Description

JAN KUBELIK (MICHLE, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC, 5 JULY, 1880 – PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC, 5 DECEMBER, 1940)

 

 

 

 

His father, a gardener by occupation, was an amateur violinist. He taught his two sons the violin and after discovering the talent of Jan, who was aged five at the time, arranged for him to study with Karel Weber and Karel Ondříček. Aged eight he studied at the Prague Conservatory with Otakar Ševčík, of whose technique he became the most famous representative. As a child, he used to practice 10 to 12 hours a day, or “until my fingers started to bleed.” After 1898, he toured as a soloist, soon becoming renowned for his great virtuosity and flawless intonation, and his very full and noble tone. He played a Guarneri del Gesù and also two Stradivarius violins: he acquired the 1715 Stradivarius Emperor in 1910. After great success following his debut in Vienna, and in London (where he first appeared at a Hans Richter concert in 1900), Kubelík toured in the USA in 1901 for the first time. He made his first appearance for the Royal Philharmonic Society, London in the season of 1901-2, and in 1902 was awarded the Society’s Gold Medal (in succession to Eugène Ysaÿe). In 1902 he brought the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra to London, having assisted it financially in the previous year. In 1903 he married Countess Anna Julie Marie Széll von Bessenyö (born 1 March 1880 in Budapest), niece of former Prime Minister of Hungary Kálmán Széll, with whom he had eight children, five violinist daughters and three sons, among them conductor Rafael Kubelík. He wrote music, including six violin concertos, and continued to perform in public until his death, with a pause between the end of World War I and 1920, during which period he composed. In 1920 he resumed his concert career, but with the advent of Jascha Heifetz, his career dwindled somewhat. In 1917, he was elected as an honorary member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia music fraternity by the fraternity’s Alpha Chapter at the New England Conservatory in Boston.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

Berceuse, op. 56 (Drdla) 62574 xPh 4554 Fonotipia, Milano 1911-03-01

Cadenza del Concerto Paganini in D Major 74086 xxPh 4556 Fonotipia, Milano 1911-05-30

Capriccio in G minor, Op. 1, no. 6 (Paganini) 74085 xxPh 4558 Fonotipia, Milano 1911-05-30

Cavatina in D major, op. 85, no. 3 (Raff) 62036 xPh 2400 Fonotipia, Milano 1907-02-01

Danse Hongroise (Nachez) 39163 xPh 272 Fonotipia, Milano 1905-05-01

Danzas Españolas no. 6 (Sarasate) 74083 xxPh 4305 Fonotipia, Milano 1910-04-10

Faust (Gounod-Wieniawski) Fantaisie brillante, op. 20 39164 xPh 273 Fonotipia, Milano 1905-05-01

Kinderszenen, op. 15 – Träumerei (Schumann) 39194 xPh 285 Fonotipia, Milano 1905-05-01

La ronde des lutins – Scherzo fantastique, op. 25 (Bazzini) 39195 xPh 295 Fonotipia, Milano 1905-05-01

Le cygne (Saint-Saëns) 62497 xPh 4557 Fonotipia, Milano 1911-05-30

Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti arr. St. Lubin) Sestetto 69010 xxPh 283 Fonotipia, Milano 1905-05-01

 

Moto perpetuo (Nicolò Paganini, op.11) 39192 xPh 276 Fonotipia, Milano 1905-05-01

Poème, op. 41, no. 14 (Fibich) 62573 xPh 4552 Fonotipia, Milano 1911-05-30

Scherzo Tarantelle, op. 16 (Wieniawski) 39884 xPh 2231 Fonotipia, Milano 1906-11-01

Serenade (Drdla) 39193 xPh 284 Fonotipia, Milano 1905-05-01

Sérénade de Pierrot (Randegger) 62603 xPh 4559 Fonotipia, Milano 1911-05-30

Serenade, Op. 4 (D’Ambrosio) 39191 xPh 271Fonotipia, Milano 1905-05-01

Serenata Napoletana (Sgambati) 62496 xPh 4553Fonotipia, Milano 1911-05-30

Souvenir (Drdla) 39162 xPh 270 Fonotipia, Milano 1905-05-01

Variations on the National Hymn ‘God save the King’, Op. 9 (Paganini) 69013 xxPh 275 Fonotipia, Milano 1905-05-01

Vision (Drdla) 62037 xPh 2401 Fonotipia, Milano 1907-02-02

Zapateado – Danza spagnola, Op.23-2 (Sarasate) 74083 xxPh 4305 Fonotipia, Milano 1910-04-10

Zephyr, op. 30, no. 5 (Hubay) 39925 xPh 2228 Fonotipia, Milano 1906-11-01

Zingaresca (Sarasate) 74084 xxPh 2405 Fonotipia, Milano 1911-05-30

 

Capriccio (Fiorillo-Randegger) (Gabriel Lapierre piano) 3-7955 y16573e Gramophone 1913.5.7, London

Caprice Op. 3-28 (Fiorello) (Gabriel Lapierre piano) 07987 7329f HMV 1913.5.7, London

Carmen Habanera (Bizet-Sarasate) 7967 4601b G&T 1903.11.21  London

Carmen Suite Chanson bohème (Bizet-Sarasate) 27956 4602b G&T 1903.11.21 London

Concerto No. 2 Finale (Wieniawski) (Gabriel Lapierre piano) 07989 7327f HMV 1913.5.7, London

Concerto Op. 35 Canzonetta (Thaikovsky) 07979 Ho672m HMV 1912.12, Bychora

Dudziarz mazurka Op 19-2 (Wieniawski) 07952 5124f HMV 1911.7.3, London

Faust Fantasia (Gounod) private 2704W G&T 1902.10.26, London

Humoreske Op. 101-7 (Dvorak-Kreisler) 07981 Ho676m HMV 1912.12, Bychora

La ronde des lutins (Bazzini) 07901 408c G&T 1904.10.20 London

Melodie (Gluck-Wilhelmj) 07978 Ho671m Gramophone 1912.12, Bychora

Perpetuum mobile (Suite No. 3)(Ries) 07954 5128f  HMV 1911.7.3, London

 

Pierrot serenade Op 33-1 (Randegger) 07951 5123f HMV 1911.7.3, London

Romance Andaluza Op. 22 (Sarasate) 07977 Ho670m Gramophone, 1912.12, Bychora

Romance in A K Anh 205 (not Mozart) Ho668m 07976 HMV 1912.12, Bychora

Romance in D Major Op 9 (d’Ambrosio) private 2700W  G&T 1902.10.26, London

Romance Op. 44-1 (Rubinstein) 07986 7330f (Gabriel Lapierre piano) Gramophone 1913.5.7, London

Serenade No. 1 in A (Drdla) 7956 2701 W2 G&T 1902.10.26, London

Sextette from Lucia di Lammermoor (St.-Lubin) G&T 7957 2703 2W 1902.10.26, London

Souvenir (Drdla) 07980 Ho674m Gramophone 1912.12, Bychora

Spanish dance No 8, Op. 26 (Sarasate) 07988 7328f (Gabriel Lapierre piano) Gramophone 1913.5.7, London

Theme & Pizzicato – Nel cor non più mi sento (Paisello-Paganini) 7961 4605b G&T 1903.11.21

Zapateado Op. 23-2 (Sarasate) 07953 5126f HMV 1911.7.3, London

Zigeunerweisen Op. 20 (Sarasate) 07982 Ho677m Gramophone 1912.12, Bychora

 

Air for G string (Bach) George Falkenstein (piano) Victor 64390 B-13892 10/1/1913 Camden, New Jersey

Ave Maria (Gounod) Nellie Melba (soprano vocal), Gabriel Lapierre (piano) Victor 89073 C-13897 10/2/1913 Camden, New Jersey

Re pastore (Mozart) L’amerò, sarò costante Nellie Melba (soprano vocal), Gabriel Lapierre (piano) Victor 89074 C-13896 10/2/1913 Camden, New Jersey

Romance in E flat (Rubinstein-Wilhelmj) George Falkenstein (piano) Victor 74365 C-13877 9/30/1913 Camden, New Jersey

Romanza Andaluza (Sarasate) George Falkenstein (piano) Victor 74367 C-13879 9/30/1913 Camden, New Jersey

Second concerto Finale (Wieniawski) (piano Gabriel Lapierre) Victor 74370 C-13878 9/30/1913 Camden, New Jersey

Sixth sonata Adagio and allegro (Handel) (piano George Falkenstein) 74368 C-13876-2 9/30/1913 Camden, New Jersey

Spanish dance no. 8 (Sarasate) (piano George Falkenstein) Victor 74366 C-13880 9/30/1913 Camden, New Jersey

 

Burlesque (Kubelik) 1934 R 413, London, (piano Alfred Holecek) Ultraphon

Canzonetta (Kubelik) 1934 R 415, London, (piano Alfred Holecek) Ultraphon

Octaves Dance (Kubelik) 1934 R 409, London, (piano Alfred Holecek) Ultraphon

Romanza andaluza (Sarasate) 1934 R 438, London, (piano Alfred Holecek) Ultraphon

Souvenir de Moscou, part 2 (Wieniawski-Kubelik) 1934 R 431, London, (piano Alfred Holecek) Ultraphon

Tarantelle, part 2 (Kubelik) 1934 R 419, London, (piano Alfred Holecek) Ultraphon