Rare autographed 6.5" x 10.25"  presentation style photograph with a 2 bar AMSQU, November 29, 1945.

Ilja Hurník (1922 – 2013) was a Czech composer and pianist

He was born in Poruba. He went first to the Prague Conservatory and went onto the master program at the Prague Academy of Arts where he studied piano with Ilona Stepanova Kurzova, the daughter of the Czech piano super-pedagogue Vilem Kurz.  Always a composer, after an initial career as a concert pianist he decided to become a full-time composer.  One of Czechoslovakia’s finest and most prolific.  As an aside, he was also a writer.

Some of his works include:

Ballet:

Ondráš, Ballet, Silesian Folk Ballad (1949)

Faux pas de quatre, Ballet-grotesque (1978)

 Opera:

Dáma a lupiči (The Lady and the Robbers; Die Dame und die Räuber), Comic Opera in 4 acts (1966); libretto by the composer loosely based on the film The Ladykillers.

Mudrci a bloudi (Wisemen and Fools), Opera in 3 Scenes on Themes of Antiquity, the Middle Ages and Modern Times (1986); libretto by the composer

Diogenes, Apocrypha (1973); libretto by the composer

Rybáři v síti (Fishermen in Their Own Nets), Comic Opera (1981); libretto by the composer based on original short stories

Oldřich a Boženka (Oldřich and Boženka), Opera (1984); libretto by the composer

Orchestral:

Tance z baletu Ondráš (Dances from the Ballet "Ondráš"), Suite (1949, 1951)

Komorní hudba (Chamber Music) for string orchestra (1962)

Kyklopes (1965)

Serenade for string orchestra (1970)

Věci, Divertimento for small orchestra (1977)

Klicperovská předehra (Overture à laKlicpera) (1978)

Suita z baletu Faux pas de quatre (Suite from the Ballet "Faux pas de quatre") (1978)

Symfonieta (1996)

Con brio (published 2000)

Symphony in C (2000)

Leporello for small orchestra (2007)

Faun a Apollo (The Faun and Apollo) (2006, 2008); orchestration of the Sextet for brass and organ

Concertante

Partita for flute, string orchestra and piano (1950)

Concerto for flute and chamber orchestra (1952)

Concerto for oboe, string orchestra and harpsichord (or piano) (1954)

Concerto for wind instruments, piano and timpani (1956)

Sinfonia facile for piano and string orchestra (1963)

Concerto for piano and chamber orchestra (1972)

Nový clavecin (New Harpsichord) for piano and string orchestra (1975); original for piano solo

Concertino for piano and string orchestra (1978)

Concertino for 2 violins and string orchestra (1981)

Concert for viola and string orchestra (1994)

Film Scores

Touha Sherlocka Holmese (1971)

Fantom Opery (1987)

Písen z jizních Cech (1992)

 

Chamber music

Caprices for solo violin, Op. 4 (published 1949)

Partita in A for flute and harpsichord (or piano) (1950); also orchestrated; dedicated to Czech flautist Václav Žilka

Sonata for viola and piano, Op. 26 (1951)

Čtvero ročních dob (The Four Seasons), Suite for wind quintet or 12 instruments (1952)

Sonata da camera for flute, oboe, cello and harpsichord or piano (1952)

Esercizi for flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon (1956)

Malý faun (Little Faun; Le petit faune), 5 Pièces en forme de suite for flute and piano (1956)

Moments musicaux, Suite for 11 wind instruments (1962)

Concerto for oboe and piano (1964)

Vánočńí koledy (Christmas Carols) for violin and piano (1968)

Gloria di flauti for 2 flutes (1972)

Concertino for violin and piano (1973)

Concertino for 2 violins and piano (or harpsichord) (1981); also orchestrated

Obrázky (Little Pictures), Very Easy Pieces for flute (or recorder, or oboe) and piano (1984)

Sonatina for double bass (or bassoon) and piano (1985)

Wind Quintet No. 2 (1985)

Tance (Dances) for harp (1986)

Sonatina for oboe and piano (1988)

Suite for alto saxophone and piano (1990)

Trio in C for oboe, clarinet and bassoon (1993)

Tance pro andílky (Dances for Little Angels) for violin, flute and piano (1995)

Sonatina for violin and harp (1996)

Concerto capriccio for organ, 2 violin and cello (1998)

Variace na Beethovenovo téma (Variations on a Theme of Beethoven) for viola and piano (1998)

Sonatina for violin and piano (2001)

V tom našem sádečku a jiné lidové písničky ("V tom našem sádečku" and Other Folk Songs) for recorder (violin, flute, oboe, clarinet) and piano (2002)

Sextet for brass and organ (2006); also orchestrated

Etudy pro dechový (Etudes for Winds), Octet for 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 horns and 2 bassoons (2010)

Piano

První melodie: Snadné přednesové skladbičky pro mládež (First Melodies: Easy Little Pieces for Young Students) (1932)

Motivy z dětství (Motifs from Childhood) (1934, revised 1944)

Groteska (1938)

Dvě toccaty (2 Toccatas), Op. 2 (published 1943)

Preludia (Preludes), Op. 9 (1942)

Sonatina C dur (Sonatina in C major) (1950)

Tance: Domácí hudba (Dances: Home Music) for piano 4-hands (1963)

Kousky pro klavír ve snadném slohu (Piano Pieces in an Easy Style)

Písničky pro klapky: Snadné skladby (Ditties for Keys), Easy Pieces (1969)

Valčiky (Waltzes) for piano 4-hands (1971)

Čtyřruční hra: Cvičení a etudy (Four-handed Fun: Exercises and Etudes) for piano 4-hands (1972)

Nový clavecin (Le nouveau clavecin), Suite for Piano (1975); or for piano and string orchestra

Voršilská ulička (Ursuline Street), Cycle of Easy Recital Compositions (Book I) (1976)

Džezík (Jazz Piccolo), Easy Pieces (1977)

Fantazie (Fantasy) for 2 pianos (1979)

Variace na Pergolesiho téma (Variations on a Theme of Pergolesi) for piano 4-hands (1983)

Etudy (Etudes) (1987)

Innocenza for piano 4-hands (1992)

Voršilská ulička 2. sešit (Ursuline Street, Book II), Cycle of Easy Recital Compositions (1999)

Šest rukou u jednoho klavíru (Six Hands at One Piano), Suite in 4 Movements for piano 6-hands (published 2005)

Hudba pro klavír (Music for Piano) (2005)

12 klavírních preludií (12 Preludes) (2008)

Vocal

Květiny (Flowers), Song Cycle for soprano and piano, Op. 3 (1940); words by Vrba

Dívčí písně (Girl's Songs) for medium voice and piano, Op. 7 (1942)

Písničky s flétnou (Little Songs with Flute), for high voice, flute (or violin) and piano (1950); folk poetry texts

Šalamoun (Solomon) for bass (baritone) and string quartet or organ (1961); words from the Song of Songs”

Minutové písničky (Minute Songs) for soprano, flute and piano (1961); words by Václav Fischer and Jan Hostáň

Muzikanti (The Musicians), Suite for narrator and 18 instrumental soloists (1963); poems by František Branislav

Šalamít (Shulamith), Song Cycle for medium voice and piano, or organ, or chamber ensemble (1963); words translated by Jaroslav Seifert from the Song of Songs”

Příběhy jedné kapely (Stories of a Band) for narrator and chamber ensemble (1968); words by the composer

Verba sancta for soprano and harpsichord or chamber orchestra (2006)

Choral

Maryka, Cantata on Silesian Folk Lyrics for soprano, mixed chorus and orchestra (1948); texts adapted from Silesian folk nursery rhymes

Sbory o matkách (Choruses About Mothers), 3 Mixed Choruses to Folk Poetry Texts (1955)

Vyhřátá mez (On the Sunny Balk; Am sonnigen Rain), Cycle for children's (girl's) chorus and piano (1955); words by Jan Carek

Noé (Noah), Oratorio for tenor, mixed chorus and orchestra (1959); Biblical text

Dětská terzetta (Children's Trios) for 3 children's voices, flute, harp and double bass (1962); words by František Branislav

Červnová noc (June Night; Juninacht), Cycle of Duets for children's (girl's) chorus and piano (1965); folk poetry texts

Vánočńí Pastorela (Christmas Pastorella; Weihnachtspastorella) for children's chorus and chamber ensemble (1965)

Tři dcery (Three Daughters; Drei Töchter), Small Cantata for children's (girl's) chorus (1960); folk poetry texts

Ezop (Aesop), Suita di cantate for mixed chorus and orchestra (1964); words by Pavel Jurkoviď after Aesop

Scény pro dětský sbor (Scenes) for children's chorus (1971); words by Vaclav Fischer and the composer

Ozvěna (Echo), Chamber Cantata for soloists, female chorus, chamber string orchestras, oboe and piano (1982); words by the composer

Sezónní madrigaly (Seasonal Madrigals) for mixed chamber chorus and instrumental ensemble (1982); words by the composer

Rozhovory matky s děckem (Conversations between Mother and Child), Children's Choruses (1984); folk texts and by the composer

Kapr, blecha a tak dále (The Carp, the Flea and Others), Ditties for children's chorus and piano (1985); words by the composer

Voda voděnka (Water, Little Water) for children's chorus (1985); words by Vaclav Fischer

Missa Vinea Crucis for children's (or female) chorus and orchestra (or organ) (1991)

Letnice (Pentecost) for children's chorus (2002); folk poetry and Biblical texts

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