Karel Krautgartner
Encyclopedia
Karel Krautgartner was a Czech jazz and classical clarinetist, saxophonist, arranger, composer
, conductor
and teacher.
, Moravia
in the family of a postmaster. In 1930 he began to play piano
, but after moving to Brno
in 1935 he found interest mainly in the radio broadcasting and specially in jazz
. He began to study clarinet
on private basis with Stanislav Krtička. (Krtička, a notable Czech clarinetist of the first half of 20th century, performed demanding part of Concertino
by Leoš Janáček
at composer's request at the festival of contemporary music in Frankfurt am Main in 1926). Krautgartner acquired necessary skills of clarinet playing, and also inherited "fanatic passion" for clarinet construction and components (reeds, mouthpieces, barrels). He later used his knowledge of wind instruments as a lecturer at German
universities in Cologne
and Düsseldorf
. Krautgartner founded the student orchestra Quick band in 1936. In 1942 he signed his first professional contract as a saxophonist in the Gustav Brom
orchestra in the hotel Passage in Brno. In 1943 he gradually created Dixie Club and started to arrange in the Benny Goodman
and Glenn Miller
style. The core of the Dixie Club moved gradually to Prague
during 1945 - 1955 and became part of Karel Vlach
orchestra. Krautgartner achieved a privileged position as a leader of saxophone section here and started to contribute with his own compositions. In 1956 he founded Karel Krautgartner Quintet, together with Karel Velebný
. The group played in various line-ups modern jazz, swing, dixieland
and accompanied popular singers as well. During 1958 - 1960 he performed with All star band, the orchestra playing in west-coast style, with Studio 5, (dixieland band, won the 1st place in the category of small orchestras at 7ht Youth Festival in Wienna, 1959). Between 1960 - 1968 he became the head of Taneční orchestr Československého rozhlasu (Dance Orchestra of Czechoslovakia Radio), in 1967 the orchestra was renamed to Karel Krautgartner Orchestra. He emigrated to Vienna
, Austria
in 1968, right after the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, and became the chief conductor of 0RF Bigband. Later he moved to Cologne
, Germany. He died in 1982 in Germany.
Classical
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...
, conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
and teacher.
Life
He was born in MikulovMikulov
Mikulov is a town in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic with a population of 7,608 . It is located directly on the border with Lower Austria. Mikulov is located at the edge of a hilly area and the three Nové Mlýny reservoirs...
, 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...
in the family of a postmaster. In 1930 he began to play piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, but after moving to Brno
Brno
Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
in 1935 he found interest mainly in the radio broadcasting and specially in 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...
. He began to study clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
on private basis with Stanislav Krtička. (Krtička, a notable Czech clarinetist of the first half of 20th century, performed demanding part of Concertino
Concertino (Janácek)
Concertino for piano, two violins, viola, clarinet, french horn and bassoon is a composition by Czech composer Leoš Janáček.- Background :The composition was written in first months of 1925, but Janáček decided on its inception in the end of 1924. He was impressed by the skills of pianist Jan...
by Leoš Janáček
Leoš Janácek
Leoš Janáček was a Czech composer, musical theorist, folklorist, publicist and teacher. He was inspired by Moravian and all Slavic folk music to create an original, modern musical style. Until 1895 he devoted himself mainly to folkloristic research and his early musical output was influenced by...
at composer's request at the festival of contemporary music in Frankfurt am Main in 1926). Krautgartner acquired necessary skills of clarinet playing, and also inherited "fanatic passion" for clarinet construction and components (reeds, mouthpieces, barrels). He later used his knowledge of wind instruments as a lecturer at German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
universities in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
and Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
. Krautgartner founded the student orchestra Quick band in 1936. In 1942 he signed his first professional contract as a saxophonist in the Gustav Brom
Gustav Brom
Gustav Brom, was a Czech big band leader, arranger, clarinettist and composer. He achieved fame in Europe and abroad from the 1940’s right through to his death in 1995...
orchestra in the hotel Passage in Brno. In 1943 he gradually created Dixie Club and started to arrange in the Benny Goodman
Benny Goodman
Benjamin David “Benny” Goodman was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader; widely known as the "King of Swing".In the mid-1930s, Benny Goodman led one of the most popular musical groups in America...
and Glenn Miller
Glenn Miller
Alton Glenn Miller was an American jazz musician , arranger, composer, and bandleader in the swing era. He was one of the best-selling recording artists from 1939 to 1943, leading one of the best known "Big Bands"...
style. The core of the Dixie Club moved gradually to 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...
during 1945 - 1955 and became part of 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. Krautgartner achieved a privileged position as a leader of saxophone section here and started to contribute with his own compositions. In 1956 he founded Karel Krautgartner Quintet, together with Karel Velebný
Karel Velebný
Karel Velebný was a Czech jazz musician, composer, arranger, actor, writer and music pedagogue. Velebný was one of the founders and pioneers of modern Czech jazz in the second half of the 20th century.-Biography:...
. The group played in various line-ups modern jazz, swing, dixieland
Dixieland
Dixieland music, sometimes referred to as Hot jazz, Early Jazz or New Orleans jazz, is a style of jazz music which developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century, and was spread to Chicago and New York City by New Orleans bands in the 1910s.Well-known jazz standard songs from the...
and accompanied popular singers as well. During 1958 - 1960 he performed with All star band, the orchestra playing in west-coast style, with Studio 5, (dixieland band, won the 1st place in the category of small orchestras at 7ht Youth Festival in Wienna, 1959). Between 1960 - 1968 he became the head of Taneční orchestr Československého rozhlasu (Dance Orchestra of Czechoslovakia Radio), in 1967 the orchestra was renamed to Karel Krautgartner Orchestra. He emigrated to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
in 1968, right after the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, and became the chief conductor of 0RF Bigband. Later he moved to Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, Germany. He died in 1982 in Germany.
Recordings
Jazz- Případ ještě nekončí CD. Prague, RADIOSERVIS. FR 0131-2 http://www.radioservis-as.cz/katalog/zbozi.php?detail=954
- Karel Krautgartner a Jazzový orchestr Čs. rozhlasu CD. Prague, RADIOSERVIS. FR 0132-2 http://www.radioservis-as.cz/katalog/zbozi.php?detail=955
- Docela všední, obyčejný den CD. Prague, RADIOSERVIS. FR 0179-2 http://www.radioservis-as.cz/katalog/zbozi.php?detail=1097
- Jazz kolem Karla Krautgartnera LP. (SupraphonSupraphonSupraphon Music Publishing is a Czech record label, it is oriented mainly towards publishing classical music, with an emphasis on Czech and Slovak composers.- History :...
1965)
Classical
- StravinskyIgor StravinskyIgor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor....
: L' Histoire du SoldatHistoire du soldatHistoire du soldat , composed by Igor Stravinsky, is a 1918 theatrical work "to be read, played, and danced" . The libretto, which is based on a Russian folk tale, was written in French by the Swiss universalist writer C.F. Ramuz...
, Octet for Winds, Symphony for Winds, Ebony Concerto... CD. Supraphon SU 3168-2 911, 1999. http://www.supraphon.cz/cs/katalog/databaze-titulu/detail-titulu/?idtitulu=1429133 - GlazunovAlexander GlazunovAlexander Konstantinovich Glazunov was a Russian composer of the late Russian Romantic period, music teacher and conductor...
: Saxophone ConcertoSaxophone Concerto (Glazunov)The Concerto in E flat major for alto saxophone and string orchestra was written by Alexander Glazunov in 1934. The piece lasts about fourteen minutes and is played without pause...
. CD. Supraphon Archive SU 3968-2, 2009. http://www.supraphon.cz/cs/novinky/archiv-dle-kategorii/&list%5Bsort%5D=&list%5Boffset%5D=25?item=716
External links
- http://www.svet.czsk.net/clanky/osobnosti/krautgartner.html
- http://www.cfn.cz/detail_osoba.php?oid=34386
- http://www.muzikus.cz/klasicka-hudba-jazz-clanky/Karel-Krautgartner-Jeden-z-osudu-ceskeho-jazzu~04~cerven~2002/
- http://www.reflex.cz/Clanek12811.html