Antonín Žváček

Antonín Žváček (born April 29, 1907 in Háčky near Prostějov ; †  September 4, 1981 ) was a Czech musician and composer . He is also known as the “King of Moravian Polka ”.

Life

Antonín Žváček was the oldest of 12 children, his father worked in agriculture and was a folk musician. At the age of six he wrote his first song Das Rotkäppchen . His second composition was a polka called Šuba , named after the neighbor's dog. Zváček's compulsory schooling ended when he was 14 years old, after which he went to the royal military music of the 6th Infantry Regiment in Olomouc . In 1928 he moved to the Romanian Royal Military Music in Bucharest . When he returned to the Czech Republic after three years, he first became a musician and later head of the state police in Brno. At 42 he was retired due to illness. He then worked as a music teacher and led the brass band in Olomouc.

Antonín Žváček wrote over 500 works, mostly polkas and waltzes . Many of his compositions are inspired by friends and acquaintances and are dedicated to them by name. On September 4, 1981, Antonín Žváček died after a heart attack.

Works (excerpt)

• On St. George's Day (Polka)
• Danka polka
• Harvest festival polka / Dožinková polka
• In the monastery mill / Slovácká (Polka)
• Jara polka
• Jehlicka polka
• Lenchen polka / Helenka
• Lucerna polka
• Mamincina waltz
• My beautiful hometown / Bystrocická (Polka)
• Morning Blossoms / Kmotrenka (Polka)
• Musicians polka
• Well hane polka
• Per tenor
• Regiment parade (concert march)
• Sivická polka
• Carpenter polka

literature

• Wolfgang and Armin Suppan: The new lexicon of brass music . Blasmusikverlag Schulz, Freiburg / Breisgau 1994, ISBN 3-923058-07-1

Web links

• Literature and other media by and about Antonín Žváček in the catalog of the National Library of the Czech Republic
• Works by and about Antonín Žváček in the catalog of the German National Library