Jan Rychlík (27 April 1916 – 20 January 1964) was a
Czech composer and music theorist. He was one of the most important exponents of the Czech New Music in the 1950s and 1960s.[1]
Biography
Rychlik was born and died in
Prague. His parents wanted him to study economics, but he was attracted by the music and foreign languages from an early age.[2] In 1939, during the
German occupation of Czechoslovakia he began to study at the
Prague Conservatory.[1] Later he became a pupil of
Jaroslav Řídký, and in 1946 he graduated from the Master School of Composition in
Prague.[2]
He collaborated with the Gramoklub Orchestra and also played drums with the early Karel Vlach Orchestra.[3] In addition to his drumming abilities, he was an excellent pianist and also played some other instruments.[3]
At the beginning of his career he composed mainly popular dance songs; however, in 1943 he has created first chamber compositions, such as Sonatine for Clarinet and Piano and Sonatine for Piano.[4] Shortly afterwards he focused also on orchestral compositions.
Following
World War II he devoted himself mainly to
film music. He composed the score for the well-known musical comedy Limonádový Joe aneb Koňská opera. Some of the songs from the film became evergreens ("Arizona" and "So far").[3] He is also known as the author of the music for the
French filmLa Création du Monde by
Jean Effel.
Jan Rychlík died at the age of 48. Following his death, Czech composer
Otmar Mácha composed a memorial work, Variations on a Theme and on the Death of Jan Rychlík, for symphonic orchestra.
Style
Rychlík's music output has two different poles, much like the works of
Jaroslav Ježek and
Erwin Schulhoff.[2] In his early works he was inspired mainly by
jazz and
swing music. In the post-war years he developed the original "art music technique", which he applied mainly in his chamber compositions. He asserted himself also as a film composer. In his last creative period he achieved highly original musical expression using some elements of the post-war music avant-garde and the
Second Viennese School.[2]
Rychlík was also a skilful percussionist and often performed with
Czechoslovak jazz ensembles. As a music theorist, he published several treatises on jazz, such as "Pověry a problémy jazzu" (Superstitions and Problems of Jazz) and "Moderní instrumentace" (Modern Instrumentation).[1] He composed jazz and popular songs and short chamber compositions, mainly for wind instruments.
His musical language is clear, laconic, natural, and witty. His works were reasonably popular and Rychlík was hardly able to satisfy all requests for new compositions.[3]
Selected compositions
Orchestral
Symphonic Overture (1944) 9'
Concerto Overture for large orchestra (1947) 13'
Partita giocosa for brass orchestra (1947) 17'
Pictures and Humours. Children's suite for 10 instruments (1953) 22'
Compositions for solo instruments
Four Partitas for solo flute (1954), ČHF, ČHF, SNKLHU 27'
Four Studies for solo flute (1954), ČHF, Pa 10'
Burlesque Suite for solo clarinet (1956), Pa 8'
Hommagi gravicembalistici. Suite for harpsichord (1960), ČHF, Su, o Su 8'
Compositions for two instruments
Family Music for flute and clarinet (1950) 10'
Etudes for English horn and piano (1953), SNKLHU 8'
School Sonatina for French horn and piano (1953), Su, o Pa 9'
Arabesques for violin and piano (1955) 16'
Compositions for ensembles (3 – 9 musicians)
Suite for wind quintet (1946) 20'
Trio for clarinet, trumpet and bassoon (1948) 15'
Divertimento for 3 double basses (1952) 12'
Trio for violin, viola and violoncello (1953) ČHF, EBP 31'
Chamber Suite for string quartet (1954), ČHF, SNKLHU, o Su 21
Serenade (Memoirs) for wind octet (1957), ČHF 27'
Wind Quintet (1960), SHF, o Su 16'
African Cycle for 8 wind instruments and piano (1961), SHV, o Su 14'
Relazioni. Chamber cycle for alto flute, English horn and bassoon (1963–64), ČHF, Pa, o Su 7'
Vocal compositions
Shepherds, Awake. Cantata-carol for solos, choir and orchestra, to words of folk poetry (1945–46) 5'
South Bohemian Songs and Ditties, for male and female voices with the accompaniment of violin, clarinet and bass clarinet (1948), Su 15'
On the Sick Harry. Children's choir a cappella, to the words of Josef Hiršal (1949)
Pastoral Heraldings. Children's chorus a cappella (1949)
Two Mixed Choruses a cappella, to the words by
A. S. Pushkin: 1. Heavy Cloud, 2. The Nightingale (1952)
A Bunch of Patriotic Songs for tenor, violin, oboe, viola and violoncello. Arrangements of the songs of the 19th century (1955)
7 Choruses from
SophoclesOedipus, for mixed choir a cappella (1962), ČHF
Gallows Madrigals for chamber mixed choir a cappella to the words by Ch. Morgenstern, translated into Czech by Josef Hirsal (1962), ČHF
Sneers for children's choir and small instrumental ensemble, on popular texts (1962)
Jůzlová, Věra, ed. (1999). Čeští moderní skladatelé mládeži (For Young People from Modern Czech composers). Prague: Editio Praga. pp. XI–XII. ISMN M-2600-0207-4
Vysloužil, Jiří (1998). Hudební slovník pro každého (in Czech).
Vizovice: Lípa. pp. 454–455.
ISBN80-86093-23-9.
Černušák, Gracián, ed. (1963). Československý hudební slovník II. M-Ž (in Czech). Prague: Státní hudební vydavatelství. pp. 452–453.
Further reading
Rychlík, Jan (1959): Pověry a problémy jazzu. Praha: SNKLHU, 1959 (in Czech)
Rychlík, Jan (1959-1968): Moderní instrumentace. Praha: Panton, (1959-1968) (21 parts) (in Czech)
Křížek, Milan (2001): Jan Rychlík. Život a dílo skladatele. Praha: Nakladatelství H + H, 2001 (in Czech)
Rychlík, Jan ml. (1999): Vzpomínky na mého otce. In: Revolver revue 39/1999. Praha: Společnost pro Revolver Revue, 1999, p. 64-102. (in Czech)
Rychlík, Jan (2006): Deník 1955. Praha Společnost pro Revolver Revue, 2006 (
ISBN80-87037-00-6) (in Czech)