Osobnost měsíce

Historicky první česká sólová violistka Jitka Hosprová začala hrát na housle v sedmi letech a ve čtrnácti přesedlala na violu. Z obyčejného koníčku se okamžitě stala láska a vášeň, která jí obrátila život vzhůru nohama.

Fišerův Fénix v rukou Jitky Hosprové

Sedmého listopadu 2017 proběhl v Muzeu Bedřicha Smetany koncert, který by neměl v současném koncertním provozu zapadnout nepozorován. Nekorunovaná královna violy, Jitka Hosprová, si v rámci svého festivalu 2017 „Procházky uměním“ přizvala harfistku Kateřinu Englichovou a Kvarteto Martinů, aby nabídla – jako vždy na svých koncertech – pestrý program převážně z hudby druhé poloviny 20. století.

JITKA HOSPROVÁ AKA VIOLKA

“My friends call me ‘Violka’ (small viola) – I guess it is quite apt because I can really identify with my instrument.” This weekend on Czech Radio D-Dur, Jitka Hosprová selects the music she likes.

THE VIOLA PLAYER TOOK A LIKING TO MUSIC AND PAINTING IN THE PILSEN REGION

Jitka Hosprová talks about her Walking in Art Festival (Procházky uměním) in an interview for the regional edition of 5plus2 Weekly published in the Pilsen, Rokycany and Tachov regions.

I HAD TO PROVE I AM NOT JUST A BLONDE SCRAPING AWAY AT HER VIOLA

The superlative Czech viola player, Jitka Hosprová, does not try to compete with violinists, as she accepts the specifics, limits and advantages of her instrument.

CONCERT OF THE PRAGUE RADIO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

The Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra will perform with visually impaired musicians at a concert in Prague. The concert of the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, which will take place at the Municipal House in Prague on Monday, will present blind multi-instrumentalist Mário Bihári, blind pianist Ráchel Skleničková and blind flautist Eva Blažková. The performance will also feature other soloists: violinist Václav Hudeček, violist Jitka Hosprová and guitar player Lubomír Brabec.

VIRTUOSITY PUT TO A TEST DURING BLACKOUT. JITKA HOSPROVÁ HAD TO PLAY BY EAR FOR 2,000 PEOPLE IN THE DARK. “I WAS LIKE A JUKEBOX”

Host do domu, 19 January 2017, 11:04 The virtuosity of Jitka Hosprová was put to a test during blackout. She played for 2,000 people without sheet music in the dark. “I was like a jukebox.” Jitka Hosprová is the first Czech female viola soloist in history.

SLOVAK PHILAHARMONIC WITH SVÁROVSKÝ AND HOSPROVÁ

While Hosprová was able to detach her viola play from the orchestral sound where it was needed, when a joint rhythmic articulation was required, she joined efforts with the Slovak Philharmonic to place exact accents to Berlioz’s perfectly varied rhythm.

VIOLA SOLOIST JITKA HOSPROVÁ EXCELLED IN BRAZIL

The first Czech female viola soloist has returned from her successful tour of Brazil. In less than a month, she performed eight concerts at different venues. Each concert was specific; she played solo in a church, with a harp player, with a chamber orchestra and with a big symphonic orchestra.

JITKA HOSPROVÁ IS THE STAR OF A NEW FESTIVAL CALLED WALKING IN ART

Jitka Hosprová is the first Czech female viola soloist in history. Her work is praised both in her homeland and abroad, and Jitka promotes the viola not only through her superlative play, but also with her erudite accompanying words at her concerts, on various radio programmes, and in many other ways. In February, the first edition of an interesting new festival Walking in Art (Hudební procházky uměním) will be launched at Museum Kampa.

JITKA HOSPROVÁ IS THE STAR OF A NEW FESTIVAL CALLED WALKING IN ART

The discography of Jitka Hosprová already comprises seven albums. And she has added another one only recently. The highly acclaimed recording features a selection of Paul Hindemith’s compositions for viola. “I also chose one of Hindemith’s most famous pieces to be included on the album. It was composed in London in 1936 while Hindemith was preparing a premiere broadcast of another of his works on BBC.”

JITKA HOSPROVÁ AT THE WALKING IN ART FESTIVAL AT MUSEUM KAMPA

The world-famous Museum Kampa in Prague hosted the opening ceremony of a new festival called Walking in Art (Hudební procházky uměním). The aim of the festival is to bring music, fine arts and history closer together and spice up performances of classical music with original walks through the arts.

JITKA HOSPROVÁ OFFERS A STYLISTICALLY AND TECHNICALLY PERFECT RENDITION OF HINDEMITH’S SONATAS

Paul Hindemith’s instrumental compositions do not form the core of the Czech soloists’ repertoire, which is a shame because they are exciting, structurally interesting and melodic pieces of music. Besides, they are instrumentally varied.

VIOLA, THE INCONSPICUOUS BEAUTY

The sound of its name is beautiful and comforting. If we want something to express sympathy and soothe the sorrows, we rather think of viola than violin. Of course, the higher-pitched violin is mostly dominant. It can be heard better and has a sharper sound, which is why of the two instruments, the viola gets less attention.

Hindemith

Arriving at the tail-end of numerous recordings marking last year’s 50th anniversary of Paul Hindemith’s death, this CD presents some of his best-known viola compositions. As the informative but not always accurately translated booklet notes rightly observe, the composer wrote them for his own use as a concert soloist, and they thus give a fair impression of his playing style, which was imbued with the principles of the post-Romantic ‘New Objectivity’.

HINDEMITH Viola Works

Competition is hotting up in Hindemith’s viola sonatas. They have fared better than most of his works in this genre, with a platoon of viola players vying on disc which I surveyed in brief when reviewing Tabea Zimmermann’s recent complete recording (5/14), which set the new benchmark.

JITKA HOSPROVÁ ON JAN KRAUS SHOW

The guests of the 171st episode will be: Karel Fiala, Jitka Hosprová and Ondřej Hrab. You can be part of the audience during the shooting of the show on Tuesday, 3 June, in the Prague theatre Archa. The episode will air on Friday, 6 June, after 10 PM on TV Prima.

VIOLA PLAYER JITKA HOSPROVÁ: THE ALBUM CHANSON DANS LA NUIT IS NOT ONLY FOR MOTHERS

Violist Jitka Hosprová and harpist Kateřina Englichová have recorded a new album “Chanson dans la Nuit”. The two musicians and their instruments teamed up during the Czech Philharmonic’s concert cycle for mothers-to-be.

Unusual Czech repertoire for viola, passionately played

Lacking as they do the extensive Classical and Romantic solo repertoire enjoyed by violinists and cellists, viola players are often on the lookout for new pieces. Jitka Hosprová has put together an interesting programme of Czech music and gives convincing accounts of all five works, distinguished by fine, robust tone and emotional commitment.

Monologue

One of the uncontracted benefits of reviewing is being sent music you don’t know; I knew the names of all the Czech composers here and had heard some, not much, music by them, and so this CD has been a voyage of discovery for me.