Ottokar Novacek
Encyclopedia
; May 13, 1866, Fehertémplom
, southern Hungary
– February 3, 1900, New York City
) was an Hungarian
violin
ist and composer
of Czech
descent and is perhaps best known for his work Perpetuum Mobile
(Perpetual Motion).
in Vienna (1880-83), and with Henry Schradieck
and Brodsky at the Leipzig Conservatory, where he won the Mendelssohn Prize in 1885. He played in the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra
and in the Brodsky Quartet
, originally as second violin and later as viola. He subsequently immigrated to the USA, where he was a member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra
under Arthur Nikisch
(1891) and was appointed principal viola in the Damrosch Orchestra, New York (1892-3). He also played in the re-formed Brodsky Quartet.
In 1899, after a heart condition forced him to retire from playing, he devoted himself to composition. His works include a piano concerto (1894, first performed by Ferruccio Busoni
), Perpetuum mobile (Perpetual Motion) for violin and orchestra, three string quartets (published in 1890, 1898 and 1904), eight Concerto caprices and other works for violin and piano, and six songs to texts by Leo Tolstoy
.
Bela Crkva (Vojvodina)
Bela Crkva is a town and municipality in the South Banat District of Vojvodina, Serbia. The town has a population of 10,638, while the Bela Crkva municipality has 20,275 inhabitants....
, southern Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
– February 3, 1900, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
) was an Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist and 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...
of Czech
Czech people
Czechs, or Czech people are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries...
descent and is perhaps best known for his work Perpetuum Mobile
Perpetuum mobile
Perpetuum mobile , moto perpetuo , mouvement perpétuel , movimiento perpetuo , literally meaning "perpetual motion", means two distinct things:#pieces of music, or parts of pieces, characterised by a continuous steady stream of notes, usually at a...
(Perpetual Motion).
Family lineage
- Martin (Joseph) Novacek (1834, HoražďoviceHoraždoviceHoražďovice is a town in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It lies on the Otava River, some to the South-West from the region capital of Plzeň....
- 1906) ∞ Maria Hildebrand- Rudolf Nováček (April 7, 1860, Fehertémplom - August 12, 1929, Prague), a Militärkapellmeister and composer
- Ottokar
- Karl Nováček
- Victor Nováček
Life
Novacek studied successfully with his father Martin Joseph Nováček, with Jakob DontJakob Dont
Jakob Dont was an Austrian violinist, composer, and teacher.He was born and died in Vienna.His father Valentin Dont was a noted cellist. Jakob was a student of Josef Böhm and of George Hellmesberger . When sixteen, he became a member of the Hofbugtheater-Orchesters and in 1834 entered service...
in Vienna (1880-83), and with Henry Schradieck
Henry Schradieck
Henry Schradieck was one of the foremost violin teachers of his day. He wrote a series of etude books for the violin which are still in common use today....
and Brodsky at the Leipzig Conservatory, where he won the Mendelssohn Prize in 1885. He played in the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra
Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra
The Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra is one of the the oldest symphony orchestras in the world...
and in the Brodsky Quartet
Brodsky Quartet (Adolph Brodsky Leipzig)
The Brodsky Quartet was a String quartet led by Adolph Brodsky. It was established on 1884, while Brodsky was professor at the Leipzig Conservatoire. The founding members, aside from Brodsky were Ottokar Nováček , Hans Sitt and Leopold Grützmacher .In 1885, Hans Becker replaced Nováček and...
, originally as second violin and later as viola. He subsequently immigrated to the USA, where he was a member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra
Boston Symphony Orchestra
The Boston Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1881, the BSO plays most of its concerts at Boston's Symphony Hall and in the summer performs at the Tanglewood Music Center...
under Arthur Nikisch
Arthur Nikisch
Arthur Nikisch ; 12 October 185523 January 1922) was a Hungarian conductor who performed internationally, holding posts in Boston, London and - most importantly - Berlin. He was considered an outstanding interpreter of the music of Bruckner, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven and Liszt...
(1891) and was appointed principal viola in the Damrosch Orchestra, New York (1892-3). He also played in the re-formed Brodsky Quartet.
In 1899, after a heart condition forced him to retire from playing, he devoted himself to composition. His works include a piano concerto (1894, first performed by Ferruccio Busoni
Ferruccio Busoni
Ferruccio Busoni was an Italian composer, pianist, editor, writer, piano and composition teacher, and conductor.-Biography:...
), Perpetuum mobile (Perpetual Motion) for violin and orchestra, three string quartets (published in 1890, 1898 and 1904), eight Concerto caprices and other works for violin and piano, and six songs to texts by Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy
Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was a Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Later in life, he also wrote plays and essays. His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are acknowledged as two of the greatest novels of all time and a pinnacle of realist...
.
External links
- Free scores by Ottokar Novacek at the International Music Score Library ProjectInternational Music Score Library ProjectThe International Music Score Library Project , also known as the Petrucci Music Library after publisher Ottaviano Petrucci, is a project for the creation of a virtual library of public domain music scores, based on the wiki principle...
- http://www.austriaca.at/ml/musik_N/Novacek_Brueder.xml
- http://www.edition-musik-suedost.de/html/novacek_ottokar.html (German)
- http://www.edition-musik-suedost.de/html/novacek_martin.html About Martin (Joseph) Novacek (1834 - 1906)