Page 106 - Weiss, Jernej, ur./ed. 2024. Glasbena kritika – nekoč in danes ▪︎ Music Criticism – Yesterday and Today. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 7
P. 106
glasbena kritika – nekoč in danes | music criticism – yesterday and today
the Slavic patriotic name Břetislav himself. It is derived from the Old Czech
verb břěčeti, i. e. to sound, to make noise. He died on 12 July 1910 in Vien-
na. If we add Lviv to Prague and Vienna, we have three cities where Lvo-
vský spent his life.
Appearance – We do not have his appearance (meaning a lithograph,
print, painting or photography) yet. The verbal description in his passport
says that he was “tall, with an oval face, dark brown hair, brown eyes, pro-
portional mouth and nose.” However, Žižka described him differently: “A
noticeable head and the whole appearance. A red face, a little reddish long
hair, a somewhat small moustache, sort of shy in his movements, with an al-
most ironic smile on his lips.”12
Occupation, education – The records kept by the Prague Police Di-
rectorate show that he was initially listed as an accountant (Buchhalter,
Geschäftsleiter, Geschäftsreisende, Handelsagent), and later as composer
(Tonkünstler, Komponist). Josef Srb-Debrnov already mentioned musical
education in the entry “Lvovský” in his manuscript dictionary, drawing
on documents sent to the Lvovský family in 1895: “He [Lvovský] studied the
bass with Professor Simandl at the Vienna Conservatory.”13 The quote sug-
gests that Lvovský was a student at the Conservatory, but according to the
director of the Archiv Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde (where the Conserva
tory collection from 1817–1909 is kept), Lvovský’s name is not in the lists of
students.14 This means that he studied with Simandl privately, and this is
what statements such as “he studied with Simandl in Vienna” or “student
of Simandl” refer to;15 his studies are also confirmed by the dedication in
Lvovský’s composition Drei Stücke im alten Style nach den Violinsonaten
von Arcangelo Corelli (published in 1904). There is no information about
Lvovský’s playing level as a double bassist, as he only appears in concert
programmes as an accompanying pianist. Lvovský must have been an ex-
cellent player – he also composed for this instrument and dedicated some
of his compositions to his virtuoso teacher Simandl, who played them pub-
licly (and taught them, especially to advanced students). The question then
arises where Lvovský had studied (piano, double bass) before Simandl be-
12 Žižka, Mistři a mistříčkové, 87.
13 Josef Srb-Debrnov, Slovník hudebních umělců slovanských. Autograph, National
Museum – Czech Museum of Music, call number IV E 41, Part III, 299 (according to
Lvovský’s documents of 15 February 1895).
14 Johannes Prominczel, email message to Viktor Velek, September 4, 2023.
15 Heyer, “Česká hudební viennensia,” 349; Helfert, “Lvovský, Břetislav,” 70; Štědroň,
“Lvovský, Břetislav,” 851; Eisenberg, Das geistige Wien, 333.
106
the Slavic patriotic name Břetislav himself. It is derived from the Old Czech
verb břěčeti, i. e. to sound, to make noise. He died on 12 July 1910 in Vien-
na. If we add Lviv to Prague and Vienna, we have three cities where Lvo-
vský spent his life.
Appearance – We do not have his appearance (meaning a lithograph,
print, painting or photography) yet. The verbal description in his passport
says that he was “tall, with an oval face, dark brown hair, brown eyes, pro-
portional mouth and nose.” However, Žižka described him differently: “A
noticeable head and the whole appearance. A red face, a little reddish long
hair, a somewhat small moustache, sort of shy in his movements, with an al-
most ironic smile on his lips.”12
Occupation, education – The records kept by the Prague Police Di-
rectorate show that he was initially listed as an accountant (Buchhalter,
Geschäftsleiter, Geschäftsreisende, Handelsagent), and later as composer
(Tonkünstler, Komponist). Josef Srb-Debrnov already mentioned musical
education in the entry “Lvovský” in his manuscript dictionary, drawing
on documents sent to the Lvovský family in 1895: “He [Lvovský] studied the
bass with Professor Simandl at the Vienna Conservatory.”13 The quote sug-
gests that Lvovský was a student at the Conservatory, but according to the
director of the Archiv Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde (where the Conserva
tory collection from 1817–1909 is kept), Lvovský’s name is not in the lists of
students.14 This means that he studied with Simandl privately, and this is
what statements such as “he studied with Simandl in Vienna” or “student
of Simandl” refer to;15 his studies are also confirmed by the dedication in
Lvovský’s composition Drei Stücke im alten Style nach den Violinsonaten
von Arcangelo Corelli (published in 1904). There is no information about
Lvovský’s playing level as a double bassist, as he only appears in concert
programmes as an accompanying pianist. Lvovský must have been an ex-
cellent player – he also composed for this instrument and dedicated some
of his compositions to his virtuoso teacher Simandl, who played them pub-
licly (and taught them, especially to advanced students). The question then
arises where Lvovský had studied (piano, double bass) before Simandl be-
12 Žižka, Mistři a mistříčkové, 87.
13 Josef Srb-Debrnov, Slovník hudebních umělců slovanských. Autograph, National
Museum – Czech Museum of Music, call number IV E 41, Part III, 299 (according to
Lvovský’s documents of 15 February 1895).
14 Johannes Prominczel, email message to Viktor Velek, September 4, 2023.
15 Heyer, “Česká hudební viennensia,” 349; Helfert, “Lvovský, Břetislav,” 70; Štědroň,
“Lvovský, Břetislav,” 851; Eisenberg, Das geistige Wien, 333.
106
