduating in 1944. He taught harmony (1945–52) and was director (1964–71) at the Brno Cons.

Works

dramatic: Opera: -Jan Hus (Brno, May 27, 1950); Hejtman èarovec (Brno, 1953); Jed Z Elsinoru (The Poison from Elsinor), freely after Shakespeare’s Hamlet (Brno, Nov. 11, 1969); Dawn (Brno, July 4, 1975); Atlantida (1980). Ballet: Lastura (The Shell; Brno, Oct. 23, 1945); Kral Jefminek (King Jecminek; Brno, Sept. 21, 1951). ORCH.: Klythia, symphonic poem (1941); Romantic Sinfonietta (1944); Cello Concerto (1953); Violin Concerto (1955); 5 syms. (1959, 1964, 1971, 1974, 1977); Serenade for Strings (1963); Bassoon Concerto (1966); Horn Concerto (1971); Fateful Preludes for Piano and Orch. (1972); Dimitrov, symphonic poem, in memory of the chairman of the Bulgarian Communist Party (1972). CHAMBER: 4 string quartets (1938, 1954, 1955, 1963); Violin Sonata (1943); Suite for Wind Quintet (1943); Nonet (1958); Clarinet Quintet (1960); piano pieces. VOCAL: Choruses; songs.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire