Czech composer, pianist and organist Jan Václav Hugo Voříšek
Czech composer, pianist and organist Jan Václav Hugo Voříšek was a contemporary of Beethoven and a good friend of Franz Schubert. His most famous work, the Symphony in D major, combines his natural inclination to romanticism with a surprising flair for drama.
As the son of a schoolmaster and organist from Vamberk, East Bohemia, Jan was introduced to music at an early age. He played the church organ at the age of seven, and later studied at Prague University where he took piano and composition lessons from Prague composer V. J. Tomášek.
In 1813 he moved to Vienna to study law as well as music under J. N. Hummel.
Vienna changed his life. He was introduced to Ludwig van Beethoven and met many other important personalities of the European classical music scene, among them Franz Schubert, with whom he became good friends.
He finished his law studies in 1821 and for a short time made a living as a clerk. But his passion was for music and in his spare time he composed and gave piano lessons.
He composed mostly piano works but also an orchestral work that is admired to this day, combining his natural inclination to romanticism with a surprising flair for drama.
The Symphony in D major, composed in 1821, is Voříšek's most famous work, and is the first major Czech contribution to 19th century symphonic literature.
In 1824 he was appointed court organist in Vienna and it seemed that he had a dazzling career before him. However, he contracted tuberculosis and died a year later, at the age of just 34.
Despite his short life, Voříšek left his mark on the world of classical music. His only orchestral work, the Symphony in D major, has been compared to the first symphonies of Beethoven. Voříšek's piano works were a source of inspiration for many romantic composers, including Franz Schubert.
Related
-
Jan Václav Hugo Voříšek's Symphony in D Major
The second part of our video series on Czech Music Greats looks at a lesser-known name in Czech classical music - Jan Václav Hugo Voříšek.
-
Czech Music Greats
2024 is the Year of Czech Music, a celebration held once a decade, on every year that ends on the number four, a number that marks many Czech music anniversaries.
