Klarinet Archive - Posting 000064.txt from 1997/08

From: "Frederick S. Sterns" <fssterns@-----.net>
Subj: Re: Josef Horak?
Date: Sun, 3 Aug 1997 12:20:25 -0400

>>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

Michael...thanks much for the detailed information on Mr. Horak [I, too,
have a "fancy" computer that can't handle the Eastern European alphabets!].

>From the performance dates on the CD [Due Boemi de Praga] I assumed it was
a reissue of an LP. I found his work to be very interesting, especially his
facility on the bass clarinet and unusual tonal variations, but also would
be interested in hearing him do some more conventional work. Can you
suggest some recordings?

I'll be traveling this week and most of next, but if you have any thoughts
on the best of Mr. Horak's recordings I will look forward to hearing from
you upon return.

Genuinely appreciate your taking the time to respond. Fred

   
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