THE ROLE OF JAN SEDIVKA IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF AUSTRALIAN CONTEMPORARY STRING MUSIC BY ELINOR FRANCES MORRISBY B.Mus., Prague Conservatorium, 1973 M.Mus., Prague Conservatorium, 1975 Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Tasmania, Hobart August, 2009 DECLARATION OF ORIGINALITY This thesis contains no material which has been accepted for a degree or diploma by the University or any other institution, except by way of background information that is duly acknowledged in the thesis, and to the best of my knowledge and belief no material previously published or written by another person except where due acknowledgement is made in the text of the thesis, nor does the thesis contain any material that infringes copyright. This thesis may be made available for loan or limited copying in accordance with the Copyright Act 1968. iii~~~' Elinor Morrisby 111 ABSTRACT Since the settlement of Australia, the creation, publishing and performance of its string music has faced the vicissitudes of an emerging society geographically removed from mainstream musical history and influences. This thesis aims to establish the significance of Jan Sedivka on contemporary Australian string music. From his exposure to contemporary music in France, Sedivka performed and conducted twentieth century music in England for twenty-one years. Subsequently, he accepted a position at the Queensland Conservatorium, and from 1966, he taught and performed in Tasmania. There he established a Piano Trio that introduced contemporary music to the public, and was director of the String Summer Schools from 1971 to 1988 where students were exposed to contemporary European and Australian music. Sedivka was director of the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music from 1972 to 1982, and created two string quartets - Rialannah and Petra. The latter Quartet's significance rests with the focus placed on contemporary Australian chamber music. Sedivka worked tirelessly for the commissioning of a large number of Australian string compositions for both solo violin and string quartet, a momentous achievement for a single musician. A brief history of string music in Australia is documented to enable comparison of before and after Sedivka's arrival. He commissioned a number of string works, or facilitated the funding of commissions through official organizations. Sedivka's most significant contributions to Australian contemporary string music embrace his unrivalled skill as a teacher, and his willingness to be involved, and involve his students, in the performance of contemporary music. His role as a performer and conductor of IV the contemporary string repertoire was prominent, and his association with a considerable number of Australian composers inspired the creation of commissioned works for violin and string quartet. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to thank my supervisor Dr. Anne- Marie Forbes of the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music, for her assistance, guidance, constructive criticism, advice and encouragement, and Dr. Heather Monkhouse for her supportive involvement. Special thanks are offered to Prof. Jan Sedivka and his wife Beryl. Professor and Mrs Sedivka gave me their time, access to personal records, collections of programmes, scores, cassettes and compact discs. I am honoured that Prof. Sedivka shared his history, and vast knowledge of string music with me. In addition, thanks are extended to the staff of music libraries, state libraries and archives in Hobart, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Adelaide who have been extremely helpful. Special thanks to the staff of the Australian Music Centre in Sydney, and Document Delivery at the University of Tasmania; in London to the staff of the Society for the Promotion of New Music, Paul Collen in the archives of the Royal College of Music, John Knight, Karel Janovicky, and the music staff in the British Library; in the Czech Republic to the late Dr. Michal Hyka for young Sedivka's concert programmes, and the late Dr. Jiti'enka Peskova of the Prague Conservatorium Archives. In Australia thanks are extended to the following composers and musicians: Colin Brumby, Barry Conyngham, Keith Crellin, Ross Edwards, Dr. Eric Gross, John Hopkins, Don Kay, Tor Fromyhr, John Hopkins, Robert Macindoe, Richard Meale, Simon Oswell, Ruth Saffir, Peter Sculthorpe, Larry Sitsky, Leon Stemler, and Patrick Thomas. Finally, I am grateful to have been the recipient of an Australian Postgraduate Award that has enabled me to complete this work. VI LIST OF TABLES AND GRAPHS Figure 1 Six concerts at St. Martin-in-the-Fields given by the Jan Sedivka Chamber Orchestra. Only contemporary works are listed Figure 2 Sedivka's performances of contemporary music for the BBC Figure 3 Experimental Rehearsal concerts presented by the Society for the Promotion of New Music featuring Sedivka Figure 4 Comparison of concerts in London Figure 5 Comparison of London concerts between September 1968 and September 1969, and Sedivka's performances 1950-1960 Figure 6 Combined data of concerts Figure 7 Sedivka's concerts in England indicating standard repertoire and contemporary works 1943-1960 Figure 8 String teachers, and their tenure at the Elder Conservatorium in Adelaide Figure 9 String teachers in Melbourne ( Figure 10 Principal string teachers in Sydney Figure 11 Number of string compositions composed and performed 1890-1960 Figure 12 Violin - compositions & performances 1890-1960 Figure 13 Viola - compositions & performances 1890-1960 Figure 14 Violoncello- compositions & performances 1890-1960 Figure 15 String Quartets-compositions & performances 1890-1960 Figure 16 Strings & chamber works - compositions & performances 1890- 1960 Vll Figure 17 Musica Viva string commissions Figure 18 Australian chamber music groups 1900-1960s Figure 19 String composition and performances 1950-1960 Figure 20 Conservatorium enrolments 1964-1990 Figure 21 Don Kay's compositions commissioned by Jan Sedivka Figure 22 Petra String Quartet performances of contemporary music 1975-1985 Figure 23 Petra String Quartet performances of twentieth century music 1977-1980 Figure 24 Violin concerto commissions Figure 25 Compositions dedicated to Jan and Beryl Sedivka or commissioned by Jan Sedivka Vlll LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS APRA Australasian Performing Rights Association BBC British Broadcasting Corporation cl. clarinet JSCE Jan Sedivka Chamber Ensemble JSCO Jan Sedivka Chamber Orchestra LIT London International Trio MPSMCC Malcolm Parker Saturday Morning Concerts for Children op. opus orch. orchestra pf piano Phil. Philharmonic QSO Queensland Symphony Orchestra SPNM Society for the Promotion of New Music stg orch string orchestra stg/s string/s - TAAB Tasmanian Arts Advisory Board TCSO Tasmanian Conservatorium String Orchestra TCT Tasmanian Conservatorium Trio TSO Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra UBE Unitas Baroque Ensemble USO University (of Tasmania) String Orchestra vc violoncello ix vn/s violin/s x CONTENTS ABSTRACT iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS v LIST OF TABLES AND GRAPHS vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS viii INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTERl (i) Czechoslovakia 1917-1938 16 (ii) France 1938-1940 21 (iii) England 1940-1961 25 CHAPTER 2 The State of String Music in Australia to 1970 62 (i) Institutions and Teachers (ii) Composers, Composing and Commissions (iii) Chamber Music (iv) Broadcasting, the ABC and Orchestras CHAPTER 3 (1) Queensland 1961-1966 125 (2) Tasmania 1966-present 144· (i) The Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music (ii) Lunch-hour recitals and string orchestra concerts (iii) String Summer Schools (iv) Director of the Tasmanian Conservatorium 1972-1982 (v) Chamber music in Tasmania xi (vi) The Rialannah String Quartet (vii) The Petra String Quartet (viii) Violin concerto commissions (ix) Jan Sedivka & Larry Sisky CONCLUSION 223 BIBLIOGRAPHY 231 APPENDICES 252 Appendix 1 Concerts played by Jan Sedivka in Czechoslovakia 1927-1938 Appendix2 Concerts of contemporary music played by Max Rostal in England Appendix3 Concerts and broadcasts played in England by Jan Sedivka and colleagues Appendix4 Concerts and broadcasts in England of contemporary music played by Jan Sedivka and colleagues Appendix5 petails of Australian string teachers Appendix 6 Australian chamber music groups 1900-1960 Appendix 7 Australian string compositions 1900-1960 by composer Appendix 8 Selected Australian string compositions 1961-2002 by composer Appendix9 Concerts given by the Tasmanian Conservatorium Trio - Jan Sedivka, Sela Trau and Beryl Sedivka Appendix 10 Complete list of concerts given by Jan Sedivka and colleagues Appendix 11 Concerts played by the Rialannah String Quartet XU Appendix 12 Members of the Petra String Quartet 1973-1986 Appendix 13 Concerts played by the Petra String Quartet Appendix 14 Recordings made by the Petra String Quartet Appendix 15 Scores in the Petra String Quartet collection held in the Tasmanian Conservatorium Library Appendix 16 Tasmanian String Summer Schools - concert programmes Appendix 17 Selection of Jan Sedivka's prominent students Appendix 18 Compositions dedicated to or written for Jan Sedivka 1 INTRODUCTION I invite you to think of music as something going on here and now - something created, not only performed, by people here and now in our midst. My proposition is, that this is the primary condition necessary for the vitality of the art of music - that it should be created by and for members of our own community. The cultivation of the music of the past, interesting and valuable as it is, must take second place to the creation of music by composers