Tausinger, Jan
Tausinger, Jan
Tausinger, Jan, Romanian-born Czech conductor, teacher, and composer; b. Piatra Neamt, Nov. 1, 1921; d. Prague, July 29, 1980. He studied composition with Cuclin, Jora, and Mendelsohn at the Bucharest Cons., graduating in 1947; then went to Prague, where he had lessons in conducting with Ancerl; concurrently took courses in advanced harmony with Alois Haba and Borkovec at the Prague Academy of Music (1948-52). He was active as a conductor of radio orchs. in Bucharest, Ostrava, and Plzeñ; also taught at the Ostrava Cons., where he was director (1952-58); after working for the Czech Radio in Prague (1969-70), he served as director of the Prague Cons. His music was greatly diversified in style, idiom, and technique, ranging from neo-Classical modalities to integral dodecaphony; he made use of optical representational notation when justified by the structure of a particular piece.
Works
dramatic: Dlouhá noe (The Long Night), ballet (1966); Ugly Nature, opera, after Dostoyevsky (1971). ORCH.: Suite in the Old Style (1946-47); Sym. No. 1, Liberation (1952); Violin Concerto (1962-63); Confrontazione I and II (1964); Concertino meditazione for Viola and Chamber Ensemble (1965); Praeludium, Sarabande and Postludium for Winds, Harp, Piano, and Percussion (1967); Musica evolutiva for Chamber Orch. (1967; Zagreb, Nov. 24, 1971); Improvisations, in honor of Bach, for Piano and Orch. (1970); Sinfonia slovacca (1979). CHAMBER: Violin Sonata (1954); Partita for Viola and Piano (1957-58); 2 string trios (1960, 1965); 4 string quartets (1961; 1966; 1970; Structures, 1972); Colloquium for 4 Wind Instruments (1964); Trio for Violin, Viola, and Guitar (1965); Le avventure for Flute and Harp (1965); Canto di speranza for Piano Quartet (1965); Happening for Piano Trio, based on proclamation of J. Shweik (1966); De rebus musicalibus for Flute, Bass Clarinet, Vibraphone, Piano, and Percussion (1967); Sonatina emancipata for Trumpet and Piano (1967); Brass Quintet (1968); Hommage à Ladislav Černý for Viola and Piano (1971); “On revient toujours...,” suite for Violin and Piano (1974); “Comme il faut,” sonatina for Oboe and Piano (1974); Hukvaldy Nonet (1974); “Au dernier amour...,” suite-sonata for Cello and Piano (1974-75); Non-isosceles for Flute, Cello, and Piano (1975); Clarinet Sonata (1975); 4 Evocations for Flute, Viola, Cello, and Piano (1976); Sketches, 2nd nonet (1976); Reminiscences, 3rd nonet (1976); Sextet for Wind Quintet and Piano (1976); 7 Microchromophonies for Clarinet, Viola, and Piano (1977); 4 Nuances for Flute, Harp, Violin, Viola, and Cello (1978). Piano: Sonata (1948-50); 10 Dodecaphonic Studies (1972). VOCAL: A Prayer for Soprano and Chamber Orch. (1965); Čmáranice po nebi (Scrawling in the Sky) for Soprano, Flute, Bass Clarinet, Piano, and Percussion, after Khlebnikov, an early Russian futurist (1967); Noe (The Night), musical collage for Soprano, Chorus, Orch., and Guitar, after Pushkin (1967); Správná vec (The Right Thing), symphonic picture for Tenor, Baritone, Chorus, and Orch., after Mayak-ovsky (1967); Duetti compatibili: Zerot Point for Soprano and Viola (1971) and Starting Point for Soprano and 2 Violins (1979-80); Ave Maria for Narrator, Soprano, and Orch. (Prague, Oct. 17, 1972); Sinfonia bohémica for Bass, Men’s Chorus, Trumpet, Harpsichord, and Orch. (1973-75); choruses.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire