Karel Vacek

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Karel Vacek (born March 21, 1902 in Reichenberg , Austria-Hungary , † August 18, 1982 in Prague ) was a Bohemian military musician and composer.

Life

Karel Vacek was born the son of a carpenter. Since his father played the violin, flute and bass as a folk musician, the young Vacek was introduced to folk music at an early age .

Before the First World War , the family moved to Prague. There Vacek earned his first money at the age of 14 as an intern in a music store. During this time he played in an apprentice symphony orchestra, which was composed of different professional groups. The orchestra gave him the opportunity to try out different instruments.

During a famine in World War I, the family moved to the countryside, where Vacek found work in a chicory factory . After the end of the war he tried to be accepted at the Prague Conservatory , but he lacked the financial means. Therefore, he signed up for the Prague military band, through which he came to the Conservatory as a visiting student. However, the chapel was moved to the Carpathian region a short time later, which meant the end of his studies for Karel Vacek.

Karel Vacek remained in the military for six years, which brought him valuable experience for his further musical career. After his disarmament in 1924, he toured France with a circus band .

The Tango You Black Gypsy was sold under the trademark of Gloria by Europe's largest record company at the time, the German Carl Lindström AG.

After returning from France, he earned his living in a cinema orchestra and in various early jazz ensembles, where he met the orchestra leader RA Dvorsky . He supported Vacek in his attempts at composition and made a decisive contribution to the fact that the first record, Cikánka (German version of the work Zigeunerin tanze! With a text by Hans Regina von Nack ) was made in 1931, especially in the German version You black gypsy (text: Fritz Löhner -Beda ) became an international success.

From 1935 to 1938 Vacek was a member of Jaroslav Ježek's orchestra , which contributed significantly to the spread of jazz in Czechoslovakia .

In 1941 Karel Vacek founded his own orchestra, to whose repertoire u. a. modern dance pieces and folk music were included. From the 1950s onwards, Vacek concentrated only on composing.

In 1973 he received the Czechoslovakian honorary title “Honored Artist” and in 1981 he was the first representative of popular music to be awarded the state award “National Artist” .

He died at the age of 80 as a result of heart disease.

Works (excerpt)

  • Marches: This is music (Hej, panimámo), we are among ourselves , music of the homeland (status tu s námi)
  • Polkas: At the lake (after an arrangement by Franz Bummerl: Fuchsgraben ), Can you cook dumplings? , Hu-a-Hu
  • Waltz: Mala pisnicka , roses so red , we'll see you again
  • Tangos: You black gypsy

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Jana Jůzlová, Antonín Kočí, Naďa Špetláková: Česko AZ Universum , Knižní klub, 2005, ISBN 802421525X (in Czech)
  2. ↑ William H. Rehrig, Paul E. Bierley, Robert Hoe: The heritage encyclopedia of band music , Integrity Press, 1991, ISBN 0918048087 , page 776 (in English)

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Vacek, Karel
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Czech composer
DATE OF BIRTH March 21, 1902
PLACE OF BIRTH Reichenberg , Bohemia
DATE OF DEATH 18th August 1982
Place of death Prague