Jiří Šlitr
Encyclopedia
Jiří Šlitr was a Czech songwriter
, pianist
, singer, actor
and painter. Together with Jiří Suchý
he significantly influenced Czech pop music
and theatre in the 1960s.
in Jilemnice, then in Rychnov nad Kněžnou
. He graduated in 1943 and worked as a clerk in Bělá pod Bezdězem
until the end of World War II
. He then studied Law at Charles University in Prague
and in 1949 received a doctorate in Law (academic degree JUDr. - he never practiced as a lawyer, but was later nicknamed Doctor Piano). In 1948 he founded the Czechoslovak Dixieland Jazz Band with former classmates from Rychnov. He occasionally played with Akord Club, and toured with the Miroslav Horníček
theatre ensemble as pianist. In 1957 Horníček introduced him to Jiří Suchý
, and the Suchý + Šlitr duo began to perform in the Reduta theatre and Vltava café. Next year was the Brussels Expo 58 - Šlitr was there as part of the Laterna Magika
theatre. In 1959 he began to perform in the newly founded Semafor
theatre, which became his principal venue.
Jiří Šlitr, with lyricist-playwright Jiří Suchý and clarinetist Ferdinand Havlík, was a key exponent of the "golden era" of the Semafor Theatre. His first work with Jiří Suchý was Píseň o Hamletovi (Song about Hamlet). Člověk z půdy (Man from Attic) - their first play for the Semafor, with music by Šlitr - was a remarkable success. The 1962 play Jonáš a tingl tangl (Jonáš and Tingl Tangl) featured Šlitr in his first acting role; he and Suchý became a well-known acting duo. In 1964 Šlitr won the 6th place in the Czechoslovak singer contest Zlatý slavík
(The Golden Nightingale).
The double-act of Šlitr and Suchý made film appearances, firstly in Bylo nás deset (There Were Ten Of Us, 1963) and later in the successful musical comedy Kdyby 1000 klarinetů (If a Thousand Clarinets, 1964). In 1965 Šlitr composed the jazz
opera
Dobře placená procházka (A Walk Worthwhile), which was staged in 2007 by the Czech-American director Miloš Forman
at the National Theatre
in Prague. Šlitr's attempt to stage A Walk Worthwhile on Broadway
was unsuccessful.
Šlitr wanted to play and compose in a modern "rock" style at the Semafor but Havlík disagreed. In 1966 Šlitr fired the Ferdinand Havlík Orchestra, but in the end he wound down his own involvement with the Semafor and with Suchý. The duo parted company for a short time, and Šlitr put on a new play Ďábel z Vinohrad (The Devil from Vinohrady). Meanwhile he exhibited his drawings in Wiesbaden
, Dortmund
, and New York
. In 1967 he attended Expo 67
in Montreal
, where he presented the show "Stars of Prague", and during his stay in America he exhibited drawings in Hollywood and Houston. In 1968 he reunited with Suchý and after the events of the Prague Spring
he restaged his earlier work The Devil from Vinohrady as a pointed response to the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia
. Šlitr and Suchý also signed the anti-communist 2000 Words manifesto
by Ludvík Vaculík
. In 1968, Šlitr appeared in his last film, Zločin v šantánu (Crime in the Night Club).
Šlitr died on 26 December 1969, under circumstances that have never been fully explained. He was last seen going to his atelier in Prague. Several hours later, members of his family found his car outside the building. Inside the atelier they found the bodies of Šlitr and his young girlfriend, who were later found to have died of coal gas poisoning. Public speculations of suicide were unproven.
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, 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:...
, singer, actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and painter. Together with Jiří Suchý
Jirí Suchý
Jiří Suchý is a Czech film actor, writer and stage actor. He also writes music. Currently he is the owner of the theatre Semafor in Prague where he has performed for many years and helped establish in 1959.-References:...
he significantly influenced Czech pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and theatre in the 1960s.
Biography
Jiří Šlitr went to gymnasiumGymnasium (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...
in Jilemnice, then in Rychnov nad Kněžnou
Rychnov nad Knežnou
Rychnov nad Kněžnou is a town in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has around 12,000 inhabitants.This is a small town, with a sprinkling of other small towns in the vicinity. The nearest big city is Hradec Králové which is about 32 km to the west...
. He graduated in 1943 and worked as a clerk in Bělá pod Bezdězem
Belá pod Bezdezem
Bělá pod Bezdězem is a town in the Czech Republic.-External links:*...
until the end of World War II
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...
. He then studied Law at Charles University in Prague
Charles University in Prague
Charles University in Prague is the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1348, it was the first university in Central Europe and is also considered the earliest German university...
and in 1949 received a doctorate in Law (academic degree JUDr. - he never practiced as a lawyer, but was later nicknamed Doctor Piano). In 1948 he founded the Czechoslovak Dixieland Jazz Band with former classmates from Rychnov. He occasionally played with Akord Club, and toured with the Miroslav Horníček
Miroslav Hornícek
Miroslav Horníček was a Czech actor, writer, director, artist and theatre theoretician. He is well-known in Czechia for his on-stage partnership with Jan Werich, his talkshows and many small roles in Czech movies and TV.-External links:...
theatre ensemble as pianist. In 1957 Horníček introduced him to Jiří Suchý
Jirí Suchý
Jiří Suchý is a Czech film actor, writer and stage actor. He also writes music. Currently he is the owner of the theatre Semafor in Prague where he has performed for many years and helped establish in 1959.-References:...
, and the Suchý + Šlitr duo began to perform in the Reduta theatre and Vltava café. Next year was the Brussels Expo 58 - Šlitr was there as part of the Laterna Magika
Laterna Magika
Laterna Magika is a Non-Verbal theatre located in Prague. Its origins are connected with the Expo '58 in Brussels. The plays are internationally comprehensible since they are silent. The performances are a combination of dance, film and black theatre...
theatre. In 1959 he began to perform in the newly founded Semafor
Semafor
Semafor is a Czech theatre in Prague established by Jiří Suchý in 1959. It belongs to the so called "Theatres of small stages". Suchý himself has performed there for many years and is the current owner...
theatre, which became his principal venue.
Jiří Šlitr, with lyricist-playwright Jiří Suchý and clarinetist Ferdinand Havlík, was a key exponent of the "golden era" of the Semafor Theatre. His first work with Jiří Suchý was Píseň o Hamletovi (Song about Hamlet). Člověk z půdy (Man from Attic) - their first play for the Semafor, with music by Šlitr - was a remarkable success. The 1962 play Jonáš a tingl tangl (Jonáš and Tingl Tangl) featured Šlitr in his first acting role; he and Suchý became a well-known acting duo. In 1964 Šlitr won the 6th place in the Czechoslovak singer contest Zlatý slavík
Zlatý slavík
Zlatý slavík was a music poll established by magazine Mladý svět along with Smena na nedeľu in 1962, and brodcasted on television.As later exposed, since the 70's the entries very frequently falsified by Communist Party of Czechoslovakia . The poll lasted until 1991, prior to the dissolution of...
(The Golden Nightingale).
The double-act of Šlitr and Suchý made film appearances, firstly in Bylo nás deset (There Were Ten Of Us, 1963) and later in the successful musical comedy Kdyby 1000 klarinetů (If a Thousand Clarinets, 1964). In 1965 Šlitr composed the 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...
opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
Dobře placená procházka (A Walk Worthwhile), which was staged in 2007 by the Czech-American director Miloš Forman
Miloš Forman
Jan Tomáš Forman , better known as Miloš Forman , is a Czech-American director, screenwriter, professor, and an emigrant from Czechoslovakia. Two of his films, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Amadeus, are among the most celebrated in the history of film, both gaining him the Academy Award for...
at the National Theatre
National Theatre (Prague)
The National Theatre in Prague is known as the Alma Mater of Czech opera, and as the national monument of Czech history and art.The National Theatre belongs to the most important Czech cultural institutions, with a rich artistic tradition which was created and maintained by the most distinguished...
in Prague. Šlitr's attempt to stage A Walk Worthwhile on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
was unsuccessful.
Šlitr wanted to play and compose in a modern "rock" style at the Semafor but Havlík disagreed. In 1966 Šlitr fired the Ferdinand Havlík Orchestra, but in the end he wound down his own involvement with the Semafor and with Suchý. The duo parted company for a short time, and Šlitr put on a new play Ďábel z Vinohrad (The Devil from Vinohrady). Meanwhile he exhibited his drawings in Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
, Dortmund
Dortmund
Dortmund is a city in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 585,045 makes it the 7th largest city in Germany and the 34th largest in the European Union....
, and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. In 1967 he attended Expo 67
Expo 67
The 1967 International and Universal Exposition or Expo 67, as it was commonly known, was the general exhibition, Category One World's Fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, from April 27 to October 29, 1967. It is considered to be the most successful World's Fair of the 20th century, with the...
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...
, where he presented the show "Stars of Prague", and during his stay in America he exhibited drawings in Hollywood and Houston. In 1968 he reunited with Suchý and after the events of the Prague Spring
Prague Spring
The Prague Spring was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during the era of its domination by the Soviet Union after World War II...
he restaged his earlier work The Devil from Vinohrady as a pointed response to the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia
Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia
On the night of 20–21 August 1968, the Soviet Union and her main satellite states in the Warsaw Pact – Bulgaria, the German Democratic Republic , Hungary and Poland – invaded the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic in order to halt Alexander Dubček's Prague Spring political liberalization...
. Šlitr and Suchý also signed the anti-communist 2000 Words manifesto
The Two Thousand Words
"The Two Thousand Words" is a manifesto written by Czech reformist writer Ludvík Vaculík in the midst of the Prague Spring, a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia that began in January 1968 with the election of Alexander Dubček and ended with a Soviet invasion in August.- History...
by Ludvík Vaculík
Ludvík Vaculík
Ludvík Vaculík is a Czech writer and journalist. A prominent samizdat writer, he is most famous as the author of the "Two Thousand Words" manifesto of June 1968.-Pre-1968:...
. In 1968, Šlitr appeared in his last film, Zločin v šantánu (Crime in the Night Club).
Šlitr died on 26 December 1969, under circumstances that have never been fully explained. He was last seen going to his atelier in Prague. Several hours later, members of his family found his car outside the building. Inside the atelier they found the bodies of Šlitr and his young girlfriend, who were later found to have died of coal gas poisoning. Public speculations of suicide were unproven.
Selected songs
- Babetta
- Bíle mně matička oblékala
- Blues na cestu poslední
- Blues pro tebe
- Clementine
- Co jsem měl dnes k obědu
- Honky tonky blues
- Já nemám ráda muže
- Jó, to jsem ještě žil
- Kapitáne, kam s tou lodí
- Láska se nevyhne králi
- Klokočí
- Kočka na okně
- Krajina posedlá tmou
- Kvér a flaška ginu
- Léta dozrávaní
- Malé kotě
- Plná hrst
- Proč se lidi nemaj rádi
- Spodek, filek, král a eso - twistTwist (dance)The Twist was a dance inspired by rock and roll music. It became the first worldwide dance craze in the early 1960s, enjoying immense popularity among young people and drawing fire from critics who felt it was too provocative. It inspired dances such as the Jerk, the Pony, the Watusi, the Mashed...
- Včera neděle byla