Page 273 - Weiss, Jernej, ur. 2020. Konservatoriji: profesionalizacija in specializacija glasbenega dela ▪︎ The conservatories: professionalisation and specialisation of musical activity. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 4
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jan šlais’s contr ibution to ljubljana’s violin school
ter of the National Theater Orchestra and violin teacher at the Music Soci-
ety. Zika founded the Yugoslav Quartet in 1919 in Ljubljana, along with his
brother Ladislav Zika and Vedral’s pupils Mirko Dežela and Ivo Trost. The
same year another Prague violinist, Ladislav Černý (1891–1975), moved to
Ljubljana to become a solo violist at the Slovenian National Theater, when
he also joined the Yugoslav Quartet. It later went to on achieve significant
acclaim under several names: the Zika Quartet, the Czechoslovak Quartet
(Československé kvarteto), the Prague Quartet, and the Černý Quartet. But
the most important Prague violinist in Ljubljana after Gerstner was un-
doubtedly Jan Šlais (1893–1975), who moved to Maribor in 1919. Two years
later he moved to Ljubljana, where he remained until 1946, a topic covered
below.
In addition to developing music education, giving solo performanc-
es, and composing, the Prague violinists and other musicians originating
from Bohemia were also a key factor in orchestral development in Ljublja-
na, where they served as directors of military bands and members and con-
ductors of symphonic orchestras. When the first Slovenian Philharmon-
ic Orchestra was established in 1908, the young Prague violinist V áclav
Talich (Wenzel Talich; 1883–1961)18 became the conductor, and most of the
orchestra members were also Czechs, including Jaroslav Markuzzi, Jan
Rezek, Karel Tarter, Karel Kučera, Václav Doršner, Anton Klier, and oth-
ers.19 This resulted in the orchestra being given the nickname “The Second
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra.” The situation was similar in Odessa and
Zagreb, where ninety percent of orchestra members were Czechs.
In 1909, Václav Talich founded a string quartet in Ljubljana. All the
other members were also alumni of the Prague Conservatory, namely Jan
18 Talich was born on May 28th, 1883 in Kroměříž (CZ). He studied violin with Ševčík
at the Prague Conservatory between 1897 and 1903. After his studies, he spent one
season as concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. He decided to be-
come a conductor and went to study in Leipzig with Arthur Nikisch. He was active in
Ljubljana between 1908 and 1912. After that, he moved to Plzeň, where he conducted
opera until 1915. Between 1915 and 1918, he was the violist of the Bohemian Quar-
tet (later called the Czech Quartet). After the First World War, he was the chief con-
ductor of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra until 1941, and later founded the Slo-
vak Philharmonic Orchestra in Bratislava. He died on March 16th, 1961 in Beroun.
See Matrik 1879, fol. 47, SOA Praha; Bohumir Štědroň, “Talich, Václav,” in Česko
slovenský hudební slovník osob a institucí, vol. 2, ed. Gracián Černušák, Bohumír
Štědroň, and Zdenko Nováček (Prague: Státní hudební vydavatelství, 1965), 751–753.
19 The other violinists with Czech surnames were Korál, Kazimour, Nechleba, and
Kratochvil.
271
ter of the National Theater Orchestra and violin teacher at the Music Soci-
ety. Zika founded the Yugoslav Quartet in 1919 in Ljubljana, along with his
brother Ladislav Zika and Vedral’s pupils Mirko Dežela and Ivo Trost. The
same year another Prague violinist, Ladislav Černý (1891–1975), moved to
Ljubljana to become a solo violist at the Slovenian National Theater, when
he also joined the Yugoslav Quartet. It later went to on achieve significant
acclaim under several names: the Zika Quartet, the Czechoslovak Quartet
(Československé kvarteto), the Prague Quartet, and the Černý Quartet. But
the most important Prague violinist in Ljubljana after Gerstner was un-
doubtedly Jan Šlais (1893–1975), who moved to Maribor in 1919. Two years
later he moved to Ljubljana, where he remained until 1946, a topic covered
below.
In addition to developing music education, giving solo performanc-
es, and composing, the Prague violinists and other musicians originating
from Bohemia were also a key factor in orchestral development in Ljublja-
na, where they served as directors of military bands and members and con-
ductors of symphonic orchestras. When the first Slovenian Philharmon-
ic Orchestra was established in 1908, the young Prague violinist V áclav
Talich (Wenzel Talich; 1883–1961)18 became the conductor, and most of the
orchestra members were also Czechs, including Jaroslav Markuzzi, Jan
Rezek, Karel Tarter, Karel Kučera, Václav Doršner, Anton Klier, and oth-
ers.19 This resulted in the orchestra being given the nickname “The Second
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra.” The situation was similar in Odessa and
Zagreb, where ninety percent of orchestra members were Czechs.
In 1909, Václav Talich founded a string quartet in Ljubljana. All the
other members were also alumni of the Prague Conservatory, namely Jan
18 Talich was born on May 28th, 1883 in Kroměříž (CZ). He studied violin with Ševčík
at the Prague Conservatory between 1897 and 1903. After his studies, he spent one
season as concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. He decided to be-
come a conductor and went to study in Leipzig with Arthur Nikisch. He was active in
Ljubljana between 1908 and 1912. After that, he moved to Plzeň, where he conducted
opera until 1915. Between 1915 and 1918, he was the violist of the Bohemian Quar-
tet (later called the Czech Quartet). After the First World War, he was the chief con-
ductor of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra until 1941, and later founded the Slo-
vak Philharmonic Orchestra in Bratislava. He died on March 16th, 1961 in Beroun.
See Matrik 1879, fol. 47, SOA Praha; Bohumir Štědroň, “Talich, Václav,” in Česko
slovenský hudební slovník osob a institucí, vol. 2, ed. Gracián Černušák, Bohumír
Štědroň, and Zdenko Nováček (Prague: Státní hudební vydavatelství, 1965), 751–753.
19 The other violinists with Czech surnames were Korál, Kazimour, Nechleba, and
Kratochvil.
271
