Folklore is joining us Czech and Italian partnership Regional artists and musicians

2018-1-CZ01-KA229-048177_1 2018-1-CZ01-KA229-048177 _3

Czech regional artists and musicians

3-4 František Xaver Richter 5-6 Rabbi Shach

7-8 Gioacchino Rossini 9 Luciano Pavarotti

František Xaver Richter

Franz Xaver Richter was a Czech Baroque composer, violinist, music teacher and singer. He was born December 1, 1709 probably in Moravian town Holešov but his birthplace is not entirely certain. Richter's nationality is also unclear. He spent his childhood in Holešov, where his father worked as a guard at the local chateau. Between years 1722 and 1727 he studied at the Jesuit Grammar School in Uherské Hradiš- tě, where he also likely attended the music seminar of St. František Borgiáš. After fi- nishing the high school, when Richter was 18, we have no reports of him for ten years. It is assumed that he was staying in the capital city of , Vienna and in Italy. What is certa- in is that he was given the opportunity to get to know the best music of that time and to stu- dy in counterpoint. It was not until 1736 that his name appeared among the Italian singers of the Ducal Opera in Stuttgart, where he sang the bass, and a year later Richter was accepted on the recom- mendation of Ignác Klausk as director of music at the Benedictine monastery in Ettal. Here he composed his first known composition for students of the Knight's Academy: the orato- rio Der Mensch vor Gottes Gericht. In 1740 he became head of the band of Prince Bishop of Kempten where he also got married. In Kempten he created the monumental Te Deum, which in terms of expression has exceeded its time. In 1746 Richter went to in the hope of becoming the vice-calf of the local electoral , at that time the most famous in Europe. Instead, he only held the positi- on of a well-paid bassist at the opera. He lived in a friendly relationship with Jan Václav Stamic, who was then the orchestra director. During his Mannheim period he wrote 80 , which were essential for the development of a romantic , although Richter himself always remained on the Baroque soil. In 1751 he became the bandleader , who in 1737-1740 directed the opera of Count Rottal in Holešov. Between 1757 and 1758, Richter traveled through Europe and performed his compositions - performing in England, Holland and France. It was there that he had the greatest success, and that is why, in 1769, France came to offer the position of bandleader in the chapter of Notre-Dame Cathedral in . Richter accepted, because the conditions were excell- ent - 20 singers, 40 orchestra members and as a helper Haydn's pupil . He com- posed for the Chapter for twenty years, until his death, mainly temple music (including 27 Masses and 2 Requiem). Franc Xaver Richter died on September 12, 1789 in Strasbourg as a widely recognized musical figure.

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4 Rabbi Shacch

Shabbatai HaKohen, also known as Shakh, was born in 1621 either in Vilna or in Amsti- bovo near Vilkaviskis and died on 8th february 1663 in Holešov at the age of 42. He was important jewish halachist, talmudist and rabbi. He studie at yeshivah in Tykotzin in Poland, then in Cracow and Lublin. After his studies he returned to Vilna where he got marryed and setteled down. There he wrote his most impor- tant work Siftei Kohen (Lips of priest), comentary to Schulchan Aruch Yoreh De’ah. This work made him well known and was aproved by the greatest Polish and Lithuanian scho- lars, hence it became part of all publications of Yoreh De’ah. On 24. July 1655 he fled from Lithuania because a war between Poland and Sweeden was raging also in Lithuania teritories and therefore he tryied to avoid posible jewish genocide. It is also important to add that several hours after his escape rebels invaded the town and would surely kill him if he stayed. He traveled to Lublin and then to Prague yet he didn‘ stayed for long. He moved to Strážnice and there became a rabbi. After seven years he was called to become a rabbi in Holešov where he lived until his death. With his death is connected a legend. Before he died he said that his last wish shall be to reserve a free space next to his grave for a man who is going to come exactly 100 years af- ter his death and ask exactly for that place to become his grave. His wish was written to a book of chevra, when the book was full a new book was used and then another one and so rabbi’s wish was forgotten, the graveyeard filled and nobody who would remember the wish alive. Neverless exactly 100 years after Shakhs death came to Holešov a young 28 year old Polish guy and asked to be burryed next to rabbi. To his surprise there was no spa- ce left. He asked gabaim to find the old book of chevra to proof his rightful claim to be burried next to rabbi. The book was found and after two days the Pole died. Between rabbis grave and neighbors grave weren’t much space but they decided to give it a try and started digging. When it looked as if everything is lost and their effords were in vain from Shakhs grave came a small collum of dim fire and rabbis coffin moved thus making space for one more coffin. On his tomb was then writte: “Here lies David Coref“. But the true meaning of the sentence is: “Here lies David who by Kabbalah could assemble the words by which had been created the world“

6 Gioacchino Rossini

Gioacchino Rossini , called “the swan of Pesaro “, was born in Pesaro on 29th February 1792. His family was of humble origins: his father was a band player, his mother ( born in Pesaro) was a fairly good opera singer. Several biographers described him as a lazy person, getting very easily depressed and moody, but sometimes good-humoured and a gourmet. He died in Paris where he had his residence on 13th November 1868. He was buried in the graveyard Père Lachaise, but in 1887 his mortal remains were transferred to the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence. He composed “ Serious Operas” and “ Comic Operas “ . Among them we can remember “ Il Barbiere di Siviglia”, a comic opera in two acts and many others. La gazza ladra, (The Thieving Magpie) is a melodramma in two acts The composer Gioachino Rossini wrote quickly, and La gazza ladra was no exception. According to legend, before the first performance of the opera, the producer assured the composition of the overture by locking Rossini in a room, from the window of which the composer threw out the sheets of music to the copysts who then wrote the orchestral parts, to complete the composition of the opera. The term tarantella defines some traditional dances and the corresponding musical melodies of Southern Italy, which are mainly in fast time Many cultured composers were inspired between the eighteenth and twentieth centuries by the motifs and rhythms of southern traditions, composing and constituting a separate genus of cultured tarantella. The most famous "cultured" transposition is probably the one composed for piano by Gioachino Rossini, entitled La danza. One of the most famous opera singers, Luciano Pavarotti, sang this song in many concerts.

Il Barbiere di Siviglia The leading roles of this opera are: Rosina, a rich maid, the Earl of Almaviva, in love with Rosina, Figaro, the meddler barber of the town. The plot takes place in Seville. The Earl of Almaviva is in love with Rosina and would like to know and marry her. But the maid is kept prisoner by her old guardian Don Bartolo

8 Luciano Pavarotti

Luciano Pavarotti was an Italian opera tenor who also crossed over into popular music as you coud see in the previous slide, eventually becoming one of the most commercially suc- cessful tenors of all times. He made numerous recordings of complete operas and individu- al arias, gaining worldwide fame for the quality of his tone, and eventually established him- self as one of the finest tenors of the 20th century.

Funiculì Funiculà It is a famous Neapolitan song for dancing tarantella the folk dance of Vesuvian area. This is a version sang by Luciano Pavarotti, also known as Big Luciano all over the world.

The book has been realized by

• the class 4B with the supervision of their teacher Mrs Speranza Rosa D’Alessandro

• class Sexta and 2A with the supervision of their teacher Mrs Marie Otépková