Baroque Music
by Claude V. Palisca
Period: Baroque
Born: 1679
Died: 1745 in Dresden, Germany
Nation of Origin: Bohemia
Major Works:
Capriccios
Trio Sonatas for two oboes, bassoon, and basso continuo
Other Information:
Jan Dismas Zelenka was a bass player and composer in the Dresden
Court orchestra. He was born in Bohemia in 1679 and died in Dresden
in 1745. Among the distinctions that this composer has gained after
his death, Forkel, in his biography of J.S. Bach, states that Bach
admired Zelenka's music. The two were acquainted from visits by
Bach to the Dresden Court. G.P. Telemann was another admirer of
Zelenka's music. Zelenka's employer, Augustus the Strong,
apparently did not share the views of these two composers. He
appointed Hasse to the role of Court Kapellmeister over
Zelenka.
Zelenka was educated by the Jesuits at Clementium near Prague. He
dedicated some religious cantatas to his alma mater. Most of
Zelenka's religious works were kept in manuscript and were lost
during the latter days of World War II. Zelenka was also educated
in Italy by Lotti and in Germany under J.J. Fux. Apparently he was
a good pupil to judge from the caliber of his works.
Zelenka is famous for his secular works; his Capriccios and his
Trio Sonatas for two Oboes, Bassoon, and basso continuo. These
works have been recorded by many notable modern day Oboists,
including Heinz Holliger. I first came into awareness of Zelenka
through Holliger's interview in the early 1980s where he called
Zelenka's works "Experimental Baroque". What intrigued me most was
Holliger's admission that he would compose music the same way as
Zelenka.
Douglas Boyd in the end notes to his recording of the Trio Sonatas
quotes a letter from Zelenka to August the Strong The letter is a
horrifying exercize in indignity. In this letter Zelenka grovels
for enough money to both eat and to publish his works. Zelenka
apparently loved his art deeply, at least enough to both shorten
his own life and to sacrifice having a family. The marriage of such
passion with a keen technical competence is apparent in these
sonatas.
After Zelenka's death all performances and publication of his works
were banned by order of the Court. He remained in obscurity for
nearly two hundred years. To the best of my knowledge no portait of
this composer exists. Fortunately for us his music still exists and
is gaining deserved respect for this long dead composer.
Eugene Herron
Used by permission of the author.
Essay contributed by:
Eugene Herron
General Bibliography:
Bukofzer, Manfred F., Music in the Baroque Era, from Monteverdi
to Bach, W.W. Norton & Company, November 1947, ISBN:
0393097455
Kennedy, Michael, The Oxford Dictionary of
Music, Oxford University Press, 2nd Edition, 1997, ISBN:
0198691629
Palisca, Claude V. Baroque Music, Prentice Hall, December
1990, ISBN: 0130584967
Sadie, Stanley and Tyrrell, John; Editors, The New Grove
Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Groves Dictionaries, Inc.,
January 2001, ISBN: 1561592390
Slonimsky, Nicolas and Kuhn, Laura; Editors,
Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, Gale Group,
December 2000, ISBN: 0028655257
Links to essays at other sites:
Baroque Music by Claude V. Palisca |
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Biographical essay at the Karadar site
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Biographical essay at the Naxos site
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