František Alois Drdla (28 November 1868 – 3 September 1944) was a prominent Czech

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....

 concert violinist and composer of light music.

Biography

Drdla was born in 1868 in Žďár nad Sázavou

Ždár nad Sázavou

Žďár nad Sázavou is a city in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It has approximately 24,000 inhabitants and is the administrative capital of the Žďár nad Sázavou District. The city is a prominent centre of tourism, as a ski resort in winter and a popular destination for cycling and...

, in what is now the Czech Republic

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....

. He studied violin and composition first at the Prague Conservatory

Prague Conservatory

Prague Conservatory, sometimes also Prague Conservatoire, in Czech Pražská konzervatoř, is a Czech secondary school in Prague dedicated to teaching the arts of music and theater acting.- Instruction :...

 and later at the Vienna Conservatory where his teachers were Josef Hellmesberger, Jr. for violin, Anton Bruckner

Anton Bruckner

Anton Bruckner was an Austrian composer known for his symphonies, masses, and motets. The first are considered emblematic of the final stage of Austro-German Romanticism because of their rich harmonic language, complex polyphony, and considerable length...

 for music theory and Franz Krenn

Franz Krenn

Franz Krenn was an Austrian composer and composition teacher.Born in Droß, Krenn studied under Ignaz von Seyfried in Vienna. He served as organist in a number of Viennese churches and in 1862 became Kapellmeister of the Vienna Hofkirche...

 for composition. However, Drdla's music shows none of his teacher's influence. From 1890 to 1893 he played violin in the orchestra of the Vienna Court Opera

Vienna State Opera

The Vienna State Opera is an opera house – and opera company – with a history dating back to the mid-19th century. It is located in the centre of Vienna, Austria. It was originally called the Vienna Court Opera . In 1920, with the replacement of the Habsburg Monarchy by the First Austrian...

, and from 1894 to 1899 he pursued his career as the director and concertmaster

Concertmaster

The concertmaster/mistress is the spalla or leader, of the first violin section of an orchestra. In the UK, the term commonly used is leader...

 of the Theater an der Wien

Theater an der Wien

The Theater an der Wien is a historic theatre on the Left Wienzeile in the Mariahilf district of Vienna. Completed in 1801, it has seen the premieres of many celebrated works of theatre, opera, and symphonic music...

. By then a well-known concert violinist, Drdla toured throughout Europe (1899–1905) and later the United States (1923–1925). Drdla enjoyed a good reputation as a violinist with a technically refined tone. In 1927 he received an honorary title from the President of Austria. Drdla died in Bad Gastein

Bad Gastein

Bad Gastein is a spa town in the Austrian state of Salzburg, situated at the northern rim of the Hohe Tauern national park. It has 5,838 inhabitants. The name "Bad" means "spa", reflecting the town's history as a health resort. It is located at the head of the Gastein valley, about 1,000 metres ...

, Austria in 1944.

Although he composed three operetta

Operetta

Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...

s, a violin concerto

Violin concerto

A violin concerto is a concerto for solo violin and instrumental ensemble, customarily orchestra. Such works have been written since the Baroque period, when the solo concerto form was first developed, up through the present day...

, several orchestral works and two piano trios, international fame came to Drdla as a result of composing lighter music in the late romantic style. These works generally mixed popular Bohemian (Czech) or Hungarian melodies and presented them à la viennoise. Among the best known of such works are Souvenir (1904), Vision (1906) and Hey, Hay! (1908) written for violin with piano. Hey, Hay! became popular in more than a dozen different versions including those for orchestra, piano quintet

Piano quintet

In European classical music, a piano quintet is a work of chamber music written for piano and four other instruments, most commonly piano, two violins, viola, and cello . Among the most frequently performed piano quintets are those by Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, César Franck, Antonín Dvořák...

, and string quartet

String quartet

A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...

. Drdla's compositions were popularized by violinists Jan Kubelík

Jan Kubelík

Jan Kubelík was a Czech violinist and composer.-Biography:He was born in Michle . His father, a gardener by occupation, was an amateur violinist. He taught his two sons the violin and after discovering the talent of Jan, who was aged five at the time, arranged for him to study with Karel Weber and...

, Marie Hall

Marie Hall

Marie Pauline Hall was an English violinist.Hall was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. She received her first lessons from her father, who was a harpist in the orchestra of the Carl Rosa Opera Company...

, Mischa Elman, Joseph Szigeti

Joseph Szigeti

Joseph Szigeti was a Hungarian violinist.Born into a musical family, he spent his early childhood in a small town in Transylvania. He quickly proved himself to be a child prodigy on the violin, and moved to Budapest with his father to study with the renowned pedagogue Jenő Hubay...

, Váša Příhoda

Váša Příhoda

Váša Příhoda was a famous Czech violinist known for the perfection of his technique and the beauty of his tone. He was considered a Paganini specialist, and his recording of the Violin Concerto in A minor by Dvořák is still very highly praised. His artistry was controversial, and tended to...

and others.

Selected works

Operetta

• Zlatá síť (The Golden Net) (1915–1916)
• Komtesa z prodejny (The Shop Countess / Die Ladenkomtesse), Operetta in 3 acts (1916–1917)
• Bohyně lásky (The Goddess of Love / Die Göttin der Liebe), Operetta Burleske in 3 acts (1940); revision of Zlatá síť

Orchestra

• Op.134 – J'y Pense for orchestra, piano and harmonium (1914)

Concertante

• Op.245 – Violin Concerto in D minor for violin and orchestra (1931)

Chamber music

• Op.200 – Duo Concertante for violin, cello and piano (or violin and piano) (1924)
• Op.240 – Piano Trio in G minor (1930)
• Op.243 – Agnus Dei for voice, violin and piano

Violin and piano

• Serenade No.1 in A major for violin and piano (1901)
• Serenade No.2 in E major for violin and piano (1903)
• Romanze (Romance) in A major for violin and piano (1903)
• Souvenir in D major for violin and piano (1904)
• Op.19 – Polonaise for violin and piano (1904)
• Op.21 – Träumerei (Dreaming) in D major for violin and piano (1905)
• Op.22 – Mazurka No.1 ("Marie Hall Mazurka") in G major for violin and piano (1905)
• Op.23 – Mazurka No.2 in G major for violin and piano (1905)
• Op.24 – Mazurka No.3 in A major for violin and piano (1906)
• Op.25 – Madrigale in A major for violin and piano (1906)
• Op.26 – Mélodie in F major and Au printemps in B major for violin and piano (1908)
• Op.27 – Dialogue in G major and Tarantelle in D major for violin and piano (1906)
• Op.28 – Vision in E major for violin and piano (1906)
• Op.29 – Le Songe (Notturno) in D major for violin and piano
• Op.30 – 8 Ungarische Tänze (8 Danses hongroises / 8 Hungarian Dances) for violin and piano (1908)

No.1 – Hej de Fényes

No.2 – Hamis babám

No.3 – Ég a kunhyó

No.4 – Hej, haj! (Hey Hay!) (1908); composed in several versions

No.5 – Kalvesai-emlék (Memories of Kalvesa)

No.6 – Bártfai-emlék (Memories of Bártfa)

No.7 – Rózsabokor csárdás (Rosebush Csárdás)

No.8 – Csak egy szép lány (There's Only One Lovely Girl) (1909)

• Op.31 – Chant d’amour, Valse chanson in D major for violin and piano (1908)
• Op.32 – Ivresse in F major for violin and piano (1908)
• Op.33 – Berceuse (Wiegenlied / Lullaby), Intermezzo in C major for violin and piano (1908)
• Op.34 – Méditation in C major, Ballade in G minor, Au soir in F major and Lenorka in G major for violin and piano (1909)
• Op.35 – Danse des sorcières (Witches’ Dance / Hexentanz) in G major for violin and piano (1908)
• Op.36 – Idylle in A major for violin and piano
• Op.37 – Rêverie in E major, Frühlings-Serenade in A major and Feu follet in D major for violin and piano
• Op.40 – Fantasie for violin and piano (1908)
• Op.41 – Polichinelle for violin and piano (1908)
• Op.42 – Waltz-Serenade in C major for violin and piano (1908)
• Op.42 – Tarantella for 2 violins and piano (1909)
• Op.43 – Chanson joyeuse in D major for violin and piano
• Op.46 – Tendresse for violin and piano (1909)
• Op.47 – Causerie for violin and piano (1908)
• Op.48 – Illusion in G major for violin and piano (1908)
• Op.50 – Danse gracieuse in G major for violin and piano
• Op.51 – Intermezzo, Waltz for violin and piano (1908)
• Op.52 – Capriccio for violin and piano (1908)
• Op.54 – Rococo in E major for violin and piano (1909)
• Op.55 – Rezinka in D major for violin and piano
• Op.56 – Berceuse for violin and piano (1910)
• Op.57 – Ritornell in D major for violin and piano (1909)
• Op.61 – Marche triomphale and Tarantelle for violin and piano (1910)
• Op.62 – Scherzando for violin and piano (1910)
• Op.65 – Poëme for violin and piano (1910)
• Op.66 – Fantasie über ‘Carmen’ von Bizet (Fantasia on ‘Carmen’ by Bizet) for violin and piano (1909)
• Op.67 – Canzonetta in B major for violin and piano (1909)
• Op.70 – Chant de la Fileuse in G major for violin and piano
• Op.71 – Aubade d'été, Humoresque in F major for violin and piano (1910)
• Op.73 – Fantasie über ‘Hoffmanns Erzählungen’ von Offenbach (Fantaisie sur ‘Les contes d’Hoffmann’ de Offenbach / Fantasia on ‘The Tales of Hoffmann’ by Offenbach) for violin and piano (1910)
• Op.81 – Menuet in G major for violin and piano (1911)
• Op.84 – Legende in A major for violin and piano (1911)
• Op.86 – Novellette for violin and piano (1911)
• Op.88 – Guitarrero for violin and piano (1912)
• Op.90 – Colombine, Gavotte for violin and piano (1912)
• Op.92 – La poupée, Menuet for violin and piano (1912)
• Op.93 – Temps passés for violin and piano (1912)
• Op.95 – Aus der Heimat, Böhmische Volksweisen (Bohemian Airs) for violin and piano (1912)
• Op.98 – Zwiegespräche (Dialogues) for 2 violins and piano (1913)

No.1 – Glückliche Stunden (G major)

No.2 – Spiel und Tanz (E minor)

No.3 – Treue Kameraden (D major)

No.4 – In der Plauderecke (A major)

No.5 – Tragische Geschichte (G minor)

No.6 – Froher Festtag (B major)

• Op.99 – Nocturne for violin and piano (1913)
• Op.108 – Romance Bergère
• Op.111 – Ariel for violin and piano (1913)
• Op.112 – Tarantelle for violin and piano (1913)
• Op.125 – The Hummingbird for violin and piano (1914)
• Op.127 – 4 kleine Vortragstücke (4 Short Concert Pieces) (1915); includes: Rain of Blossoms, Night Winds
• Op.131 – Otázka (Question / Frage) for violin and piano (1914)
• Op.132 – Perpetuo
• Op.142 – Fantasie nach Motiven der Oper ‘Die verkaufte Braut’ von Smetana (Fantaisie sur ‘La finacée vendue’ de Smetana / Fantasia on ‘The Bartered Bride’ of Smetana) (1915)
• Op.154 – Bilder aus Ungarn, 5 Hungarian Folksongs for violin and piano (1917)
• Op.180 – Graziella for violin and piano (1925)
• Op.182 – Le trouvère for violin and piano (1925)
• Op.183 – Notturno for violin and piano (1925)
• Op.184 – D'automne for violin and piano (1925)
• Op.186 – Pierette for violin and piano (1925)
• Op.187 – Wiener Walzer (Valses Viennoises / Viennese Waltzes) (1925)
• Op.189 – Ráno (Aubade) for violin and piano (1924)
• Op.191 – Tarantella (1925)
• Op.196 – Pagoda and Springbrunnen (The Fountain) for violin and piano (1927)
• Op.197 – Katinka, Mazurka caractéristique for violin and piano (1927)
• Op.199 – Danse espagnole for violin and piano (1927)
• Op.201 – Lybellentanz (Dragonfly Dance) and Sylvan Dance for violin and piano (1925)
• Op.225 – Concertino in A minor for violin and piano (1929)
• Op.228 – Sehnsucht (Longing) for violin and piano
• Op.233 – Die Libelle (Libellule / The Dragonfly) in D major for violin and piano (1933)

External links

• Franz Drdla Hey, Hay! for Piano Quintet sound-bite