Karel Kovařovic
Illustration — Portrait by Jan Vilímek Karel Kovařovic (9 December 1862 6 December 1920) was a Czech composer and conductor from Prague.
Also recorded as Karel Kovarovic
Karel Kovařovic

Jan Vilímek · Humoristické listy, roč. 1884, č. 21, digitized by Czech Academy of Sciences · Public domain
- Born
- 1862 · Prague.
- Died
- 1920 · Podolí.
- Nationality
- Austria–Hungary
- Occupation
- composer · conductor · musicologist · dramaturge · translator · harpist · clarinetist · pianist
- Fields
- opera · classical music
- Education
- Prague Conservatory
- Languages
- Czech
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Illustration — Portrait by Jan Vilímek Karel Kovařovic (9 December 1862 6 December 1920) was a Czech composer and conductor from Prague.
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museum · 8dfa11a1-fdb2-4d91-8c1d-b65a142cb4f5 · wikidata · Q2099524 · wikipedia · Karel Kovařovic
In this article
Life
Life
From 1873 to 1879 he studied clarinet, harp and piano at the Prague Conservatory. He began his career as a harpist. In 1900 Kovařovic became the conductor of the national theatre in Prague, due mostly to the success of his opera Psohlavci (The Dogheads), after the novel of the same name (about Jan Sladký Kozina) by Alois Jirásek. His engagement at the National Theatre lasted twenty years, until 1920. He composed seven operas. Kovařovic is most remembered today for the revisions he made to Leoš Janáček's Jenůfa for its premiere in Prague, and it was in his version that the opera was heard for many years. A recording of The Dogheads, featuring Beno Blachut, exists.
Orchestra
Orchestra
• 1880 Předehra veseloherní (Comic overture) • 1883 Únos Persefony, symphonic poem • 1887 Concerto in f mineur, for piano and orchestra, op. 6 • 1892 Předehra dramatická (Dramatic overture) • 1900 Fantasie from the opera "Prodaná nevěsta" of Bedřich Smetana • Deux suites de ballet • Gavotta, for violin and string quartet, op. 4 • Havířská polka (Miners' polka) from play Mr Brouček's excursion to the Exhibition (1894) • Valčík (waltz), for chamber orchestra
Works for wind band
Works for wind band
• 1911 Lustspiel Ouverture • 1914 Vzpomínky • Havířská polka
Operas
Operas
• Years composed — title — acts — première — libretto • 1882–1883 — Ženichové (The Bridgrooms) — 3 acts — 13 May 1884, Prague, Prague National Theatre — Antonín Koukl after Simeon Karel Macháček • 1885 — Cesta oknem (The Way through the Window), op. 4 — 1 act — 11 February 1886, Prague, Prague National Theatre — Emanuel František Züngel, after Eugène Scribe and Gustave Lemoine • 1890–1891 — Noc Šimona a Judy (The Night of Saint Simon and Jude) — 3 acts — 5 November 1892, Prague National Theatre — Karel Šípek after Pedro Antonio de Alarcón • 1891 — Edip král (Oedipus rex) — 3-act opera-parody — 19 March 1894, Prague Žofín Hall — August Vojtěch Nevšímal after Sophocles • 1895–1897 — Psohlavci (The Dogheads) — 3 acts, 6 scènes — 24 April 1898, Prague National Theatre — Karel Šípek after Alois Jirásek • 1898–1901 — Na Starém bělidle (At the old bleachery) — 4 scènes — 22 November 1901, Prague National Theatre — Karel Šípek afterBožena Němcová • 1905 — Slib (The Promise) — Prologue only — 9 December 1921, Prague, Prague National Theatre — Karel Šípek after R Zamrzla
Ballet
Ballet
• Composed in — title — acts — première — libretto — choreography • 1884 — Hašiš — 1 act, 2 scenes — 20 June 1884, Prague National Theatre — Václav Reisingra • 1889 — Pohádka o nalezeném štěstí (Fairy tale of found fortune) — 3 acts, 7 scenes — 8 April 1889, Prague National Theatre — Augustin Berger • 1889 — Královničky (Little Queens) • 1889 — Sedm havranů (Seven Ravens) • 1909 — Na Záletech (Love Affairs) — 10 scènes — 1909, Prague — A. Viscusi
Incidental music
Incidental music
• 1918 Loutkářův sirotek, melodrama – text: Svatopluk Čech "Ve stínu lípy" • Zlatý kolovrat, melodrama – text: Karel Jaromír Erben
Works for choir
Works for choir
• 1890 Královničky; staré obřadné tance moravské se zpěvy, for women (SSAA) en piano (of harmonium)
Song
Song
• 1880 Osmero písní, for soprano and piano, op. 1 • 1885 Tři žertovné písně (Three humorous songs) • 1887 Jarní květy (Spring blossoms), for soprano and piano, op. 7 • 1892–1893 Čtyři písně (Four songs), op. 18 • Der Abendstern – text: August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben • Gottes Nähe • Frühlings Mahnung – text: August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben • Im Arm der Liebe schlummre ein – text: Georg Scheurlin • 1897–1898 Dvě písně (Two songs), for soprano or tenor and piano • 1915 Slovácká píseň, for high voice and piano – text: Ema Destinnová • 1919 Svítání (Dayspring), for voice and orchestra – text: Vojtěch Martínek
Chamber music
Chamber music
• String quartet No 1 (1885) • String quartet No 2 (1887) • String quartet No 3 (1889) • Romance for violin and piano, op. 2
Works for piano
Works for piano
• 1885 Co ti to napadá, polka • 1910 Deux valses, • 1910 Polka • 1910 Deux mazurkas • Čtverylka, quadrille • Národní tance • Pasačka • Starodávný • Holuběnka • Naše vlast, fantasie
Identity
Identity
Karel Kovařovic is recorded as composer, conductor, musicologist, dramaturge and translator. Identity and origins. The authorities additionally record the heading Karel Kovarovic. His recorded language was Czech. One child is recorded: Josef Kovařovic.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
Explore 1862–1920
The full dated record · 6 entries
1862
Karel Kovařovic born at Prague.
1882
The Bridegrooms is dated 1882.
1890
The Night of Saint Simon and Jude is dated 1890.
1896
The Dogheads is dated 1896.
1898
At the Old Bleachery is dated 1898.
1920
Karel Kovařovic died at Podolí.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Prague.
Birth place
Podolí.
Death place
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q2099524: Karel Kovařovic
Reputable secondary · Wikimedia Foundation
- “Karel Kovařovic”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
scholarly publication
- Kovařovic, Karel (opera), Oxford Music Online, 2002
Scholarly · Crossref registry · 2002
Institutional database
- MusicBrainz artist record for Karel Kovařovic
Scholarly · MetaBrainz Foundation
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Suk, Josef. Dopisy o životě hudebním i lidském. Editio Bärenreiter. 484. 2005. 978-80-86385-31-0.
- 2.YouTube _3qC-_2IN7A Karel Kovarovic - Piano Concerto in F-minor, Op.6: Pianist: Zdenek Jilek, Orchestra: Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, Conductor: Josef Hrncir
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
scholarly publication
Kovařovic, Karel (opera), Oxford Music Online, 2002Crossref registry
Institutional witnessInstitutional database
MusicBrainz artist record for Karel KovařovicMetaBrainz Foundation
Institutional witnessreference work
Wikidata, structured authority record Q2099524: Karel KovařovicWikimedia Foundation
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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