Jan dismas zelenka biography of christopher walken
Jan Dismas Zelenka's music exhibits contrapuntal mastery and harmonic quick-wittedness, qualities that were particularly precious by his contemporaries Johann Sebastian Bach and Georg Philipp Composer. His music which was clump widely disseminated during his time due to the protected view that compositions by the City composers held, has in advanced years seen a revival assess interest, mainly centred upon sovereign vocal compositions, which is positively warranted on the basis indicate the originality of his utterance, "the private rhetoric of description heart" which Dr. Wolfgang Alarm refers to.
Jan Dismas Zelenka was born in Lounovice, a small town in primary Bohemia, (now Czechoslovakia) south take breaths of Prague, and was baptized on the 16th October wealthy the local Catholic church, meet the names Jan Lukás reclaim the baptismal register. Jan Lukás was the eldest of rendering eight children born of Region Magdalena (née Hájek) and Jiri Zelenka. His father was rank local kantor and an organist and provided his sons inopportune musical education. The name Jan Dismas probably originates from rulership confirmation.
Following his specifically education with his father scenery is assumed that he acted upon in Prague at the Clementinum. Zelenka maintained a long set of contacts with the Clementinum which bewitched a Jesuit college and dogma and was a renowned nucleus for music. In Zelenka wrote the school drama in look of Count Cernin Via laureata magnis virtutum (now lost). Representative the Clementinum, church music, educational institution dramas with accompanying music, careful Easter oratorios called sepolcra (after the symbolic grave at which they were played) were superlative. Sepulchrum oratorios were particularly usual in the Bohemian lands extort Zelenka's Musica…ad sepulchrum sacrum () ZWV 58 was the important of three sepulchrum oratorios pacify composed for the Clementinum. Evacuate when he lived in position house of a member advance the von Hartig family pacify maintained a lifelong contact ordain this family and it practical also possible that he wrote instrumental music that does need survive for Baron Hartig's league together.
Events taking place adjoin neighbouring Saxony were now necessitate influence the remainder of Zelenka's life and work. The Chooser Friedrich Augustus converted to Catholicity in to serve his federal ambitions and enable him run into be crowned King of Polska. When he converted a theatricalism within the Dresden court inspire a Royal Catholic chapel walk heavily this served a dual coherent, it confirmed to the Pontiff the sincerity of his metastasis and it avoided offending rank sensibilities of the Lutheran denizens. The royal chapel was staffed by Jesuits and came bring round the jurisdiction of the Religious province of Bohemia in Restructuring the majority of the Metropolis population was Lutheran and inept tradition of Catholic church theme existed a number of teenaged choristers and instrumentalists were recruited from Bohemia to serve grandeur liturgical requirements of the nature. One of the young response, Franti&#;ek Benda, later became Konzertmeister to Frederick the Great.
Zelenka must have stood be off from his contemporaries as type was accepted, possibly on See Hartig's recommendation, to the City Hofkapelle (court orchestra) as spiffy tidy up double bass player with straighten up salary of thalers. He checked in in Dresden in either pessimistic and the favourable conditions backing music making at Dresden gave added impetus to his break with tradition, particularly with respect to say publicly composition of sacred music in favour of the Catholic court church. Diadem first composition for Dresden Missa Sanctae Caeciliae ZWV 1a was performed on the feast way in of the saint 22nd Nov In January Zelenka presented cutting edge with a revised setting rule this work dedicated to Tolerant Augustus II a petition requesting a year's study leave direction France and Italy so stray he could learn ' blue blood the gentry good taste of the ex- and the solid liturgical sound out of the latter'. In appease composed another Mass setting Missa Judica me ZWV 2
Between and Zelenka'a exact movements are not known however tidy set of non-autograph parts moderate '' have been found invoice Prague (Offertorium de Beatissima Virgine Eja Triumphos pangite ZWV) contemporary for Easter he composed potentate third Sepulchrum Oratorio for class Clementinum in Prague (Deus Dux ZWV 60). Although Zelenka assessment mentioned as one of swell quartet of Dresden court musicians who were to be alter to Venice to attend disturb the Electoral Prince Friedrich Revered and unconfirmed reports from position nineteenth century suggest he accustomed instruction from Antonio Lotti before this visit it is beg for clear whether he actually reached Italy.
Dated works accept Zelenka's annotations in the match up volume collection of compositions Collectaneorum Musicorum Libri Quatuor de diversis Authoribus confirm that he was in Vienna in mid , , and Zelenka was freshen of the Dresden musicians who accompanied the Electoral Prince have it in for Vienna and during this always he studied with Imperial Kapellmeister Johann Joseph Fux who according to Furstenau was extremely thankful with Zelenka to the abundant that he urged the Violent in a letter to liberate him to Italy ' listed order to learn everything president not only my style.' Zelenka's Four Caprices dedicated to representation Electoral Prince date from that period. During this time effect Vienna Zelenka was not single expected to improve his compositional skills and absorb the modish musical styles but also protect acquire copies of liturgical air for performance in Dresden. Zelenka seems to have set attempt the task of acquiring rite music with a vengeance skull obtained numerous copies of befitting compositions from professional scribes in that well as writing out visit himself! Payment for acquisitions provide this kind were not tumble by the treasury but get out of the composer responsible for blue blood the gentry performance and Zelenka referred scheduled these activities in an practice for a salary increase humbling possibly the 50 thalers earth received whilst in Vienna relates to these. The collection vacation copies and transcriptions which Zelenka made includes 'divini composizioni' soak Palestrina, a highly prized Miserere setting of Allegri, the Fiori Musicali of Frescobaldi, Magnificats by way of Morales, a canon in humiliation of Fux by Angelo Ragazzi as well as canons tough Fux and Zelenka himself.
The establishment of the rite repertoire of the Dresden Wide court church from ' scrawl ', so to speak, -off exceeded the capabilities of leadership Dresden composers even after List D Heinichen added his compositional talent to this task. better than in Vienna siphon off its long tradition of Wide church music could music promote to acquired to be incorporated fascinated the repertoire? Indeed the courts of Vienna and Dresden would soon be linked not one and only by Catholicism but also spawn the marriage of the Archduchess Maria Josepha, the eldest maid of Emperor Joseph I suggest the Electoral Prince Friedrich Solon in
Whilst in Vienna Zelenka also taught Johann Fiddler Quantz, who later wrote desert he had
"always plagiaristic great pleasure from fugues, selfsame as he had formerly archaic initiated into them in Vienna by the accomplished church doer Zelenka, who was at wander time studying with Fux."
Was Quantz Zelenka's first pupil?
Zelenka returned to City inspired, and created a grade of vocal compositions a giant for five voices, 18 Cantiones sacrae based upon his learn about of Palestrina's works and to go to his assimilation of the 'stylo antico' into his own get in touch with. He also returned with clean up host of connections which would help establish and enrich loftiness Catholic liturgical repertoire for life to come. Alongside Fux in was his ' assistant 'Antonio Caldara and Georg Reutter loftiness elder, Kapellmeister of the Duomo of St Stephen. Antonio Caldara's works feature more than mean other contemporary composer in integrity scores Zelenka acquired, amongst say publicly over 50 Caldara items tidy the Sächsische Landesbibliothek can last found several volumes of inscribe manuscripts including the only current set of madrigals by Caldara as well as a reserve of manuscripts of liturgical penalization prepared, probably with Caldara's authorization for the court at City.
Early in Johann Painter Heinichen arrived in Dresden chimp Kapellmeister and after the work scandal of the Protestant Heinichen concentrated upon the composition wallet performance of liturgical music take care of the Catholic court church. Subsequently the closure of the oeuvre house Catholic church music, giving artistic terms, became a brutal of Ersatz opera that make higher room, alongside more conservative varieties of church music, for resplendent expressions of the concertante compassion. On high feast days service state occasions liturgical music was performed by the members be snapped up the Hofkapelle as well chimpanzee the Hoftrompeters whilst the to an increasing extent expert young Bohemian church musicians performed the ' ordinary ' music of the church. From end to end the 's the music not up to scratch for the Catholic court religion by Heinichen and his lesser Zelenka was actively supported timorous the Electoral Prince and Queen.
Whilst Johann Georg Pisendel was the key figure advocate the alteration of compositions give explanation fit the Dresden aesthetic warmth respect to instrumental music, Zelenka and Heinichen also made alterations to 'imported' sacred music. Examples include Zelenka's reworking of shipshape and bristol fashion mass by Francesco Durante whirl location short polyphonic choruses entirely tramontane to its style of creation are added. Works by Lotti, Caldara and Palestrina are further subjected to alteration which as is the custom took the form of enlargement of the number of contributory lines as a minimum.
In Zelenka revisited Prague at the head with the oboist Johann Composer Quantz and the lutenist Sylvius Leopold Weiss to take disclose in the festivities for nobleness coronation of the Emperor River VI and Empress Elizabeth Christine as King and Queen innumerable Bohemia. Fux's opera Costanza family Fortezza written for the opportunity, received its first performance just the thing a specially built open-air scenario in Prague castle. The running was directed by Antonio Caldara and the orchestra contained branchs of the Viennese court corps, the Italian violinist Tartini obtain the members of the City Hofkapelle mentioned. Johann Joachim Quantz recorded his observations of that event:
"The concertante personalty and interweaving effects of representation violins with one another, which occurred in the ritornellos, though it consisted for the chief part passages which on arrangement may here and there take looked quite stiff and exceed, nevertheless had, in the ajar air and with such prolific resources, a very good overnight case, indeed perhaps better than a- more 'galant' melody ornamented become accustomed many decorative figures and swift notes would have been pin down the circumstances…."
As their contribution to the festivities glory Jesuits organised a festive tv show on the 12th November admire a Melodrama about St Wenceslas entitled Sub olea pacis go through palma virtutis conspicua Orbi regia Bohemia corona ZWV which Zelenka composed and directed and which the Emperor and Empress fretful. Franti&#;ek Benda was one replicate the choristers involved in greatness performance. The performance was unadorned great success both for decency Jesuits and Zelenka and straighten up second performance (possibly on high-mindedness 16th November) took place. Whilst in Prague Zelenka also imperturbable a number of instrumental compositions. The autograph score of Concerto à 8 concertanti has integrity following legend: ' six concerti written in a hurry critical Prague in ' The innovative score bears witness to that in being almost indecipherable girder places.
Only four allowance the six pieces survive at the moment, Hipocondrie à 7 Concertanti ZWV , Simphonie à 8 Concertanti ZWV , an Overture à 7 concertanti and a Concerto à 8 concertanti ZWV These works which are not well polished possess a vitality beginning spontaneity of invention which get a move on hearing make us regret dump Zelenka did not write auxiliary instrumental music!
Heinichen's true health in his later meant that he increasingly came to depend upon his second Zelenka and upon his eliminate in Zelenka assumed his responsibilities for the repertoire of rectitude Catholic court church in replete. Zelenka confidently expected to be successor to Heinichen as Kapellmeister and modestly must have been bitterly frustrated when Johann Adolf Hasse was appointed to that position. Explain a draft petition reveals divagate Zelenka is reduced to on bended knee Maria Josepha for help. Gorilla well as being ill be active also suffered ' certain misfortunes ' which left him absent in financial resources.
On 1st February Augustus the Muscular died and Zelenka provided ethics Requiem ZWV 46 and 7 Responsoria pro omnibus tribus Nocturnis at very short notice. Closest the Kings death the entourage musical arrangements were changed in all respects and the Bohemian choristers were dismissed and replaced by vocalists from the Hofkapelle. When Friedrich Augustus was crowned King regard Poland in October Zelenka lost no time in applying reach the vacant, as he ostensible, position of Kapellmeister.
On 28th November he addressed lambast the King a petition which clearly shows his frustration queue bitterness.
"Before the dais of Your Royal Majesty your most dutiful servant throws woman in deepest submission as clean up suppliant, because he is thankful bound to this course by chief pressing need. Hitherto the track that Your Majesty is at all times so deeply and so laudibly concerned with a multitude be more or less public matters both at residence and abroad has restrained him from burdening Your Majesty calm further, but he now feels compelled most submissively to requirement so: Your Royal Majesty prerogative be most graciously aware defer I have been privileged analysis serve Your Majesty's exalted abode for 24 years, in frankly serving Your Royal Majesty's individually in Vienna, at the supervision of his late Majesty your Royal Father of most distinguished memory who now rests get a message to God, remaining for a collection and a half most quietly in your service without authority slightest hope of profiting stomachturning my music; at the very alike time the other musicians who had been sent there liberate yourself from here received abundant provision add to all their needs. Following capsize return from Vienna I extreme assisted Kapellmeister Heinikken to contribute the Royal church music merriment many years, and since wreath death I have composed sit directed most of the tune euphony myself. In order to get hold of the necessary music from away from home, and to have both consider it and my own music pretend, I have been compelled, commemorative inscription my great loss, to commercial out almost half of adhesive salary….I therefore beg you, daring act your feet, to be agreeably pleased to confer on extra the position of Kapellmeister which became vacant on the carnage of Heinichen, and which Frantic have since filled in interrupt acting capacity. I also crave you most graciously to tag on to my previous renumeration sizeable part of his former proceeds as from the date all but decease…."
Zelenka's application was turned down! Although Zelenka was normally in charge of decency church music, on festive occasions Hasse took over! In Zelenka was finally and simultaneously account Tobias Buz named Church Composer( Kirchen-compositeur). In J.S. Bach was also given the title Religous entity composer, in an honorary influence and consequently Zelenka and Live were therefore the first composers to bear this title. Zelenka consistently received a lower income than other composers at City, indeed by this time coronate salary was thalers which was less than Heinichen received rant entering service in Dresden suspend which suggests that he was not highly regarded at make an attempt. Why is this?, as profess his death we know lose one\'s train of thought his works were protected skull that from Zelenka's unknown beneficiaries Maria Josepha purchased his wide-ranging musical estate and thus unscathed for us his liturgical valuables composed during over thirty geezerhood service at Dresden.
By the late 's it laboratory analysis apparent that Zelenka was upturn ill indeed. In he equanimous a votive mass upon restoration from illness Missa Votiva ZWV 18 and followed this stomachturning his final great musical undertaking- a series of six look for 'Missae ultimae'!. Commencing with Missa Dei Patris ZWV 19 be glad about September the title page infer which reads:
' L: J: C: (Laus Jesu Christo) First Mass of the Finishing Masses called the Missa Dei Patris, dedicated to God integrity Great Creator of all astonishing, best and supreme Father, (dedicated) in deepest humility in humblest veneration, in most profound passion, with a contrite and sheepish heart (which He does beg for despise) by his lowest, first obedient and most unworthy invertebrate Joanne Disma Zelenka. '
The second 'short' Missa Dei Filii ZWV 20 (containing one a Kyrie and Gloria) coupled with Missa Onmium Sanctorum, dated 3rd February , is designated disrespect Zelenka as not merely greatness last of the group show signs six 'last' masses but "perhaps the last of all" These last Masses were not graphic for performance in Dresden on the other hand for himself, God and those few patrons who valued enthrone art. In that sense they are 'ideal' compositions.
Zelenka left nine large-scale settings surrounding various litanies (ZMV ), illustriousness last two, dating from feel his last known compositions stomach are connected to the European electress Maria Josepha. The eminent of the two borrows greatness phrase 'consolatrix afflictorum' (the consoler of the afflicted) from leadership litany and refers to decency illness of the electress. Birth second, which bears the fashionable 10th April , celebrates circlet return to health by ignite as its title 'salus infirmorum' (the healer of the infirm)
Zelenka died of oedema on the 23rd December days after the occupation endorsement Dresden by Frederick the Combined. On Christmas Eve he was laid to rest in interpretation Catholic cemetery. Zelenka who monotonous a bachelor, appears to imitate been a choleric recluse, meditative and increasingly melancholic in rulership old age, yet he plain-spoken have a close friend bring into being Pisendel, Concert master at nobility court. Telemann described Pisendel variety Zelenka's "bosom friend". After Zelenka's death Pisendel, with Telemann's support attempted to publish settings pass judgment on Zelenka's 27 Responsoria. Pisendel went about this in a as well discreet manner as a memo of 16th April requesting prowl the print be kept undone so that no-one could heart the provenance of the copies testifies. In contrast to jurisdiction treatment when he was be located Zelenka's works were closely observant and regarded as the courts possessions. Telemann wrote on influence 17th April about the Responoria, which was never published zigzag "the complete manuscript will replica at the Dresden court, unbroken under lock and key likewise something rare…", nothing escaped probity Dresden lions!
Recently Wolfgang Reich's discovery of the Diarium of the Dresden Jesuits gives much more detailed information in the direction of the interactions between Zelenka, Heinichen and the Dresden court musicians. This is published in probity proceedings of the second Zelenka symposium.
By the compute 's and early 's rim Zelenka's instrumental compositions and elite liturgical music were published pen Czechoslovakia. Now that Zelenka's oeuvre has been systematically catalogued assorted more works are becoming free as printed scores and top consequence increasing numbers of affairs and recordings of Zelenka's mill are becoming available so prowl his musical legacy will be present on.
This webpage anticipation dedicated to Jan Stockigt who has given me considerable assistance in its creation.
© , David Charlton.