In 1579 or early 1580, Handl was appointed choirmaster to the Bishop of Olomouc, Stanislaus Pavlovsky;, whom he served for 5 years and who had a high regard for him. From 1586 until his untimely death in 1591, he lived as an active musician-composer in Prague as Kantor at St. Jan na Br“zechu. The literary society here included many prominent citizens and one of its functions was to perform choral music. The chaplain-composer from the Imperial court of Rudolf II dedicated one of his compositions to Handl so highly was he thought of.

The only criticism of Handl’s music during his lifetime seems to have been for the compliexity of his music. In his 3rd book of Opus Musicum, he felt obliged to defend the number of voices he used in his polychoral works (one work used 24 voices. Handl’s polychoral music represents a summation of an era, a fascinating blend of the styles and techniques of the day. His Opus Musicum (four books) contains 445 motets for the whole liturgical year. Latin was the consistent language used. He also wrote 20 Masses and some secular works as well.

His music displays a distinct Netherlands influence, particularly that of Lassus. He exploited the possibilities of a cappella polychoral idioms as fully as any Venetian and he clearly had an ear for unusual choral sonorities while always avoiding dense, word-obscuring textures. He manages the rhythmic relationships between words and notes with great sensitivity. His music shows a preponderance of full triadic harmony and numerous chromatic progressions, many of which arise from the juxtaposition of chords whose roots lie a third apart. The association between text and melody is particularly sympathetic, and there is a good deal of word-painting.   

Handl organized much of his music in abstract formal patterns, demonstrating an unusually firm grasp of the principles of formal balance and contrast that were so conspicuously to inform 17th-century music. Much of his music seems remarkably tonal; at the very least, it attests to his awareness of the implications of major-minor polarity.

Pater Noster by Jacob Handl is a masterpiece of polychoral music writing from the 16th century, a gem in the choral repertoire adapting very well to to wind and string sonorities.

Pater Noster by Jacob Handl / edited by Joel Blahnik is available from API in the following editions
        
                • Symphonic Band   AP-639
                • Clarinet and Saxophone Ensemble AP-267
                • Saxophone Choir AP-266
                • Brass Choir AP-370
                • Trombone Choir   AP-368
                • String Orchestra   AP-453
                • SATB Double Choir   AP-1188

In addition to composition, John Harmon is active as a keyboard performer, teacher and poet. He initiated the Jazz Studies program at the Lawrence Conservatory and founded the critically acclaimed jazz nonet, Matrix, which toured and recorded extensively throughout the 1970s. Known as 'Wisconsin's Gentle Poet of Jazz,' he is highly regarded for his sensitive nature and is held in high regard by people of all ages who have experienced his keyboard stylings.

Residing in Winneconne, Wisconsin with his family, Mr. Harmon presently teaches at UW-Oshkosh, serves as a church choir director, maintains an engaging performance schedule, and enjoys the sport of golf and baseball. These activities enhance the substance of his compositional craft.

GRATEFUL HEART (8 choral anthems) SATB AP-114 $3.50

I AM THE GLAD EARTH (3:30) AP-120 Solo Vocal/Pno $4. AP-120 V4 SATB $1.25 AP-621 Band Set $50. Gr 3

IF I WAS A PRAYIN' MAN - SATB a cappella AP-1021 $ 2.

IF YOU SHOULD ASK ME - Unison Children's Song/Piano AP-185 $3.50

LET IT BE YOU, O LORD AP-105 SATB/Piano or Organ $2. AP-1132 H High Voc Solo /Pno $4.95 AP-1132 L Low Voc Solo/Pno $4.95

MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN PLANNED - CD Vocal Jazz Sgr-Janet Planet, Harmon-Jazz Pianist AP-021 CD $15.

SIMPLE THINGS and CHILD OF LOVE - Two Christmas Songs for Children AP-109 Solo/Piano $5. AP-109 Treble oct/Pno $1.25

SO LONGS MY SOUL FOR THEE, O GOD AP-105 SATB/Pno $2. AP-1120 H High Voc Solo /Pno $4.95 AP-1120 L Low Voc Solo/Pno $4.95

SPIRIT EAGLE - SATB div/Pno AP-166 $2.50

TO SERVE BUT YOU, O LORD AP-167 SATB/Piano $1.25 AP-1119 H High Voc Solo /Pno $4.95 AP-1119 L Low Voc Solo/Pno $4.95

YONDER STAR IS SHINING - Christmas Carol Suite (12') AP-108 2-part Voc /Pno/Fl/Cello - $3.

TENDER COMPASSION - (In the Tender Compassion,Whom Should I Fear? Advent Penitential Rite) Gtr-Vocal $1.25.

E-m: martinhotton@cwctv.net

For Czechoslovak Radio, he made a number of recordings featuring old and contemporary organ music by both Czech and leading world composers.

A hallmark of Karel Hron's professional life has been partnership with other prominent Czechoslovak and foreign vocal and instrumental soloists and ensembles with whom he has made tours to France, Austria, the German Democratic Republic, the German Federal Republic, Spain and Denmark. He took part in the Prague Spring Music Festival, the Krnten Festival in Ossiach, the Handel Festival in Halle, and gave concerts in Dresden, Vienna, Salzburg, Chrartres, Rouen, Paris, and Bourges among other places.

Reviews consistently stress his sensitivity to sound colors, the purity of his playing style, his rhythmical accuracy and expressive performances. His repertoire includes masterpieces of baroque composers, mainly J. S. Bach, and romantic as well as contemporary Czech and foreign composers. He chooses his programs with remarkable inventiveness.

Among his recordings are Les orgues historiques de Prague, Charlin-Paris; Orgeln aus dem goldenen Prag, Schwann-Dusseldorf; and others for the Panton-Prague label.

Professor Hron has completed a lifetime of teaching at the State Conservatory of Music in Prague and of being the organist for Charles University. Since his academic teaching retirement, he continues an active professional life of music as a free-lance artist in cooperation with other artists.

Organ Works published by Alliance Publications, Inc. are: " CHORALE for Trpt (Trbn) solo and Organ AP-528 Chorale was written in 1994 based on the ancient chorale to the patron of the Czech Republic, St. Wenceslaus (Svaty Vaclav, in Czech). He performed it in the original key of A minor with Professor of Trumpet, Josef Svejkovsky, playing a C-trumpet. For publication, it was lowered a whole step to accomodate many more performers of the Bb trumpet as well as the trombone.

CHORALE - Trumpet or Trombone solo /Organ AP-528 $5.

" MARIAN SONGS FROM BOHEMIA - C instrument & Organ (C trp, Vln, Fl) AP-542 Viola AP-498

" TEMPUS ADVENTUS - Organ & Trpt (SATB -1 title in collection) AP-5046

HUDBA NA SVATE HORE U PRIBRAMI (Music from Holy Hill, Pribram, Czech Republic) Trumpet, Choir and Organ music from this famous Pilgrimage site Josef Svejkovsky, Trpt; Karel Hron, Org. AP-007 CS Cassette Tape $10.

Jan immediately displayed a most remarkable ability and at age 7 when his father moved toVienna, Mozart was so impressed with the child's playing that he offered to give him music lessons. Hummel then lived with Mozart for 2 years and in spite of informal and irregular lessons, he made immense progress, and Mozart predicted a brilliant future for him.

At age 9, Hummel made his first appearance at a concert given by Mozart. So successful was this performance that his father decided to take the boy on a European tour a year later through Bohemia, Germany and Denmark which continued to progress through the British Isles and ended in London where the boy received instruction from Clementi. At age 10, he gave a concert at Oxford which included an original piano quartet. Hummel remained in London until the age of 14 and toured his way home to Vienna in 1793.

When he was 15 years of age, he devoted himself to study composition under the senior master Albrechtsberger and with the suggestion of Haydn sought dramatic compositional advice from Salieri. His performance tours took him into Russia.

At age 26, he accepted the revered post of Kappelmeister to Prince Esterhazy at Eisenstadt, formerly famed by Haydn. Hummel remained here until 1811. It was during this time that an unusual estrangement came between him and Beethoven. This circumstance remained throughout Beethoven's lifetime, and it was not until Beethoven's last days that the old misunderstanding faded away.

Hummel was dismissed from this post because of neglect of duties and then moved back to Vienna. His career then embraced a great deal of touring as a performer and also conductor through-out all of Europe and Russia. From 1819, he lived in Weimar where he was a close friend of Goethe and often performed at the poet's house.

In appearance, Hummel was a large man and rather ungainly. His face was that of a healthy business man with an abundance of common sense and savoir-faire. He married Elisabeth Rchl, an opera singer, in 1813.

Hummel was considered a brilliant virtuoso and wherever he appeared, he achieved very distinct success. He had the gift of improvisation, rivaling that of Beethoven, and was highly respected not so much for the performance of his own compositions, but rather for the interpretation of other composers. It is interesting to note that the symphonies of Beethoven became known to many people through the medium of Hummel's piano duet arrangements of his colleague.

It was this element of intrepretation that altered the system of musical ornamentation. Prior to Hummel, trill notes began upon the auxiliary note, a style attributed to C. P. E. Bach. Hummel's suggestion was to start the ornamentation upon the principle note and that has remained with us to this day.

It should also be noted that Czerny was a pupil of both Beethoven and Hummel and that the playing of Hummel was a "revelation to him," and that he, in turn, was a teacher of Liszt. Therefore, much indebtness to our modern piano school was born out of Hummel's activities. Not only pianists, but composers felt Hummel's influence which is clearly evident in the early works of Chopin and Schumann. He was considered in his time to be one of Europe's greatest composers and perhaps its greatest pianist.

Grove's Dictionary of Music lists over 175 compositions'stage works, church music, orchestral works, piano and orchestral works, chamber music, a host of solo instruments with piano, and a very impressive repertoire of piano solos. Clearly he is to be considered one of the world's most impressive musicians.

In 1827, the Hummels and his student Ferdinand Hiller hastily made their way to Vienna to visit the dying Beethoven. Their meeting saw a final reconciliation; Hummel was a pall-bearer at the funeral, and at the memorial concert, following Beethoven's wishes, improvised on themes from the dead composer's works. During this stay Hummel met Schubert and delighted him with improvisations on Schubert's compositions. Schubert dedicated his three last piano sonatas to Hummel, presumably hoping he would perform them, but because they were not published until after the death of both men, the publisher changed the dedication to Schumann.

In the remaining three years of Hummel's life, illness reduced his activity to almost nothing. His death was regarded as the passing of an era and was appropiately marked in Vienna by a performance of Mozart's Requiem.

The Octet in Eb is evident of the Vienese style of composition that was birthed out of Hummel's studies with Mozart, Haydn, Salieri, Clementi, Albrechtsberger and colleagues such as Beethoven, Hiller, and Czerny. It is a work reflecting the charm, energy and clarity of this very talented virtuoso.

You may order directly from us with school purchase order or personal check.

FOUR-HAND FUN! - J N Hummel, ed. by Anita Smisek Piano Duets - beginners (March, Polka, Waltz, Mazurka)
AP-510 $5.
OCTET IN Eb - Mvt 1 - transcribed by Kay T. Gainacopulus Saxophone Choir
AP-203 $20.

As a college student, Theophane showed increasing skill in the area of composition. While doing private study in advanced counterpoint at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music (Milwaukee), she diligently explored the world of harmony and musical analysis. She remembers: "Then one day I felt I had crossed the threshold, and that I was now on the inside of a composer's laboratory--no longer on the outside looking in."

After completing an advanced degree in organ from the conservatory in 1941, Hytrek, a member of the School Sisters of St. Francis, Milwaukee, taught music at Alverno College. During this time, she commuted once a week for four years to DePaul University in Chicago to study composition with Samuel Lieberson. In 1945, Theophane completed the FAGO examination and in 1948 earned her master's degree in composition from DePaul University. During the summer of 1946, she studied with Marcel Dupre; while he was visiting-professor at the University of Chicago. She considered him a major influence in her musical life.

In 1953, Hytrek began studies for a doctorate at the Eastman School of Music, where she was a composition student of Bernard Rogers. Her Prelude and Allegro for Oboe and Piano, in the style of Dello Joio, was awarded first place in 1960 by the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors. She received her doctorate in 1957 with a major in composition .

She was the chairperson of the Alverno College music department from 1956-1968, remaining there as full professor until 1984. In 1989, she was awarded the title of professor emerita. During her tenure as department chairperson, majors in applied music, music education, and music therapy increased dramatically. During the 1960\s, a course of study leading to a Certificate in Church Music was made available under Hytrek's leadership.

Professionally, Theophane was significantly active in the forefront of national organizations as a planner, board member, presenter, and performing musician, the formation of the National Catholic Music Educators Association (NCMEA) in 1942, the Church Music Association of America in 1966, the Composers Forum for Catholic Worship in 1970, and the annual Symposium for Church composers and Liturgists begun in 1981, she being the co-founder. She was an active member of the American Guild of Organists (AGO) for over 50 years serving as national registrar from 1971-1974 and councillor from 1975-1979. Since 1981, she was a member of the Guild\s certification committee and helped establish the CAGO examination. Recitals, masterclasses, and workshops for the AGO and other professional organizations were a natural part of her life.

Special commissions invited significant compositions from Theophane, such as Psalm 83 (84), Psalms, Festival Fanfare, and Postlude-Partita on the Old One-Hundredth. Liturgical renewal spawned many compositions such as Masses, motets, psalm settings, music for liturgical rites as well organ accompaniments for contemporary liturgical songs.

Theophane's compositions were performed at the First Annual Congress of Women Composers in 1981 in New York City and in 1984 at the American Composers Festival of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Her achievements both in composition and church music were recognized by St. Joseph College in Resselaer, Indiana, when, in 1978, she was awarded an honorary doctor of sacred music degree. In 1983, Marquette University bestowed on her an honorary doctor of fine arts degree.

In 1990, Theophane was the first musician and woman to receive the Berakah Award from the North American Academy of Liturgy. The award proclaims:

At the keyboard and in the choirloft, In the classroom, recital hall, and for the assembly Your teeming accoustical imagination Has sounded Kyrie and thanksgiving, Doxa and delight, pathos and power Through half a century and more. Your love insists that organ and all instruments conjoin, That the music of earth and heaven combine Whereby every living thing may praise the Lord.

To have known Sister Theophane Hytrek is to have experienced wholesome joyfulness, simplicity, gentleness, and generosity. She was humble in the truest sense, knowing her gifts so as to place them at the service of God and neighbor.

Her last recital took place at St. Joseph Convent Chapel on August 7, 1992, when she performed her organ work, Rhapsody on TE DEUM. She died suddenly on August 13, 1992, while teaching on the faculty of the school for organists sponsored by the National Association of Pastoral Musicians held at Alverno College.

Publishers of her music are McLaughlin & Reilly, World Library Publications, Inc., G.I.A. Publications, Inc., Hope Publishing Company, ICEL, Augsburg, Associated Music Publisher, Inc., Fema Music Publications and Alliance Publications, Inc.

PSALM 83 (84) - SATB, Cong. and Organ AP-143 $2.