Václav Emanuel Horák
Encyclopedia
Václav Emanuel Horák (1 January 1800 in Lobeč
- 3 September 1871 in Prague
) was a Czech composer and liturgical musician.
quarter. At Prague University he first read philosophy, later switching to law. The musical training from Václav Tomášek
he wished for, was out of his financial reach. Only later did he become a pupil of Friedrich Dionys Weber's and Jan August Vitásek
's. He started as an organist at Prague's Trinity Church around 1830, starting as a teacher at Prague Organ School shortly afterwards. In 1833 he was appointed organist at the Church of Our Lady in front of Týn
, choir director at Our Lady of the Snows Franciscan church in 1837, and Regens chori at St. Adalbert's Church in 1853. From 1859, he returned to Our Lady Before Týn, having accepted an appointment as Liturgical musician and director there. In his lifetime, he was made an honorary member of many musical associations and academies, e.g. the Salzburg Mozarteum.
. Horák's liturgical works, twelve masses
, a single requiem
, a passion cantata
, motet
s and spiritual song
s, were widely acclaimed during his lifetime and are still performed today. He also opened two schools of singing and wrote an essay titled On the Ambiguity of Chords.
Compositions:
Lobeč
Lobeč is a village and municipality in Mělník District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. -References:*This article was initially translated from the Czech Wikipedia....
- 3 September 1871 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...
) was a Czech composer and liturgical musician.
Life
From 1813 Horák attended the Prague Gymnasium while working as a choir boy and later on as a choralist at St. Nicholas's Church in the Malá StranaMalá Strana
Malá Strana is a district of the city of Prague, Czech Republic, and one of its most historic regions.The name translated into English literally means "Little Side", though it is frequently referred to as "Lesser Town", "Lesser Quarter", or "Lesser Side"...
quarter. At Prague University he first read philosophy, later switching to law. The musical training from Václav Tomášek
Václav Tomášek
Václav Jan Křtitel Tomášek, was a Czech composer and music teacher.-Life:As a pianist, he was an autodidact, becoming one of the most important piano teachers of Prague for a century. Until 1824 he worked as a piano teacher in aristocratic families...
he wished for, was out of his financial reach. Only later did he become a pupil of Friedrich Dionys Weber's and Jan August Vitásek
Jan August Vitásek
Jan Matyáš Nepomuk August Vitásek was a Bohemian composer....
's. He started as an organist at Prague's Trinity Church around 1830, starting as a teacher at Prague Organ School shortly afterwards. In 1833 he was appointed organist at the Church of Our Lady in front of Týn
Church of Our Lady in front of Týn
The Church of Our Lady before Týn is a dominant feature of the Old Town of Prague, Czech Republic, and has been the main church of this part of the city since the 14th century...
, choir director at Our Lady of the Snows Franciscan church in 1837, and Regens chori at St. Adalbert's Church in 1853. From 1859, he returned to Our Lady Before Týn, having accepted an appointment as Liturgical musician and director there. In his lifetime, he was made an honorary member of many musical associations and academies, e.g. the Salzburg Mozarteum.
Style
Stylistically, Horák is a scion of late Classicism probably going back to the enduring influence of his patrons Weber and Vitásek, who in their turn were followers of MozartWolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
. Horák's liturgical works, twelve masses
Mass (music)
The Mass, a form of sacred musical composition, is a choral composition that sets the invariable portions of the Eucharistic liturgy to music...
, a single requiem
Requiem
A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead or Mass of the dead , is a Mass celebrated for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, using a particular form of the Roman Missal...
, a passion cantata
Passion cantata
A Passion cantata is a cantata that takes as its theme the Passion of Jesus Christ, i.e. the hours, days, or weeks leading up to and including his crucifixion. Some of the larger cantatas have been referred to as oratorios.-English:...
, motet
Motet
In classical music, motet is a word that is applied to a number of highly varied choral musical compositions.-Etymology:The name comes either from the Latin movere, or a Latinized version of Old French mot, "word" or "verbal utterance." The Medieval Latin for "motet" is motectum, and the Italian...
s and spiritual song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s, were widely acclaimed during his lifetime and are still performed today. He also opened two schools of singing and wrote an essay titled On the Ambiguity of Chords.
Selected works
Theoretical works:- Über die Mehrdeutigkeit der Akkorde (On the Ambiguity of Chords) (1846)
- Gesangschule für Sopran und Alt (1855)
- Kleine Gesangschule für eine Basstimme (1857)
- Harmonielehre - manuscript, one chapter published in 1872.
Compositions:
- Missa solemnis (1874)
- Hymni pro defunctis
- Pět čtverozpěvů (1850)