Hana Hegerová
Encyclopedia
Hana Hegerová is a leading Czechoslovakian singer, actress and uncrowned queen of Czechoslovakian chanson
. Foreign critics call her "The Great Lady of Chanson", "The Piaf from Prague", and "The Chanteuse with a Slavic Soul". Having no comparable competition in Czechoslovakia, she gained popularity primarily as a singer of chanson. She has charmed her audience and critics with an extraordinary ability to interpret the lyrics dramatically. Outside of the Czechoslovakia, Hegerová has attained wide recognition, especially in German-speaking countries. She lives in Prague, Czech Republic.
. After completing her primary education in Komárno
in 1950, she worked as a clerk for Škoda Works
and as a teacher at a vocational school. From 1951 to 1953, Hegerová attended professional theatrical courses at the State Theater Conservatory, then in 1957 joined the company of the Petr Jilemnický Theatre in Žilina
.
In 1954, Hegerová played the title role in the film Frona under the name Hana Čelková. 1957 saw her first appearance as a singer in Tatra Revue in Bratislava. After she came to Prague
, the foremost Czech actor Jan Werich
offered her an engagement in the ABC Theatre, however, she refused. From 1958 to 1961, she performed at the Rokoko Theatre in Prague, and from 1961 to 1966 at the Semafor Theater
where she appeared in the jazz opera Dobře placená procházka by Jiří Suchý
(libretto) and Jiří Šlitr
(music), and film Kdyby tisíc klarinetů (If a Thousand Clarinets). Hegerová's repertoire included many chansons by Czech and Slovak authors, and also Czech versions of songs from the repertoire of Édith Piaf
("Mylord"), Jacques Brel
("Ne me quitte pas"), and songs by Kurt Weill
("Surabaya Johnny", "The Barbara Song") and many others. In 1967, Hana Hegerová appeared at the Paris Olympia
with the songs of Jacques Brel
and Charles Aznavour
. She also performed at the World's Fair in Montreal
. From 1977 to 1981, during the Czechoslovak normalization
, Hegerová was forced to stop her activities abroad, and her concert activities were also restricted in Czechoslovakia. Following the Velvet Revolution
she began to perform more often in public. During this time she received many music awards, for example, the Platinum Disc in 1992, the Czech Gramy in 1996. In 2002, Hana Heregová received a Medal of Merit from Czech President Václav Havel
.
Hana Hegerová also sang one song on Jan Burian's album Dívčí válka (2006).
Chanson
A chanson is in general any lyric-driven French song, usually polyphonic and secular. A singer specialising in chansons is known as a "chanteur" or "chanteuse" ; a collection of chansons, especially from the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, is also known as a chansonnier.-Chanson de geste:The...
. Foreign critics call her "The Great Lady of Chanson", "The Piaf from Prague", and "The Chanteuse with a Slavic Soul". Having no comparable competition in Czechoslovakia, she gained popularity primarily as a singer of chanson. She has charmed her audience and critics with an extraordinary ability to interpret the lyrics dramatically. Outside of the Czechoslovakia, Hegerová has attained wide recognition, especially in German-speaking countries. She lives in Prague, Czech Republic.
Biography
From 1937 to 1942 Hegerová attended ballet school at the National Theater in BratislavaSlovak National Theatre
The Slovak National Theatre denotes:* the oldest Slovak professional theatre consisting of 3 ensembles ,* a Neo-Renaissance theatre building in the Old Town of Bratislava, Slovakia, which formerly housed two of the theatre's ensembles , and* the theatre's large modern theatre building in...
. After completing her primary education in Komárno
Komárno
Komárno is a town in Slovakia at the confluence of the Danube and the Váh rivers. Komárno was formed from part of a historical town in Hungary situated on both banks of the Danube. Following World War I, the border of the newly created Czechoslovakia cut the historical, unified town in half,...
in 1950, she worked as a clerk for Škoda Works
Škoda Works
Škoda Works was the largest industrial enterprise in Austro-Hungary and later in Czechoslovakia, one of its successor states. It was also one of the largest industrial conglomerates in Europe in the 20th century...
and as a teacher at a vocational school. From 1951 to 1953, Hegerová attended professional theatrical courses at the State Theater Conservatory, then in 1957 joined the company of the Petr Jilemnický Theatre in Žilina
Žilina
Žilina is a city in north-western Slovakia, around from the capital Bratislava, close to both the Czech and Polish borders. It is the fourth largest city of Slovakia with a population of approximately 85,000, an important industrial center, the largest city on the Váh river, and the seat of a...
.
In 1954, Hegerová played the title role in the film Frona under the name Hana Čelková. 1957 saw her first appearance as a singer in Tatra Revue in Bratislava. After she came to 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...
, the foremost Czech actor Jan Werich
Jan Werich
Jan Werich was a Czech actor, playwright and writer.-Life:Between 1916 to 1924 he attended "reálné gymnasium" in Křemencová Street in Prague...
offered her an engagement in the ABC Theatre, however, she refused. From 1958 to 1961, she performed at the Rokoko Theatre in Prague, and from 1961 to 1966 at the Semafor Theater
Semafor
Semafor is a Czech theatre in Prague established by Jiří Suchý in 1959. It belongs to the so called "Theatres of small stages". Suchý himself has performed there for many years and is the current owner...
where she appeared in the jazz opera Dobře placená procházka by Jiří Suchý
Jirí Suchý
Jiří Suchý is a Czech film actor, writer and stage actor. He also writes music. Currently he is the owner of the theatre Semafor in Prague where he has performed for many years and helped establish in 1959.-References:...
(libretto) and Jiří Šlitr
Jiří Šlitr
Jiří Šlitr was a Czech songwriter, pianist, singer, actor and painter. Together with Jiří Suchý he significantly influenced Czech pop music and theatre in the 1960s.- Biography :...
(music), and film Kdyby tisíc klarinetů (If a Thousand Clarinets). Hegerová's repertoire included many chansons by Czech and Slovak authors, and also Czech versions of songs from the repertoire of Édith Piaf
Édith Piaf
Édith Piaf , born Édith Giovanna Gassion, was a French singer and cultural icon who became widely regarded as France's greatest popular singer. Her singing reflected her life, with her specialty being ballads...
("Mylord"), Jacques Brel
Jacques Brel
Jacques Brel was a Belgian singer-songwriter who composed and performed literate, thoughtful, and theatrical songs that generated a large, devoted following in France initially, and later throughout the world. He was widely considered a master of the modern chanson...
("Ne me quitte pas"), and songs by Kurt Weill
Kurt Weill
Kurt Julian Weill was a German-Jewish composer, active from the 1920s, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for his fruitful collaborations with Bertolt Brecht...
("Surabaya Johnny", "The Barbara Song") and many others. In 1967, Hana Hegerová appeared at the Paris Olympia
Paris Olympia
The Olympia is a music hall in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. Located at No. 28, Boulevard des Capucines, its closest métro/RER stations are Madeleine, Opéra, Havre – Caumartin and Auber....
with the songs of Jacques Brel
Jacques Brel
Jacques Brel was a Belgian singer-songwriter who composed and performed literate, thoughtful, and theatrical songs that generated a large, devoted following in France initially, and later throughout the world. He was widely considered a master of the modern chanson...
and Charles Aznavour
Charles Aznavour
Charles Aznavour, OC is an Armenian-French singer, songwriter, actor, public activist and diplomat. Besides being one of France's most popular and enduring singers, he is also one of the best-known singers in the world...
. She also performed at the World's Fair in Montreal
Expo 67
The 1967 International and Universal Exposition or Expo 67, as it was commonly known, was the general exhibition, Category One World's Fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, from April 27 to October 29, 1967. It is considered to be the most successful World's Fair of the 20th century, with the...
. From 1977 to 1981, during the Czechoslovak normalization
Normalization (Czechoslovakia)
In the history of Czechoslovakia, normalization is a name commonly given to the period 1969 to about 1987. It was characterized by initial restoration of the conditions prevailing before the reform period led by Alexander Dubček , first of all, the firm rule of the Communist Party of...
, Hegerová was forced to stop her activities abroad, and her concert activities were also restricted in Czechoslovakia. Following the Velvet Revolution
Velvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that took place from November 17 – December 29, 1989...
she began to perform more often in public. During this time she received many music awards, for example, the Platinum Disc in 1992, the Czech Gramy in 1996. In 2002, Hana Heregová received a Medal of Merit from Czech President Václav Havel
Václav Havel
Václav Havel is a Czech playwright, essayist, poet, dissident and politician. He was the tenth and last President of Czechoslovakia and the first President of the Czech Republic . He has written over twenty plays and numerous non-fiction works, translated internationally...
.
Discography
| Year | Title | English | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Šansony | Supraphon / B&M Music | re-released in 2006 | |
| 1967 | Ich – Hana Hegerová | I – Hana Hegerová | Philips | |
| 1969 | Hana Hegerová | Hana Hegerová | Philips | |
| 1971 | Recitál | Recital | Panton / B&M Music | |
| 1972 | So geht es auf der Welt | Decca | ||
| 1973 | Recitál 2 | Recital 2 | Supraphon / B&M Music | re-released in 2006 |
| 1974 | Fast ein Liebeslied | Decca | ||
| 1975 | Wir für euch | Telefunken | ||
| 1977 | Lásko prokletá | Supraphon / B&M Music | title song: Jacques Brel Jacques Brel Jacques Brel was a Belgian singer-songwriter who composed and performed literate, thoughtful, and theatrical songs that generated a large, devoted following in France initially, and later throughout the world. He was widely considered a master of the modern chanson... 's "Ne me quitte pas Ne me quitte pas "Ne me quitte pas" is a song written and sung in French and in Dutch by the Belgian chansonnier Jacques Brel in 1959. It has been covered in the original French by many artists and has also been translated into and performed in many other languages... " |
|
| 1984 | Ohlédnutí | Supraphon / B&M Music | ||
| 1987 | Potměšilý host | Supraphon / B&M Music | songs by Petr Hapka | |
| 1987 | Chansons / Wenn die Schatten | Supraphon | ||
| 1991 | Live | Live | Supraphon / B&M Music | |
| 1991 | Paběrky | Supraphon / B&M Music | ||
| 1992 | Hity 1962 | 1962 Hits | ||
| 1992 | Hity 1964 | 1964 Hits | ||
| 1994 | Povídej... | |||
| 1996 | Starci a klarinety | |||
| 1996 | Zlatá kolekce | Golden Collection | B&M Music | 6 CDs |
| 1996 | Rozdíl | B&M Music | CD single | |
| 1997 | Rýmování o životě | Supraphon / B&M Music | 2 CDs | |
| 1997 | Bratislava live | Bratislava Live | B&M Music | |
| 2000 | Síň slávy – Hana Hegerová | Hall of Fame – Hana Hegerová | Sony Music / Bonton | greatest hits, 2 CDs |
| 2005 | Můj dík – Hana Hegerová zpívá písně Pavla Kopty | Supraphon | songs by Pavel Kopta | |
| 2006 | Všechno nejlepší | All the Best | Supraphon | 2 CDs greatest hits selection |
| 2006 | Koncert | |||
| 2010 | Mlýnské kolo v srdci mém | Supraphon | First new studio album after 23 years! |
Hana Hegerová also sang one song on Jan Burian's album Dívčí válka (2006).
Filmography
| Year | Original title | English title | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | Frona | Frona | directed by Jiří Krejčík |
| 1957 | Tam na konečné | At the Terminus | directed by Ján Kadár Ján Kadár Ján Kadár was a Slovak film writer and director. As a filmmaker, he worked in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, the United States, and Canada. Most of his films were directed in tandem with Elmar Klos. The two became best known for their Oscar-winning The Shop on Main Street... and Elmar Klos Elmar Klos Elmar Klos was a Czechoslovakian film director who collaborated for 17 years with Ján Kadár and with him won the 1965 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film with the film The Shop on Main Street.-References:... |
| 1960 | Přežil jsem svou smrt | I Survived Certain Death | directed by Vojtěch Jasný Vojtech Jasný Vojtěch Jasný is a Czech director who came to prominence in the sixties. He won a Cannes Special Jury Prize for Až přijde kocour/The Cassandra Cat .... |
| 1960 | Policejní hodina | The Hour of the Cop | directed by Otakar Vávra |
| 1962 | Zhasněte lampióny | directed by Ján Roháč and Vladimír Svitáček | |
| 1962 | Neděle ve všední den | directed by Félix Máriássy | |
| 1963 | Naděje | The Hope | directed by Karel Kachyňa Karel Kachyna Karel Kachyňa was a Czech film director. His career spanned over five decades.Kachyňa was part of the Czech wave of liberal filmmakers in the 1960s which included Miloš Forman and Jiří Menzel.... |
| 1963 | Konkurs | Audition | directed by Miloš Forman Miloš Forman Jan Tomáš Forman , better known as Miloš Forman , is a Czech-American director, screenwriter, professor, and an emigrant from Czechoslovakia. Two of his films, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Amadeus, are among the most celebrated in the history of film, both gaining him the Academy Award for... |
| 1964 | Kdyby tisíc klarinetů | If a Thousand Clarinets | directed by Ján Roháč and Vladimír Svitáček |
| 1966 | Dobře placená procházka | A Well-Paid Walk | made for TV film, directed by Miloš Forman and Ján Roháč |
| 1967 | Ta naše písnička česká | directed by Zdeněk Podskalský Zdenek Podskalský Zdeněk Podskalský was a Czech film director and screenwriter. He directed 32 films between 1950 and 1987.-Selected filmography:* When the Woman Butts In... |
|
| 1974 | Třicet případů majora Zemana | Thirty Cases of Major Zeman Thirty Cases of Major Zeman Thirty Cases of Major Zeman is a Czechoslovakian action-drama television show intended as a political propaganda to support the official attitude of the communist party. The series were filmed in the 1970s.... |
directed by Jiří Sequens Jirí Sequens -Life:Sequens was born in Brno. After the Second World War, he went to Moscow where he studied film techniques. When he returned to Czechoslovakia he worked for Czechoslovak movie industry.Sequens was an author of the propagandistic Czech movies/tv series.... |
| 1988 | Lovec senzací | directed by Martin Hollý | |
| 1989 | „Fabrik der Offiziere“ | "The Officer Factory" | TV series |
| 1991 | Poslední motýl | The Last Butterfly | directed by Karel Kachyňa Karel Kachyna Karel Kachyňa was a Czech film director. His career spanned over five decades.Kachyňa was part of the Czech wave of liberal filmmakers in the 1960s which included Miloš Forman and Jiří Menzel.... |
| 2006 | Kde lampy bloudí | Where the Lamps Roam | directed by Jakub Kohák |
| 2008 | Nestyda | Nasty | directed by Jan Hřebejk Jan Hrebejk Jan Hřebejk is a Czech film director.-Early life and education:Born in Prague, Hřebejk studied together with his classmate Petr Jarchovský at high school. Now Jarchovsky is a frequent collaborator as a screenwriter... |