Klarinet Archive - Posting 000058.txt from 1997/08

From: Michael Bryant <michael@-----.uk>
Subj: Re: Josef Horak?
Date: Sun, 3 Aug 1997 00:27:58 -0400

"Frederick S. Sterns" <fssterns@-----.net> writes
>Recently obtained an interesting CD of performances by a Czech Bass
>Clarinetist named Josef Horak.
>According to the "liner notes" he has an international reputation and is
>widely known as a skilled performer and teacher. I've been unable to find
>anything about him beyond the material in those notes.
>
>Can anyone provide information on Mr. Horak? Thanks...Fred S.
>
>

Yes indeed! Josef Horak is famous as a solo bass clarinettist. Harry
Sparnaay is another. Both have necessarily specialised in contemporary
music.

Before 1989 Josef Horak lived in Germany. He travelled all over the
world in those days. Now his back home in Prague, semi-retired, where I
have met him several time, once just in passing in the street. He
stopped to say hello (ahoj). He had just come back from Cuba! His
addresses are Ovenecka 36, 170 21 Prague 7 and Bubenska 39, 170 00
Prague 7, The Czech Republic. Telephone Prague (2) 375220 and 801889.

I have nearly all his LPs and none of his CD (copies of the LPs). These
are listed in Richard Gilbert's discographies, nearly a column in volume
3. The pianist and part-time percussionist Emma Kovarnova played with
him everywhere in the ensemble called the Due Boemi di Praga. Several
chamber works with other instruments, some concertos for bass clarinet
and piano and many (c. 100?) recital works have been written for them,
mostly by Czech composers.

Sorry about the spelling errors of Czech names, e-mail does not do
accents, Czech or otherwise!

Michael Bryant
Michael@-----.uk