Karel Blažej Kopřiva (1756-1785) - Missa Pastoralis D-Dur
Performers: Sonaglio Praha
Further info: Karel Blažej Kopriva (1756-1785) - Requiem (1774)
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Composer and organist, son of Václav Jan Kopřiva (1708-1789) and brother
of Jan Jáchym Kopřiva (1754-1792). After studying the organ and
composition (first with his father, later in Prague with J.F.N. Seger).
He became organist in the church of St Jacob in Citoliby; his reputation
of organ virtuoso soon spread over the coutry. He composed in the style
of transition from baroque to classicism, influenced by harpsichord
sonatas of J.Ch. Bach (son of J.S.Bach), J.Haydn as well as his czech
fellow composers. He also taught keyboard instruments and composition.
His first known work, a Requiem in C minor, was performed at Klatovy on
22 May 1774. He suffered from tuberculosis and died at the age of 29.
The three Kopřivas were the outstanding members of a ramified Czech
musical family. Thanks to their activity, and in accordance with the
artistic interests of Count Ernest Karl Pachta (who had an orchestra of
his own), the little village of Cítoliby became a unique centre of
musical life in northern Bohemia at that period. Whereas Václav Jan and
Jan Jáchym adhered to the traditional type of Czech village music of the
late Baroque and pre-Classical period, Karel Blažej used an advanced
Classical idiom of Mozartian character. His style is markedly individual
and very expressive, with abundant chromaticism. He was also well
schooled in counterpoint and his fugues are among the most remarkable of
their kind in Czech organ music of the second half of the 18th century.
A virtuoso organist himself, he usually treated the organ part of his
church compositions in concertante manner. The demanding, florid solo
parts in his vocal works are evidence of the high quality of provincial
performers in Bohemia at the time.
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