TEML, JIŘÍ (b. 1935)

Czech composer, Jiří Teml, was born in Vimperk, Bohemia (today's Czech Republic) on June 24, 1935. In the 1960's and early 70's, he studied theory and composition with Bohumil Dušek and Jiří Jaroch. He began his professional career in 1976 as producer of music division at Plzeň Radio and in 1980 joined Radio Prague as producer of classical music programs.

 

His first critical success came in 1972 when he took third prize at the Prague Spring Music Festival for his organ Fantasia appassionata. Initially his compositional style was influenced by Stravinsky, Martinů, Janáček and Kabeláč. In the 1970's, after studying techniques of composers of the Polish School and of Ligeti, Teml adopted a musical language dominated by consideration for color and contrast. He continues to employ controlled aleatorism. Representative of this later style are Inventions, 1977, the Violin Concerto (1979) and especially the Fantasie for Violin, Harp and Orchestra (1983), eg. Symphony No. 2 (War with the Newts after Karel Čapek) and Symphony No. 3, Kafka. His music also betrays influences of Czech folk music of which he is an expert - for many years, he had collaborated with the Plzeň Radio Folk Ensemble.

 

His compositional output includes works for orchestra, many vocal and choral numbers much chamber music, works for organ, and a childrens' opera The Emperor's New Clothes (after Hans Christian Anderson). His publishers include Panton, International, Supraphon, Triga, Barenreiter, Eset, Santa Barbara Music Publishing and Alliance Publications, Inc.