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

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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

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