Jiří Traxler
Encyclopedia
Jiří "George" Traxler was a Czech Canadian jazz
and swing pianist
, composer
, lyricist
and arranger
. He is considered a founder and co-creator of the swing music era in the Czechoslovakia
. Traxler was the last surviving collaborator of the renowned Czech pre-war
composer Jaroslav Ježek. In 1951 he emigrated to Canada
, and lived with his wife, Jarmila, in Edmonton
until his death in the summer of 2011.
Traxler was born in Tábor
, Bohemia
, then a part of Austria-Hungary
. He began his musical training at the early age at the Music Institute in Tábor. As a high school student he joined his brother's dance orchestra called „The Red Ace Players“. Following his graduation at local gymnasium
he began studying law but didn't finish his studies and from 1935 he devoted himself solely to music.
From 1935 to 1937, Traxler performed and recorded as a member of the Gramoklub Orchestra in Prague
. Two of his compositions—Feelin´ Low and Short Story—were included in the series of recordings that were made in 1936 for the popular Czechoslovak label Ultraphon. His foxtrot A Little Rhythm became the theme song of the orchestra. In 1937 he became a member of the Society for the Protection of the Rights of Music Authors and Publishers (in Czech
: Ochranný svaz autorský (OSA)).
His brief collaboration with Jaroslav Ježek and his Swing Band began in 1938. Traxler wrote four promising jazz
compositions for Ježek's band, two of which (Full Moon´s Music and Noisy Serenade) were recorded for Ultraphon. The other compositions (Roaring in F and Blues) Ježek performed in 1938 at the Prague Radio. The scores for the songs were lost. The collaboration between them was interrupted in January 1939, as Jaroslav Ježek was forced to emigrate to the United States
when Nazis took up the power
in the Czechoslovakia.
In the late 1930s, Traxler has co-worked with the ensembles Blue Music (1938–1939) and Elit Club (1942). Additionally, he was engaged as a composer of modern dance music at the Prague's publishing house Mojmír Urbánek. In 1939 he has signed a five year contract with a prominent publishing house led by singer and bandleader R. A. Dvorský. As a member of the R. A. Dvorský Orchestra, Traxler performed at the major stages in Bohemia and Moravia
. He also took up the post of the arranger, lyricist, translator and host of the concert and radio performances of the orchestra. In 1948 he came back to Urbánek, however, his new five-year contract ended prematurely because of nationalization of the private property by the Czechoslovak communist régime in 1948. At the same time, he joined the Karel Vlach
Orchestra.
In 1949, a year after communist coup d'état
, Traxler composed music for the comedy play Moje žena Penelopa (My Wife Penelope). The performance of the play was banned by communists immediately after the premiére as "politically undesirable". The same year, he decided to flee the country.
Following a short stay in West Germany, Traxler went to Canada in 1950. In the different conditions of his new home, he gradually ended up finding fulfilment as a composer and arranger. He has settled in Montreal
and worked as a drafter in the company Canadair Ltd
. Traxler published his memoires "Já nic, já muzikant" (Don't Blame Me, I'm Just a Musician, 1982) in the Czech Canadian exile publishing house Sixty-Eight Publishers
, led by Josef Škvorecký
. In 2008, the Edmonton chapter of the Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences
(SVU) arranged for publication of Traxler's second book "Já nic, já muzikant na penzi" (subtitled "Literary etudes of the jazz mohican"). The book contains Traxler's witty writing, verses, song texts, aphorisms, short stories and other literary forms witnessing the inextinguishable creativity of his mind until the last years of his life. In 2009, Czech musician Ondřej Havelka
made a documentary Poslední mohykán (The Last of the Mohicans), mapping the life story of Jiří Traxler. Jiří Traxler died in Edmonton on August 7, 2011 at the age of 99.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and swing pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, lyricist
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
and arranger
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
. He is considered a founder and co-creator of the swing music era in the Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
. Traxler was the last surviving collaborator of the renowned Czech pre-war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
composer Jaroslav Ježek. In 1951 he emigrated to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and lived with his wife, Jarmila, in Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
until his death in the summer of 2011.
Biography
Tábor
Tábor is a city of the Czech Republic, in the South Bohemian Region. It is named after Mount Tabor, which is believed by many to be the place of the Transfiguration of Christ; however, the name became popular and nowadays translates to "camp" or "encampment" in the Czech language.The town was...
, Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
, then a part of Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
. He began his musical training at the early age at the Music Institute in Tábor. As a high school student he joined his brother's dance orchestra called „The Red Ace Players“. Following his graduation at local gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
he began studying law but didn't finish his studies and from 1935 he devoted himself solely to music.
From 1935 to 1937, Traxler performed and recorded as a member of the Gramoklub Orchestra in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. Two of his compositions—Feelin´ Low and Short Story—were included in the series of recordings that were made in 1936 for the popular Czechoslovak label Ultraphon. His foxtrot A Little Rhythm became the theme song of the orchestra. In 1937 he became a member of the Society for the Protection of the Rights of Music Authors and Publishers (in Czech
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
: Ochranný svaz autorský (OSA)).
His brief collaboration with Jaroslav Ježek and his Swing Band began in 1938. Traxler wrote four promising jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
compositions for Ježek's band, two of which (Full Moon´s Music and Noisy Serenade) were recorded for Ultraphon. The other compositions (Roaring in F and Blues) Ježek performed in 1938 at the Prague Radio. The scores for the songs were lost. The collaboration between them was interrupted in January 1939, as Jaroslav Ježek was forced to emigrate to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
when Nazis took up the power
German occupation of Czechoslovakia
German occupation of Czechoslovakia began with the Nazi annexation of Czechoslovakia's northern and western border regions, known collectively as the Sudetenland, under terms outlined by the Munich Agreement. Nazi leader Adolf Hitler's pretext for this effort was the alleged privations suffered by...
in the Czechoslovakia.
In the late 1930s, Traxler has co-worked with the ensembles Blue Music (1938–1939) and Elit Club (1942). Additionally, he was engaged as a composer of modern dance music at the Prague's publishing house Mojmír Urbánek. In 1939 he has signed a five year contract with a prominent publishing house led by singer and bandleader R. A. Dvorský. As a member of the R. A. Dvorský Orchestra, Traxler performed at the major stages in Bohemia and Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
. He also took up the post of the arranger, lyricist, translator and host of the concert and radio performances of the orchestra. In 1948 he came back to Urbánek, however, his new five-year contract ended prematurely because of nationalization of the private property by the Czechoslovak communist régime in 1948. At the same time, he joined the Karel Vlach
Karel Vlach
Karel Vlach was a Czech dance orchestra conductor and arranger.He founded his first orchestra in 1938. Many important composers, instrumentalists and arrangers of the Czech jazz scene gradually went through his band. In 1947-48 Vlach's orchestra cooperated with the V+W Theatre...
Orchestra.
In 1949, a year after communist coup d'état
Czechoslovak coup d'état of 1948
The Czechoslovak coup d'état of 1948 – in Communist historiography known as "Victorious February" – was an event late that February in which the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, with Soviet backing, assumed undisputed control over the government of Czechoslovakia, ushering in over four decades...
, Traxler composed music for the comedy play Moje žena Penelopa (My Wife Penelope). The performance of the play was banned by communists immediately after the premiére as "politically undesirable". The same year, he decided to flee the country.
Following a short stay in West Germany, Traxler went to Canada in 1950. In the different conditions of his new home, he gradually ended up finding fulfilment as a composer and arranger. He has settled in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and worked as a drafter in the company Canadair Ltd
Canadair
Canadair Ltd. was a civil and military aircraft manufacturer in Canada. It was a subsidiary of other aircraft manufacturers, then a nationalized corporation until privatized in 1986, and became the core of Bombardier Aerospace....
. Traxler published his memoires "Já nic, já muzikant" (Don't Blame Me, I'm Just a Musician, 1982) in the Czech Canadian exile publishing house Sixty-Eight Publishers
68 Publishers
68 Publishers, also called Sixty-Eight Publishers, Sixtyeight Publishers, or even Nakladatelství 68 , was a publishing house formed in Toronto in 1971 by Czech expatriate Josef Škvorecký and his wife Zdena Salivarová...
, led by Josef Škvorecký
Josef Škvorecký
Josef Škvorecký, CM is a leading contemporary Czech writer and publisher who has spent much of his life in Canada. He and his wife were long-time supporters of Czech dissident writers before the fall of communism in that country...
. In 2008, the Edmonton chapter of the Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences
Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences
Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences is a nonprofit, nonpolitical, cultural organization, dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge, the free dissemination of ideas, and the fostering of contacts among people...
(SVU) arranged for publication of Traxler's second book "Já nic, já muzikant na penzi" (subtitled "Literary etudes of the jazz mohican"). The book contains Traxler's witty writing, verses, song texts, aphorisms, short stories and other literary forms witnessing the inextinguishable creativity of his mind until the last years of his life. In 2009, Czech musician Ondřej Havelka
Ondřej Havelka
Ondřej Havelka is a Czech jazz and swing singer, an actor and director.-Career:Havelka has been the lead vocalist for the Original Prague Syncopated Orchestra and for Ondřej Havelka and his Melody Makers , and has directed and appeared in musicals and award-winning music videos.-Awards:In 1995...
made a documentary Poslední mohykán (The Last of the Mohicans), mapping the life story of Jiří Traxler. Jiří Traxler died in Edmonton on August 7, 2011 at the age of 99.
Works
During his career in the Czechoslovakia, Traxler's output counts around 120 titles released on vinyl records or printed. The total number of his compositions is around 200.Film music
- Eva tropí hloupostiEva tropí hloupostiEva tropí hlouposti is a Czech comedy film directed by Martin Frič. It was released in 1939.-Plot:Eva Norová goes to visit her aunt Pa for her 60th birthday. Pa's wish is to learn how to grow the kind of roses that her neighbour, manufacturer Záhorský , has cultivated...
(1938) - the first Czech „crazy comedy“, music together with Kamil Běhounek. - Za tichých nocí (In the Quiet Nights, 1941) - jazz arrangements for three compositions by Rudolf FrimlRudolf FrimlRudolf Friml was a composer of operettas, musicals, songs and piano pieces, as well as a pianist. After musical training and a brief performing career in his native Prague, Friml moved to the United States, where he became a composer...
. - Sobota (Saturday, 1944) - music and lyrics, together with J. Stelibský.
Stage music
- Hledá se zlato - student work, music a lyrics.
- Tak jako v nebi (1947) - musical, together with Petr Kareš.
- Moje žena Penelopa (1949) - Polish comedy, the successful performance was subsequently banned by communists.
Songs
- Hádej, hádej
- Jedu nocí
- Soumrak
- Padají hvězdy z nebe
- Bloudění v rytmu
- Nám to nevadí
- Bílé mraky
Recordings
- Hold Jiřímu Traxlerovi, CD (FR0167-2)
- Kamil Běhounek, Jiří Traxler - Swing Time, CD
Awards
- Masaryk Prize (2006) - awarded by Czech and Slovak Association of Canada (České a slovenské sdružení v Kanadě) to the notable personalities of Czech origin living abroad.
- 2009 - Award for the "Contribution to the Czech music" by the Society for the Protection of the Rights of Music Authors and Publishers (Ochranný svaz autorský (OSA))