Karel Douša

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Karel Douša (1876–1944)

Karel Douša (born January 28, 1876 in Zlonice , † April 3, 1944 in Prague ) was a Czech composer , organist and choir director .

Live and act

Karel Douša received his first musical training as a child in Zlonice from the local choir director Antonín Wolf. From 1891 to 1894 he studied at the Organ School of the Prague Conservatory . He then taught piano and music theory at Josef Čermák's piano school in Prague. In 1896 he became choirmaster and organist with the Prague Kreuzherren (1896–1898) and two years later choirmaster in the St. Jacob's Basilica in Prague's Old Town (1898–1904). He then worked as a choirmaster in the St. Wenceslas Basilica in the Smíchov district of Prague (1904–1907). He reached the high point of his career in 1907. As the successor to Josef Förster, the father of the composer Josef Bohuslav Foerster , he took over the position of cathedral music director in St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague (1907–1936). He stayed here for 30 years until he retired.

In 1901 he took over the direction of the largest choir in Prague at the time, Hlahol (1901–1904) from Karel Knittl . With Hlahol he studied z. B. Svatební košile and Stabat Mater by Antonín Dvořák , Psalm 47 by Josef Klička , and compositions by Josef Suk and Vítězslav Novák . From 1916 he taught singing at a Prague grammar school and in 1919 he was appointed professor of church singing and organ at the Prague Conservatory.

In 1899 he founded the mixed choir Oratorní sdružení (Oratorio Society) , with which he z. He has performed compositions by Orlando di Lasso , Palestrina , the oratorio L'Enfance du Christ by Hector Berlioz and Stabat Mater by Giuseppe Verdi . With the Oratorio Association he also studied many compositions by old Bohemian masters, of which he was an enthusiastic collector. These sacred concerts, which took place in the Rudolfinum in Prague , achieved considerable success. During the First World War , he organized benefit concerts with the Oratorio Association for the benefit of widows and orphans of fallen soldiers. At the Czechoslovak Association of Musicians (Československá jednota hudebních stavů) he set up a support fund for widows and orphans of fallen musicians. He raised funds for this fund at organ concerts, at which he also appeared himself.

In addition to his work as an active musician, teacher and composer, he collected works by old Czech masters. He reconstructed and prepared for printing all of the surviving compositions by Bohuslav Matěj Černohorský , the motets by František Ignác Tůma , Requiem solemne in C minor and Stabat Mater by Jan Zach , two Latin operas by František Xaver Brixi and a number of smaller compositions and arias by Josef Seeger , Josef Sehling , Augustin Šenkýř and Josef Mysliveček .

The focus of his compositional work was on sacred music. He wrote Masses , Vespers , Litany , Te Deum , Latin, Czech and Old Slavic motets and songs.

Works

Works by Karel Douša, selection:

Religious music

  • Missa in honorem Santi Venceslai op.5 (1898) - received a prize from the Czech Academy (Česká Academy) in 1900
  • Missa solemnis op.10 for solos, mixed choir, orchestra and organ (1908)
  • Missa ín honorem Sancti Joannis Baptistae op.16 for solos, mixed choir, orchestra and organ (1912)
  • Staroslovanská a latinská mše ke cti sv. Jana Nepomuckého op. 20 - "Old Slavonic and Latin Mass in honor of St. John Nepomuk "
  • Missa glagoljskaja op. 21 resp. 21a for mixed choir resp. Male choir
  • Litanie o nejsvětějším jménu Ježíš a Otče náš op. 8 - "Litany of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and Our Father"
  • Litany Ss. Nominis Jesu op. 9 for solos and mixed choir
  • Te Deum op. 12 for solos, mixed choir, orchestra and organ
  • Regina coeli for soprano, alto and organ or mixed choir and organ (1910)
  • Ecce sacerdos magnus op.14 for mixed choir (1910)
  • Výtky Spasitelovy - improperia for mixed choir

Other works

  • Pět písní pro střední hlas a klavír op. 2 (1901) - “Five songs for a medium voice and piano” based on a text by Josef Václav Sládek
  • Tři písně pro ženský sbor op. 11 (1907): 1. Listí padá, 2. Májová noc, 3. Marné námluvy - "Three songs for women's choir: 1. The leaves fall, 2nd night in May, 3. Unsuccessful advertising"
  • Klavírní obrázky op.3 (1901) - "Piano Pictures "

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f Douša, Karel. In: Český hudební slovník osob a institucí. 2016 (Czech). ;With a detailed catalog of works.
  2. ↑ Kapelníci. In: Katedrála svatého Víta, Václava a Vojtěcha, official website. (Czech).

Web links

Commons : Karel Douša  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files
personal data
SURNAME Douša, Karel
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Czech composer, organist and choir director
DATE OF BIRTH January 28, 1876
PLACE OF BIRTH Zlonice
DATE OF DEATH April 3, 1944
Place of death Prague