Kabelâč, Miloslav

Kabelâč, Miloslav, Czech conductor and composer; b. Prague, Aug. 1, 1908; d. there, Sept. 17, 1979. He studied composition with Jirák and conducting with Pavel Dëdeček (1928–31) and piano with Kurz (1931–34) at the Prague Cons. He served as conductor and music director at the Czech Radio in Prague (1932-39; 1945-54); taught composition at the Prague Cons. (1958–62) and lectured on electronic music at the Czech Radio in Plzeň (1968–70). In his music, he followed a fairly advanced modern idiom, occasionally applying dodecaphonic devices, but hewing closely to the fundamentals of tonality.

Works

orch.: Sinfonietta (1931); Fantasy for Piano and Orch. (1934); 2 overtures (1939, 1947); 8 syms.: No. 1 for Strings and Percussion (1941–42), No. 2 (1942–46), No. 3 for Organ, Brass, and Timpani (1948–57), No. 4 for Chamber Orch. (1954–58), No. 5, Dramatica, for Soprano and Orch. (1959–60), No. 6, Concertante, for Clarinet and Orch. (1961–62), No. 7 for Narrator and Orch., on Old Testament texts (1967–68), and No. 8, Antiphonies, for Soprano, Chorus, Percussion, and Organ (1970); Dëtem (For Children), suite (1955); Mysterium času (Mystery of Time; Prague, Oct. 23, 1957); Hamletovská improvizace (Hamlet Improvisations), commemorating the Shakespeare quadricentennial (1962-63; Prague, May 26, 1964); Zrcadleni (Reflections), 9 miniatures (1963-64; Prague, Feb. 2, 1965); Variations on the chorale Hospodine, pomiluj ny (Our Lord, Forgive Us) II for Piano and Orch. (1978). chamber: Wind Sextet (1940); 3 Pieces for Cello and Piano (1941); Ballade for Violin and Piano (1956); Suite for Saxophone and Piano (1959); 8 Inventions for Percussion (1963; as a ballet, Strasbourg, April 22, 1965); 8 Ricercari for Percussion (1966-67; rev. 1971); Laments and Smiles, 8 bagatelles for Flute and Harp (1969; rev. 1976). keyboard:Piano: : S Préludes (1955–56); Motifs, cycle (1959); Small Suite for Piano, 4-Hands (1960). Organ: Fantasy (1957); 4 Préludes (1963). vocal:Little Christmas Cantata for Soprano, Men’s Chorus, and Chamber Ensemble (1937); Neustupujte (Do Not Yield), resistance cantata (against the Nazi occpuation of Czechoslovakia) for Men’s Chorus, Band, and Percussion (1939; Prague, Oct. 28, 1945); Moravian Lullabies for Soprano and Chamber Orch. (1951); 6 lullabies for Alto, Women’s Chorus, and Orch. (1955); 3 Melodramas for Narrators and Orch. (1957); Tajemstvi ticha (Euphemias Mysterion) for Soprano and Chamber Orch. (1964-65; Warsaw, Sept. 30, 1965); Variations on the chorale Hospodine, pomiluj ny (Our Lord, Forgive Us) I for Female Speaker, Baritone, Men’s Chorus, and Mixed Chorus (1977).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire