Bohuslav Matěj Černohorský

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Bohuslav Matěj Černohorský (1684–1742)

Bohuslav Matěj Černohorský (baptized February 16, 1684 in Nymburk ; † February 14/15, 1742 or July 1, 1742 in Graz ) was a Bohemian composer , organist , music teacher and a priest of the Minorites . His art of polyphony , his concept of melody and rhythm , his educational activity and his influence on future generations of composers made him a prominent figure in the Bohemian musical baroque . It is also called the “Bohemian Brook ”.

Live and act

Bohuslav Matěj Černohorský was born in Nymburk in Central Bohemia before February 16, 1684 (his baptismal certificate is dated February 16, 1684). He was the son of the organist and cantor Samuel Josef Černohorský (1648–1726). With him he received organ lessons and his first musical training. From 1700 to 1702 he studied philosophy and theology at the University of Prague. After completing his bachelor's degree , he entered the Order of the Minorites at the Basilica of St. Jacob at the age of 19 . It continued its studies at the convent of St. Jacob and was ordained a priest there on June 2, 1708 . Under the direction of Provincial Father Bernard Artophae (around 1650–1723), a Bohemian composer of the Minorites, the order devoted itself intensively to music and maintained a permanent ensemble of musicians and singers at St. Jacob's. This gave Černohorský the opportunity to further develop his musical talent. When St. Jakob received a new organ in 1705, Černohorský was able to perfect his organ playing.

Regina Coeli, title page

Černohorský used the traditional contacts of the Prague Minorites with their northern Italian friars and traveled to Assisi in 1710 . He received the post of chief organist at the Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi (1710-1715). From 1715 to 1720 he worked as organist and choir regent at the St. Anthony's Basilica in Padua , one of the most important centers of church music in northern Italy at that time. Černohorský taught composition and was probably the teacher of the future Italian violinist and composer Giuseppe Tartini . During his visits to Venice , opera impressed him as a new musical form. In Assisi he wrote the double-choir cantata Regina coeli , a masterpiece of polyphony. It is one of his most beautiful and most frequently performed works. The influence of Italian opera is also evident here.

After ten years in Italy, Černohorský returned to Bohemia in 1720 and continued his compositional and educational activities. He worked in Vratislav and Kladsko in Silesia and further in Prague at the Tyn Church and the Basilica of St. Jacob. He spent the years 1727–1730 in the convent in Horažďovice . Here he probably composed his vocal-instrumental motet Laudetur Jesus Christ for soprano, alto, tenor and bass, accompanied by strings, trumpets and organ, another masterpiece of polyphony. The Vratislav Minorites awarded him the title of Magister musicae for his virtuoso organ playing and his compositional and educational work. In the following years he probably visited Italy four more times. There he celebrated great success as an organist and composer and was called Il padre Boeme (the Bohemian father) in public .

From 1731 he worked again as an organist in Padua. After another 10 years he decided to return to Prague. He died on his return journey in Graz, probably in the minorite convent there.

Bohuslav Matěj Černohorský, together with Jan Dismas Zelenka, are considered to be the leading exponents of the Bohemian musical baroque and enjoyed great fame during their lifetime. But only a few of his works have survived. The fire in the archive of St. Jacob's Basilica in 1754 destroyed some of it. His Toccata in C major , one of his most frequently performed works, and his organ fugues are among the oldest Bohemian organ compositions. Far greater importance than his compositional legacy is ascribed to his educational activity. Černohorský's artistic personality had a great influence on young Bohemian musicians. An entire school of composers is associated with his name, which traditionally includes Jan Zach , František Ignác Tůma , Josef Seger , František Xaver Brixi and Česlav Vaňura. These and other musicians composed according to his ideals and tradition and made an important contribution to the development of Bohemian music in the second half of the 18th century.

Works

  • Laudetur Jesus Christ - Offertory for a four-part choir, orchestra and organ (1729)
  • Regina coeli - concert cantata for 2 choirs and organ (1712). Arrangement for soprano, violoncello and organ (after 1720). Belongs to his most beautiful and most frequently performed works.
  • Quare Domine irasceris - Offertory for a four-part choir, orchestra and organ
  • Vesperae minus solennes (a 8 vocibus) - for choir, orchestra and organ (before 1710)
  • Litanie Lauretanae de Beatae Virginis Maria Victoriosa - for four-part choir, orchestra and organ (around 1720)
  • Offertory for omni tempore
  • Quem lapidaverunt judiae orantem
  • Toccata in C major for organ
  • Fugue in A minor (con soggetto cromatico) for organ
  • Fugues: F major, D minor, D major, G sharp minor, C minor for organ

Honors

The international music festival Nymburské dny BM Černohorského (Nymburg Days of BM Černohorský) has been held annually in his native Nymburg since 1991 . The art school in Nymburg is named after him.

literature

  • Jan Němeček: Nástin české hudby 18. století . Státní nakladatelství krásné literatury, hudby a umění, Prague 1955.
  • Jan Racek: Duch českého hudebního baroku. Přispěvek ke slohové a vývojové problematice české hudby 17. a 18. století . Edice Akord, Brno 1940, ( Edice Akord 23).

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The date of death is indicated differently: [1] and [2] indicate February 14 or 15, 1742. [3] and [4] indicate July 1, 1742.
  2. ^ Josef Veselý: Magister musicae, aneb Padre Boemo, čili Český Bach. In: ČRo 2 - Dvojka , Toulky českou minulostí. April 13, 2013 (Czech).;
  3. ↑ a b c Kateřina Alexandra Šťastná: Černohorský, Bohuslav Matěj. In: Český hudební slovník osob a institucí. January 7, 2019 (Czech).;
  4. ^ Andrea Harrandt: Czernohorsky (Černohorský), Bohuslav. In: Oesterreichisches Musiklexikon online. May 6, 2001 .;
  5. ↑ History of kostela sv. Jakuba Většího. In: Konvent minoritů v Praze. 2011 (Czech).;
  6. ↑ a b c Bohuslav Matěj Černohorský. In: Turistické informační centrum Nymburk. 2013 (Czech).;
  7. ↑ Základní umělecká škola BM Černohorského Nymburk

Web links

Commons : Bohuslav Matěj Černohorský  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files
personal data
SURNAME Černohorský, Bohuslav Matěj
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Czech composer and organ teacher
DATE OF BIRTH February 16, 1684
PLACE OF BIRTH Nymburk
DATE OF DEATH July 1, 1742
Place of death Graz