Kalliwoda (Kalivoda), Johann Wenzel (Jan Krtitel Václav)

views updated

Kalliwoda (Kalivoda), Johann Wenzel (Jan Křtitel Václav)

Kalliwoda (Kalivoda), Johann Wenzel (Jan Křtitel Václav), Bohemian violinist, conductor, and composer, father of Wilhelm Kalliwoda; b. Prague, Feb. 21, 1801; d. Karlsruhe, Dec. 3, 1866. He studied at the Prague Cons. (1811–16) with Pixis (violin) and D. Weber (composition); played in the orch. of the Stavovske Theater in Prague (1816–21). In 1822 he became conductor of Prince Furstenberg’s orch. in Donaueschingen, where he remained for some 30 years; his duties were minimal after the orch. was dissolved in the wake of the 1848 Revolution and the destruction of the theater by fire (1856). After giving a farewell concert as a violinist in Prague (1858), he retired to Karlsruhe. His early success as a composer was not sustained in the later years of his career; some of his music was praised by Schumann.

Works

dramatic:Opera: Blanda, die silberne Birke (Prague, Nov. 29, 1827); Prinzessin Christine von Wolfenburg (Donaueschingen, 1828). orch.: 7 syms. (1826–41); 18 overtures; various works for Violin and Orch. chamber: Various works; piano pieces. vocal: Songs.

Bibliography

K. Strunz, J.W. K. (Vienna, 1910).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire