Viktor Kalabis (27 February 1923 – 28 September 2006) was a Czech composer, music editor, musicologist, and husband of harpsichordist Zuzana Růžičková.

Life

Born in

Červený Kostelec Červený Kostelec (; ) is a town in Náchod District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 8,300 inhabitants. Administrative division Červený Kostelec consists of seven municipal parts (in brackets population accord ...

, Kalabis was interested in music from a young age, but due to the Nazi occupation of Prague during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, he was unable to study music in Prague. After the end of the war, Kalabis studied at the

Prague Conservatory The Prague Conservatory () is a public music school in Prague, Czech Republic, founded in 1808. Currently, the school offers four- or six-year courses, which can be compared to the level of a high school diploma in other countries. Graduates c ...

and at the Academy of Music and

Charles University Charles University (CUNI; , UK; ; ), or historically as the University of Prague (), is the largest university in the Czech Republic. It is one of the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, oldest universities in the world in conti ...

. In 1952, Kalabis married

Zuzana Růžičková Zuzana Růžičková () (14 January 1927 – 27 September 2017) was a Czech harpsichordist. An interpreter of Classical music, classical and Baroque music, baroque music, Růžičková was the first harpsichordist to record Johann Sebastian Bach' ...

, who became a famous harpsichord player. They both refused to join the Communist Party, which impeded the beginning of their music careers. Eventually, Kalabis got work in the children's music section at

Prague Radio Prague ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan area is home to approximately 2.3 mi ...

, where he established the Concertino Praga competition for young musicians. In 1957,

Manuel Rosenthal Manuel Rosenthal (18 June 1904 – 5 June 2003) was a French composer and conductor who held leading positions with musical organizations in France and the United States. He was friends with many contemporary composers, and despite a considerab ...

performed Kalabis' Concert for violoncello op. 8 at the

Orchestre de Paris The Orchestre de Paris () is a French orchestra based in Paris. The orchestra currently performs most of its concerts at the Philharmonie de Paris. History In 1967, following the dissolution of the Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du ...

at the

Théâtre des Champs-Élysées The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées () is an entertainment venue standing at 15 avenue Montaigne in Paris. It is situated near Avenue des Champs-Élysées, from which it takes its name. Its eponymous main hall may seat up to 1,905 people, while th ...

, which brought Kalabis new opportunities. His works were commissioned, for example, by the

Czech Philharmonic The Czech Philharmonic () is a symphony orchestra based in Prague. Its principal performing venue is the Rudolfinum concert hall. History The name "Czech Philharmonic Orchestra" appeared for the first time in 1894, as the title of the orche ...

, the

Dresden Philharmonic The Dresdner Philharmonie (Dresden Philharmonic) is a German symphony orchestra based in Dresden. Its principal concert venue is the '' Kulturpalast''. The orchestra also performs at the Kreuzkirche and the Frauenkirche Dresden. It receive ...

, Camerata Zurich, Josef Suk, The Suk Trio,

János Starker János Starker (; ; July 5, 1924 – April 28, 2013) was a Hungarian-American cellist. From 1958 until his death, he taught at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he held the title of Distinguished Professor. Starker is conside ...

Maurice André Maurice André (21 May 1933 – 25 February 2012) was a French trumpeter, active in the classical music field. He was professor of trumpet at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris where he introduced the teaching of the pic ...

, the

Prague Spring Festival The Prague Spring International Music Festival (, commonly , Prague Spring) is a classical music festival held every year in Prague, Czech Republic, with symphony orchestras and chamber music ensembles from around the world. The first festival ...

and others. His composition ''Sinfonia pacis'' is one of the world's most-played Czech contemporary music compositions. Although most of Kalabis's works are symphonic, concertante or chamber compositions, he composed several vocal works such as the cantata ''Canticum Canticorum'', the chamber cantata ''Vojna'' (The War), song cycles and choruses. For stage, he wrote the ''Fable'' for chamber orchestra and the two-part ballet score ''Dva světy'' (Two Worlds), inspired by

Lewis Carroll Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, poet, mathematician, photographer and reluctant Anglicanism, Anglican deacon. His most notable works are ''Alice ...

's book ''

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (also known as ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English Children's literature, children's novel by Lewis Carroll, a mathematics university don, don at the University of Oxford. It details the story of a ...

''. The video recording of this ballet was given the "

Parents' Choice Award The Parents' Choice Award was an award presented by the non-profit Parents' Choice Foundation to recognize "the very best products for children of different ages and backgrounds, and of varied skill and interest levels." It was considered a "prest ...

" of 1993 in the United States. In 1967, he received the Prize of the Czechoslovak Music Critics and in 1969 he was awarded the State Prize. According to Aleš Březina, a close friend of Kalabis', "his beginnings in the fifties and in the early sixties were deeply influenced by people like Stravinsky and Hindemith, and Honegger and Bartók – and Martinů of course." Eventually, Kalabis became President of the

Bohuslav Martinů Foundation Bohuslav (, ; ) is a city on the Ros River in Obukhiv Raion, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine. It hosts the administration of Bohuslav urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Population: 17,135 (2001). It is known as Boslov by some of its Yiddish ...

. Here he established the Bohuslav Martinů Institute for Studies and Information, launched the Martinů Festival and competition, and created a dynamic base from which

Bohuslav Martinů Bohuslav Jan Martinů (; December 8, 1890 – August 28, 1959) was a Czech composer of modern classical music. He wrote 6 symphony, symphonies, 15 operas, 14 ballet scores and a large body of orchestral, chamber music, chamber, vocal and ins ...

's work has become far better known.

Death

Kalabis died on 28 September 2006. The Viktor Kalabis & Zuzana Růžičková Foundation was established in his memory, with

as the President of the Board of Directors for the Foundation.

Works

The Viktor Kalabis and Zuzana Růžičková Foundation has the following list of musical compositions.The Viktor Kalabis and Zuzana Růžičková Foundation
/ref> Ballets * "Two Worlds" * "Fable" Symphonies * Symphony No. 1 * Symphony No. 2 "Sinfonia pacis" * Symphony No. 3 (1970–71) * Symphony No. 4 (1972) * Symphony No. 5 (1976) Symphonic music * Suite for orchestra "Festival of Straznice" * Symphonic Variations * Concerto for large orchestra Instrumental concertos * Concerto for piano and orchestra No. 1 * Concerto for piano and wind instruments No. 2 * Concerto for violin and orchestra No. 1 * Concerto for violin and orchestra No. 2 * Concerto for harpsichord and string orchestra * Fantasia Concertante for viola and string orchestra * Concerto for violoncello and orchestra * Concerto for trumpet and orchestra ("Le Tambour de Villevielle") * Concerto for bassoon and wind instruments Compositions for chamber orchestra * Diptych for string orchestra * Chamber Music for Strings * Concerto for Chamber Orchestra "Hommage a Stravinsky" String quartets * String Quartet No. 1 * String Quartet No. 2 * String Quartet No. 3 * String Quartet No. 4 * String Quartet No. 5 "In Memory of M. Chagall" * String Quartet No. 6 "In Memory of B. Martinu" * String Quartet No. 7 Piano quartet * Ludus for piano quartet op. 82 (1996) Nonets * Classical Nonet * Nonet "Homage to Nature" Compositions for wind instruments * Incantation - Tredecet Op. 69 for 2 Fl, Ob, Cor ingl, 2 Cl, 4 Cor, 2 Bsn, 1 movt., 11' - 13' * Septet "Strange Pipers" Op. 72 for 2 Ob, 2 Cor ingl, 2 Bsn, CBsn, Op. 72, 1 movt., 8'30'' - 10' * Octet "Spring Whistles" Op. 50 (1979) for 2 Ob, 2 Cl, 2 Cor, 2 Bsn, 10' * Divertimento for wind quintet Op. 10, 5 parts, 17' - 18' * Small Chamber Music for wind quintet Op. 27, 3 movements, 11' - 12' Duos with piano * Sonata for violin and piano * Hallelujah for violin and piano * Sonata for viola and piano * Sonata for cello and piano * Sonata for clarinet and piano * Suite for clarinet and piano * Suite ("Bagpiper's") for oboe and piano * Fantasie for oboe and piano * Variations for French horn and piano * Sonata for trombone and piano, Op. 32 (1970) Duos with harpsichord * Sonata for violin and harpsichord * Dialogues for violoncello and harpsichord * "Four Pictures" for flute and harpsichord Duos for other instrumentation * Duettina for violin and cello * Duettina for cello and double bass * 3 Impressions for two clarinets * Small Suite for two bassoons * Couples for two flutes * Compositions for solo instruments Piano * Accents (Expressive studies for piano) * Entrata, Aria e Toccata for piano, * 3 Polkas for piano * 4 Enigmas for Graham * 2 Toccatas for piano * Allegro impetuoso for piano ** I. Sonata ** II. Sonata ** III. Sonata Harpsichord * 6 Two-Voices Canonic Inventions * Aquarelles * Preludio, Aria e Toccata, "I casi di Sisyphos" Violoncello * 3 Monologues for cello solo * Rondo Drammatico for cello solo Flute * 3 Pieces for flute * "Tempting" for flute French horn * Invocation for French horn solo Guitar * "Reminiscences" Organ * Symphonic Fresco for organ, "Afresco sinfonico" Vocal Compositions * Cantatas * "Canticum canticorum" for mixed choir, chamber orchestra, alto, tenor * "The War" for mixed choir, flute, and piano on folk poetry Songs with orchestral accompaniment * 5 Romantic Love Songs to words by R.M. Rilke * "Bird's Weddings" for higher voice and piano * "Carousel of Life" for lower voice and piano to words by R.M. Rilke Mixed choirs * "Dawn", "Autumn", 2 choirs to words by Vl. Sefl Children choirs * Children Songs (with piano accompaniment) * Album of Folksongs (with piano) * 4 Songs for Little Children (with piano) * We Sing a Song (with flute and oboe) * Three Children Choirs (with piano)

References

External links

The Viktor Kalabis and Zuzana Růžičková Foundation, Washington DC

The Viktor Kalabis and Zuzana Růžičková Endowment Fund, Prague

The Dvořák Society for Czech and Slovak Music

Czech Music Information Centre

Schott Music Publishers

Supraphon Producers
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kalabis, Viktor 1923 births 2006 deaths Ballet composers Czech classical composers Czech male classical composers People from Červený Kostelec Prague Conservatory alumni 20th-century Czech male musicians