Josef Klička (1855-1937)

[C R Lim]

I couldn't find a previous post on this person so I thought I would kick one off.

Czech composer and teacher, mainly (but not exclusively) of organ music, of which he was something of a pioneer in his country.

Two recommended discs:

1.
Three Legends (1880s, 1908)
Sonata in F-sharp minor (1917)

Petr Rajnoha, organ of the Smetana Hall, Prague - Arta (Czech Republic) F10151

The conclusion of the 1st Legend is very evocative, the sonata is also impressive. Klicka certainly knew the work of the French school, but adds much local colour.

2.
L'orgue romantique tchèque
Concert Fantasia on St. Wenceslas Chorale (1895)
Concert Fantasia in F-sharp minor
Legend No. 1 in D minor
Concert fantasia in C minor (1886)

Michel Estellet-Brun, organ of St. Joseph des Nations, Paris (rebuilt 2006 and said to closely resemble the original organ of the Rudolfinum in Prague, dismantled in 1918) - Alpha Productions 106

The St. Wenceslas piece was one of the few works by Klcka to be published outside Bohemia - most of the others in these recitals owe their current existence to the work of the two organists on these CDs.

Needless to say Klicka doesn't merit an entry in Grove, however you will find his son Václav (1882 - 1953) there.

[Simon]

Josef Klička actually wrote more than organ music. According to the list published in 1944 in Karel Hoffmeister's biography, his output includes piano pieces, music for harp, a large amount of chamber music (ranging from duets to a sextet for piano string instruments), many lieder, choral music (with and without accompaniment), two secular cantatas, sacred music, three works for orchestra and one (early) opera.

The only recorded work that I have found that's not for organ is a very dramatic Fantazie for violin and piano (it might be the Koncertní fantasie from 1921, but I'm not sure) on YouTube :

https://youtu.be/aXv3LoSmyD4

I wish I could hear more of his chamber music, and I'd be glad to learn anything about his works for wind instruments (a quintet for piano and winds, and some pieces for solo wind instrument and piano).

[eschiss1]

NKC (library catalogs of the Czech Republic) has his scherzo for 3 violins and piano Op.63 (Urbánek, plate M K 595) listed, I see... (also see Worldcat - and reprinted in 1958: Worldcat 320600065.)

[Simon]

The bio written by Hoffmeister has been digitized by the National Library of the Czech Republic. Unfortunately, it's only in Czech. But for those who can understand it, I suppose it is one of the most comprehensive work on Klička and his music:

https://kramerius5.nkp.cz/view/uuid:0c2c7220-3287-11e3-a5bb-005056827e52?page=uuid:1e9a0f80-6bc1-11e3-af76-5ef3fc9ae867