Marek Kopelent
Encyclopedia
Marek Kopelent is a renowned Czech
contemporary composer, who is considered to be at the forefront of the "New Music" movement.
, Czechoslovakia
, on 28 April 1932. From 1951 to 1955 he studied music composition under Czech composer Jaroslav Řídký
at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague
.
In 1959 he discovered the compositional styles of the Second Viennese School
and the European avant-garde
movement, and integrated both forms into his new style. The first piece to come to the attention of the musical world outside of Czechoslovakia was his 3rd string quartet (1963), in large part due to the interpretation of the piece by the Novák Quartet which performed it in its concerts throughout Europe.
In the 1960s, Kopelent became well-known in contemporary European music circles, with his compositions being performed at such festivals as the Warsaw Autumn
, Donaueschinger Musiktage
, Witten music festival
and the annual festival in Darmstadt. During this time, Kopelent also served as a member of several compositional competition juries.
From 1965 to 1973, Kopelent served as an artistic director of the contemporary music ensemble "Musica Viva Pragensis", which was conducted by his colleague Zbyněk Vostřák
, and for which he wrote several chamber pieces. In the Prague musical life of the 1960s, both the ensemble and the group of composers associated with it rose in importance, developing into the Prague Group of New Music, which brought together composers, musicologists and interpreters.
In 1969 Kopelent accepted a scholarship from the Deutsche Akademie
, which included a one year artistic internship (Berliner Künstlerprogram) in West Berlin
. After finishing this internship, he returned to Czechoslovakia. With the beginning of political "normalisation" following the Prague Spring
, Kopelent lost his job as editor of musical scores for the publishing house Supraphon, and his music was banned by the Czech government for twenty years. He had difficulty finding another job, and was ostracized by the new Union of Composers. His ensemble Musica viva Pragensis was not allowed by the authorities to pursue its concert activity.
In 1976 Kopelent accepted a job as a piano accompanyist for children's dance schools, and this became his main occupation for the next 15 years. During the 1970s he composed many pieces, a number of them for foreign commissions, but, as he could not leave Czechoslovakia, he was unable to hear their performances.
After the Velvet Revolution
in 1989, Kopelent became a music advisor in the office of president Václav Havel
, and in 1991 he was named a professor of composition at the musical faculty of Academy of Fine Arts in Prague
, a position he retains to this day. He was a chairman of the Czech Section of the International Society for Contemporary Music
and is still chairman of the Atelier 90 composers' association.
He is the organiser and regular lecturer to International Composers' Summer Courses, held in Český Krumlov
. Among his students were Czech composer Lenka Kiliç, recipient of a stabat mater
at the national competition of young composers, Czech composer Markéta Dvořáková, First Prize in the 1993 national competition of young composers, Ukrainian composer Svitlana Azarova
, and Latvian composer Eriks Esenvalds.
In 1991, Kopelent was honoured by the French
government, which named him a Chevalier des arts et des lettres
. He received the Czech Classic Award in 1999, the Herder Prize
in 2001, and a Czech State Award for his lifelong contribution to Czech music in 2003.
Kopelent's works have appeared in a number of compilations of Czech composers.
Czech people
Czechs, or Czech people are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries...
contemporary composer, who is considered to be at the forefront of the "New Music" movement.
Biography
Kopelent was born in PraguePrague
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...
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, on 28 April 1932. From 1951 to 1955 he studied music composition under Czech composer Jaroslav Řídký
Jaroslav Rídký
Jaroslav Řídký was a Czech composer, conductor, harpist, and music teacher.-Life:Řídký was born at Reichenberg, now Liberec. From 1919 to 1923 he studied at the Prague Conservatory with Josef Bohuslav Foerster, Karel Boleslav Jirák, and Jaroslav Křička...
at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague
Academy of Performing Arts in Prague
The Academy of Performing Arts in Prague is a university level school of music, dance, drama, film, TV and multi-media studies.- Faculties :*Film and TV School - FAMU*Music Faculty - HAMU*Theatre Faculty - DAMU-Notable alumni:...
.
In 1959 he discovered the compositional styles of the Second Viennese School
Second Viennese School
The Second Viennese School is the group of composers that comprised Arnold Schoenberg and his pupils and close associates in early 20th century Vienna, where he lived and taught, sporadically, between 1903 and 1925...
and the European avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
movement, and integrated both forms into his new style. The first piece to come to the attention of the musical world outside of Czechoslovakia was his 3rd string quartet (1963), in large part due to the interpretation of the piece by the Novák Quartet which performed it in its concerts throughout Europe.
In the 1960s, Kopelent became well-known in contemporary European music circles, with his compositions being performed at such festivals as the Warsaw Autumn
Warsaw Autumn
Warsaw Autumn is the largest international Polish festival of contemporary music. Indeed, for many years, it was the only festival of its type in Central and Eastern Europe. It was founded in 1956 by two composers, Tadeusz Baird and Kazimierz Serocki, and officially established by the Head Board...
, Donaueschinger Musiktage
Donaueschingen
Donaueschingen is a German town in the Black Forest in the southwest of the federal state of Baden-Württemberg in the Schwarzwald-Baar Kreis. It stands near the confluence of the two sources of the river Danube ....
, Witten music festival
Witten
Witten is a university city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the home of the Witten/Herdecke University, the first private university in Germany.-Bordering municipalities:* Bochum* Dortmund* Herdecke* Wetter * Sprockhoevel* Hattingen...
and the annual festival in Darmstadt. During this time, Kopelent also served as a member of several compositional competition juries.
From 1965 to 1973, Kopelent served as an artistic director of the contemporary music ensemble "Musica Viva Pragensis", which was conducted by his colleague Zbyněk Vostřák
Zbynek Vostrák
Zbyněk Vostřák was a prominent Czech composer of New Music.-Life:He studied composition privately with Rudolf Karel and was a conducting student of Pavel Dědeček in Prague. From 1939 to 1943 he was a member of the Prague Radio Orchestra. Vostřák held many jobs, including pedagogical jobs and...
, and for which he wrote several chamber pieces. In the Prague musical life of the 1960s, both the ensemble and the group of composers associated with it rose in importance, developing into the Prague Group of New Music, which brought together composers, musicologists and interpreters.
In 1969 Kopelent accepted a scholarship from the Deutsche Akademie
Goethe-Institut
The Goethe-Institut is a non-profit German cultural institution operational worldwide, promoting the study of the German language abroad and encouraging international cultural exchange and relations. The Goethe-Institut also fosters knowledge about Germany by providing information on German...
, which included a one year artistic internship (Berliner Künstlerprogram) in West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
. After finishing this internship, he returned to Czechoslovakia. With the beginning of political "normalisation" following the Prague Spring
Prague Spring
The Prague Spring was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during the era of its domination by the Soviet Union after World War II...
, Kopelent lost his job as editor of musical scores for the publishing house Supraphon, and his music was banned by the Czech government for twenty years. He had difficulty finding another job, and was ostracized by the new Union of Composers. His ensemble Musica viva Pragensis was not allowed by the authorities to pursue its concert activity.
In 1976 Kopelent accepted a job as a piano accompanyist for children's dance schools, and this became his main occupation for the next 15 years. During the 1970s he composed many pieces, a number of them for foreign commissions, but, as he could not leave Czechoslovakia, he was unable to hear their performances.
After 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...
in 1989, Kopelent became a music advisor in the office of 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...
, and in 1991 he was named a professor of composition at the musical faculty of Academy of Fine Arts in Prague
Academy of Fine Arts in Prague
The Academy of Fine Arts, Prague was founded in 1799 and is the Czech Republic's oldest art college. The school offers twelve Master's degree programs and one Doctoral program.-History:...
, a position he retains to this day. He was a chairman of the Czech Section of the International Society for Contemporary Music
International Society for Contemporary Music
The International Society for Contemporary Music is a music organization that promotes contemporary classical music.ISCM was established in 1922, in Salzburg. Its core activity is the World Music Days Festival, held every year at a different location. The festival includes cutting edge productions...
and is still chairman of the Atelier 90 composers' association.
He is the organiser and regular lecturer to International Composers' Summer Courses, held in Český Krumlov
Český Krumlov
Český Krumlov is a small city in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic, best known for the fine architecture and art of the historic old town and Český Krumlov Castle...
. Among his students were Czech composer Lenka Kiliç, recipient of a stabat mater
Stabat Mater
Stabat Mater is a 13th-century Roman Catholic hymn to Mary. It has been variously attributed to the Franciscan Jacopone da Todi and to Innocent III...
at the national competition of young composers, Czech composer Markéta Dvořáková, First Prize in the 1993 national competition of young composers, Ukrainian composer Svitlana Azarova
Svitlana Azarova
thumb|Svitlana AzarovaSvitlana Azarova is a Ukrainian/Dutch composer of contemporary classical music born January 9, 1976 in the Ukrainian SSR of the Soviet Union.-Early years:...
, and Latvian composer Eriks Esenvalds.
In 1991, Kopelent was honoured by the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
government, which named him a Chevalier des arts et des lettres
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
The Ordre des Arts et des Lettres is an Order of France, established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture, and confirmed as part of the Ordre national du Mérite by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963...
. He received the Czech Classic Award in 1999, the Herder Prize
Herder Prize
The Herder Prize, established in 1963 and named for Johann Gottfried von Herder, was a prestigious international prize dedicated to the promotion of scientific, art and literature relations, and presented to scholars and artists from Central and Southeastern Europe whose life and work have improved...
in 2001, and a Czech State Award for his lifelong contribution to Czech music in 2003.
Kopelent's works have appeared in a number of compilations of Czech composers.
Selected works
- Music For Five, 1964
- Quartet for Strings no 4, 1967
- Quintet for Brass, 1972
- Ballade for Piano, 1976
- Morning Eulogy, 1978
- Toccata for Viola and Piano (1978)
- Concertino for English horn & chamber ensemble, 1984
- Mon Amour, 1988
- Karrak, 1991
- Requiem of ReconciliationRequiem of ReconciliationThe Requiem of Reconciliation was a collaborative work written to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II. It sets the Roman Catholic mass for the dead in fourteen sections, each written by a different composer from a country involved in the war...
(Judex Ergo), 1995