Description

BEDŘICH VÁŠKA (MLADÁ VOŽICE, MARCH 5, 1879 – WORCESTER, USA, DECEMBER 9, 1978)

 

 

 

 

He was born into the family of Antonín Váška, a teacher from Mladá Vožice. From early childhood, he showed an interest in music. Young Bedřich received his first training from his father. He played the piano, violin and then the organ. Later, he exchanged these instruments for the cello. After leaving for the Tábor gymnasium, he often performed in various public productions. In 1879–1897, he studied at the Prague Conservatory with Prof. H. Wihan. He studied for two years in Frankfurt am Main with Prof. H. Becker. He was subsequently called to the Prague Conservatory to succeed his teacher, Prof. Wihan. In 1900, he became a soloist of the symphony orchestra in Sestroretsk near St. Petersburg, from where he moved to Lviv. In 1901 , he worked as a solo cellist and 1st concertmaster of the Philharmonic Society in Warsaw, where he remained until 1905 . After returning to his homeland, he gave concerts with the Ševčík-Lhotský Quartet, which performed with great success in all European countries. In 1906, Váška married. He took Gusta Ondříčková as his wife. After 1910, on the advice of his brother-in-law František Ondříček, he traveled to New York. He worked mainly in New York and Boston. He became a professor of cello at New York University and taught fifty students. Váška was also a member of the Eastman Quartet in Rochester.

In 1919 he founded the New York Strung Quartet with O. Čadek, J. Šiškovský and L. Schwab. After three years of preparation, the quartet performed and had great success. Tours of American and Canadian cities followed. In 1930, after the sudden death of O. Čadek, the quartet broke up. Váška then played as a member of the Worcester Quartet and continued his career as a soloist and teacher. In 1952 , his wife Gusta died. Bedřich Váška married for the second time and in 1959 he married his student cellist Lydia K. King . Bedřich Váška died on December 9, 1978 in Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America. In 1980, the urn with his ashes was transported by his wife to the family tomb in the cemetery at the Church of St. Nicholas in Mladá Vožice.

 

TRACKLIST

 

New York String Quartet Quartet in G minor (Grieg) Part I

Ottokar Cadek (violin)

Ludwig Schwab (viola)

Jaroslav Siskovsky (violin)

Bedrich Vaska (cello)

Brunswick 20040 XE15790-XE15792 5/22/1925

 

New York String Quartet Quartet in G minor (Grieg) Part 2 Intermezzo

Ottokar Cadek (violin)

Ludwig Schwab (viola)

Jaroslav Siskovsky (violin)

Bedrich Vaska (cello)

Brunswick 20040 XE16452-XE16454 9/28/1925

 

New York String Quartet Quartet in G minor: 1st movement Animé et très décidé (Debussy)

Ottokar Cadek (violin)

Ludwig Schwab (viola)

Jaroslav Siskovsky (violin)

Bedrich Vaska (cello)

Brunswick 20043 XE15895-XE15898 5/28/1925

 

New York String Quartet Quartet in G minor: 2nd movement Assez vif et bien rythmé (Debussy)

Ottokar Cadek (violin)

Ludwig Schwab (viola)

Jaroslav Siskovsky (violin)

Bedrich Vaska (cello)

Brunswick 20056 XE24801-XE24804 10/19/1927

 

New York String Quartet Quartet in G minor 3rd movement  Andantino. Doucement expressif (Debussy)

Ottokar Cadek (violin)

Ludwig Schwab (viola)

Jaroslav Siskovsky (violin)

Bedrich Vaska (cello)

Brunswick 20043 XE16450-XE16451 9/28/1925

 

New York String Quartet Quartet in G minor: 4th movement Très modéré (Debussy)

Ottokar Cadek (violin)

Ludwig Schwab (viola)

Jaroslav Siskovsky (violin)

Bedrich Vaska (cello)

Brunswick 20056 XE24805-XE24808 10/19/1927

 

New York String Quartet Spanish dance Tango (Albeniz)

Ottokar Cadek (violin)

Ludwig Schwab (viola)

Jaroslav Siskovsky (violin)

Bedrich Vaska (cello)

Brunswick 3211 E21031-E21033

 

New York String Quartet Minuet (Boccherini)

Ottokar Cadek (violin)

Ludwig Schwab (viola)

Jaroslav Siskovsky (violin)

Bedrich Vaska (cello)

Brunswick 3211 E21034-E21035 5/18/1926

 

New York String Quartet Molly on the shore (Grainger)

Ottokar Cadek (violin)

Ludwig Schwab (viola)

Jaroslav Siskovsky (violin)

Bedrich Vaska (cello)

Brunswick 25018 X13164-X13165 5/23/1924

 

New York String Quartet An Irish melody (Bridge)

Ottokar Cadek (violin)

Ludwig Schwab (viola)

Jaroslav Siskovsky (violin)

Bedrich Vaska (cello)

Brunswick 25018 X13179-X13180 5/28/1924