Josef Myslivecek

Josef Mysliveček

Posthumous portrait by Jan Vilímek based on an earlier engraving

Source: Wikipedia

Born in Prague on 9 March 1737, Josef Mysliveček spent nigh all of his career in Italy while helping put the Bohemian region on the musical map during the classical period as "il Buomo" (the Bohemian). Along with oratorios and 26 opera serie, almost all of which address historical subjects, Myslivecek wrote concerti, sonatas and symphonies, joining such as Cristoph Gluck as one of the more important Czech composers of his period.

Mysliveček's father was an upper-class mill owner able to send Josef to Charles-Ferdinand University. Returning to the trade of his father, Mysliveček became a master miller in 1761, only to quit that profession to now pursue music. Myslivecek is highly unique as classical composers go insofar as he didn't study one note as a child, he twenty-four years old before taking up music. When he finally did he became student to Josef Seger, then journeyed to Venice in 1763 to learn from Giovanni Pescetti.

Myslivecek's first opera, 'Semiramide', was performed at the Teatro di Citadella in Bergamo in northern Italy in the summer of 1766 with a libretto by Metastasio. That was a strong work, yet only the potential of Myslivecek's second opera, 'Il Bellerofonte', that premiering on 20 January 1767 at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples with a libretto by Giuseppe Bonecchi. 'Il Bellerofonte' is a mythical drama concerning the lovers, Bellerofonte, son of the king of Corinth, and Argene, daughter of Ariobate who disapproves of their relationship due that Bellerofonte's birthright has been usurped by one Clearco. Everybody knows that a king without a throne isn't fit for royal marriage, such the trouble to be addressed.

'Il Bellerofonte'   3 acts   Opera by Josef Mysliveček

Premiere at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples on 20 Jan 1767

Libretto by Giuseppe Bonecchi

Czech Philharmonic Chorus / Prague Chamber Orchestra / Zoltan Peskó

Myslivecek's third opera was 'Farnace' with libretto by Antonio Maria Lucchini premiering on 4 November 1767 in Naples at the Teatro San Carlo [IMSLP]. It was another libretto by Metastasio for 'Il trionfo di Clelia' premiering at the Teatro Regio Turin on 26 December 1767 [libretto]. Myslivecek would set a total of sixteen of Metastasio's texts for opera during his career. Come 'Motezuma' in early 1771 with libretto by Cigna-Santi addressing the Aztec ruler, Moctezuma II (c 1471-1518).

'Motezuma'   3 acts   Opera by Josef Mysliveček

Premiere at the Teatro della Pergola in Florence on 23 Jan 1771

Libretto by Vittorio Amedeo Cigna-Santi

The Czech Ensemble Baroque / Roman Válek   16 July 2011

Mysliveček never married, but he could count Mozart among his friends. They had first met in 1770 in Bologna when Mozart was fourteen, to remain in contact until 1778. It is thought that his violin concertos below arrived during the early years of that association in 1772 at latest, perhaps inspired by Tartini. The correct chronological order of titles below isn't determined:

'Violin Concerto'   A major   Josef Mysliveček   C 1770-72

Dvořák Chamber Orchestra / Libor Pešek   Violin: Shizuka Ishikawa

'Violin Concerto'   E major   Josef Mysliveček   C 1770-72

Dvořák Chamber Orchestra / Libor Pešek   Violin: Shizuka Ishikawa

'Violin Concerto'   F major   Josef Mysliveček   C 1770-72

Dvořák Chamber Orchestra / Libor Pešek   Violin: Shizuka Ishikawa

It was an oratorio by Metastasio called 'La passione di nostro Signore Gesu Cristo' in 1773, which Antonio Caldera had first put to music for Holy Week in 1730. Come 'Antigona' by Mysliveček with a libretto by Gaetano Roccaforte to the Teatro Regio in Turin on 26 December 1773. This not to be confused with his final opera of 1780, 'Antigono', with libretto by Metastasio. Mysliveček's 'Cello Concerto' in C major further below arrived sometime prior to 1780 in the latter seventies.

'La Passione di Nostro Signore Gesu Cristo'    Oratorio by Josef Mysliveček

Premiere in Florence on 24 March 1773

Libretto by Gaetano Roccaforte

Chorus Musicus Köln / Das Neue Orchester   Christoph Spering

'Antigona'   Act 1 of 3   Opera by Josef Mysliveček

Premiere at the Teatro Regio in Turin on 26 Dec 1773

Libretto by Gaetano Roccaforte

Armel Opera Competition and Festival of 2011

Directed by Andreas Rosar   Szeged Symphony Orchestra   Moritz Caffier

'Isacco, figura del Redentore'   Oratorio by Josef Mysliveček

Premiere at the Casino della Nobiltà in Florence on 10 March 1776

Staged later that year in Munich as 'Abraham and Isaac'

Libretto by Metastasio 1740

Kühn Mixed Choir / Sinfonietta Praha   Ivan Parik

IMSLP   Wikipedia

'Cello Concerto'   C major   Josef Mysliveček   Before 1780

Camerata Chicago / Drostan Hall   Cello: Wendy Warner

It had been about 1777 that things began to turn sad for Myslivecek concurrent with becoming victim to tertiary syphilis, resulting in the disfigurement of his face worsened by a doctor attempting to cure it. In as little time as it took to learn composing and produce his first successful opera in the early sixties Myslivecek went from "full of fire, spirit and life" as Mozart described him, to spending the last few years of his life ill and not real popular for it while composing failures like 'Armida' which kept him in poverty. That may or may not have premiered anonymously in Lucca as early as August of 1778, but was certainly performed in Milan on 26 December of 1779. Mozart had nevertheless been drawn to the aria, 'Il caro mio bene', in Scene I of Act III which Myslivecek had earlier written in 1773 or 1774. Mozart rearranged it with a different text to his own purposes as 'Ridente la Calma' sometime between 1773 and 1775, catalogued as KV 152 (K⁶ 210a) [Paton].

Metastasio's sixteenth and last libretto put to music by Myslivecek was also his last opera, 'Antogono', premiering at the Teatro delle Dame in Rome on 5 April 1780. Metastasio's 'Antigono' had first been set to music in 1744 by Johann Adolph Hasse. Again, it's not to be confused with his earlier 'Antigona' of 1773 with libretto by Roccaforte. Howsoever, Myslivecek's fall from charm and a highly promising career to a cathedral gargoyle arrived rapidly, he dying not yet 44 years of age on 4 February 1781, likely of syphilis.

Recordings of Mysliveček: Catalogs:

All Music   Discogs   Music Brainz   RYM

Recordings of Mysliveček: Select:

La passione di nostro Signore Gesu Cristo (oratorio by the Chorus Musicus Kiln & Das Neue Orchester w Christoph Spering / 2004):

MusicWeb International   Johan van Veen

Musicalics (vendor)

ScorSer

A Composer Forgotten to All but Mozart (Daniel J. Wakin / New York Times / 2007)

Josef Myslivecek "Il Boemo" (Daniel Freeman / Harmonie Park Press / 2009):

Google Books   Jstor