DOUSA, EDUARD (b. 1951)

Czech composer, Eduard Dousa, was born August 31, 1951 in Prague, Czechoslovakia. His musical studies took place in Prague at Charles University where he studied musicology, graduating in 1971. He did his graduate and doctoral degree music theory and composition studies under Professors Dvořák, Laburda, Sommer and V. Dobiáš at the Academy of Musical Arts in Prague graduating in 1977. He is a Professor of Music at the Conservatory of Music and at the Department of Musicology of Charles University in Prague.

 

Dousa's compositional style follows the tradition of western European music and the Czech music composers of the last quarter of the 20th century (Bartók, Britten, Hindemith, Bořkovec, Krejčí, Martinů). For him, the most important thing about composition is having an understandable form, harmony and expressive melody. He often writes for particular musicians, eg. violinist Jaroslav Svěcený, trumpet players Vladimir Rejlek or M. Lastovka, Panocha Quartet, Bohemia Quartet, etc.

 

Among his many compositions are works for: Orchestra Sinfonietta meditativa, Concertino per tromba, Concerto per 4 sassofoni, Melodia gioia per orchestra da camera Solo Instruments, Comeback for piano, Sonata per pianoforte Chamber Music, Jazz tones for 4 saxophones I., II., Uno per quattro (flauto, oboe, chitarra, violoncello), Divertimento I., II. per 2 clarinetti e fagotto, String quartet Piano Music for Children, Miniatures for piano, Suita postmoderna for piano, Little music for 20 fingers (piano - 4 hands), Sonatina per clarinetto e pianoforte, 3 little suites for guitar, Summer Sonata for saxophone and piano, Variations on a baroque theme for strings, and many compositions for Czech Radio and over 100 compositions for fairy tales, mini-opera for children, songs for children, etc.