Fibich, Zdeněk (1850–1900)

Czech composer. His music is personal rather than national, and was considerably advanced and daring for its time. After studying in France and Germany, and having taught in Poland for a time, he returned to Czechoslovakia in 1874 and conducted at the National Theatre in Prague. He retired in 1881 to devote himself entirely to composition, and wrote over 600 works of various kinds.

Fibich was born in Šerbořic, near Časlav. Very precociously gifted, he studied at the Leipzig Conservatory, Germany, under Carl Richter and Salomon Jadassohn (1831–1902), also piano under Ignaz Moscheles. He also studied in Paris, France, 1868–69 and Mannheim, Germany, 1869–70.

He wrote seven operas and a trilogy of melodramas (spoken text accompanied by music) entitled Hippodamia (1891), the most ambitious work of the kind ever produced; also choral works, three symphonies and other orchestral music, melodramas with orchestra and with piano, chamber and piano music, and songs.

Works Stage operas Bukovin (1874), Blaník (1881), The Bride of Messina (after Schiller; 1884), The Tempest (after Shakespeare), Hedy (after Byron's Don Juan), Šárka (1897), Pad Arkuna; melodramas Christmas Eve, Eternity, The Water-Sprite, Queen Emma, Haakon, and the trilogy Hippodamia (1891); incidental music to Vrchlický's comedy A Night at Karlstein.

Orchestral three symphonies, overtures, symphonic poems Othello and The Tempest (both after Shakespeare), and four others.

Chamber two string quartets (1874, 1879), piano quartet, piano trio, quintet for piano, violin, cello, clarinet, and horn; piano sonata, 350 pieces Moods, Impressions and Memories for piano.

Vocal songs, vocal duets.