Foerster, Josef Bohuslav (1859-1951)

Czech composer. He held various appointments as an organist, teacher, and critic. He wrote six operas, incidental music for plays, church and secular choral music, five symphonies and other orchestral works, two violin concertos and a cello concerto, chamber music, numerous piano pieces and songs, and about 30 recitations with piano accompaniment.

Foerster was born in Dětenice, Bohemia, and studied at the Prague Organ School. From 1893 he lived for ten years in Hamburg,Germany, where he worked as a music teacher and critic and his wife, Berta Foerster-Lauterer (1869-1936), sang at the opera. After 1903 they lived in Vienna, Austria, where he taught at the Conservatory, but from 1918 until his retirement in 1931 he was professor of composition in Prague.

Works Stage operas Deborah (1893), Eva, Jessica (on Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, 1905), The Invincibles, The Heart, The Fool; incidental music for Vrchlický's Samson, Strindberg's Lucky Peter's Journey, Schiller's Maria Stuart, and other plays.

Chorus and orchestra Stabat Mater and other works for chorus and orchestra.

Orchestral five symphonies (1887-1929), six suites, four symphonic poems, and two overtures for orchestra; two violin concertos.

Chamber five string quartets, three piano trios, quintet for wind instruments; two violin and piano sonatas, cello and piano sonata; works for piano, organ, and harmonium.

Vocal ten recitations with piano accompaniment; songs, part songs.