Beno Blachut

Beno Blachut (14 June 1913 - 10 January 1985) was a lauded Czech operatic tenor. An icon in his own nation, Blachut drew international acclaim through his many commercial recordings of Czech music. He was an instrumental part of the post-World War II school of Czech opera singers that were responsible for popularizing Czech opera internationally. He was highly regarded for his interpretations of roles in operas by LeoÅ¡ JanáÄek, AntonÃn Dvořák, and BedÅ™ich Smetana.
Biography
Born in Ostrava-VÃtkovice, Blachut grew up in a poor family of miners. Blachut was highly involved in his church's music program which provided him with his initial musical training as a child and teenager. In 1927, at the age of 14, he began working at an iron factory and from all appearances it seemed he was destined to live a life similar to that of his parents. In the year 1935 he started to study singing at the Prague conservatory.[1]
At the conservatory, Blachut studied under Luis Kadeřábek for four years. He made his professional opera debut at the Olomouc Opera in the role of JenÃk in Smetana's The Bartered Bride on 25 December 1938. He sang at the house for the next two years, portraying eighteen different roles (for example: Faust, Canio in Pagliacci, Laca in Jenůfa, Prince in Rusalka) under the direction of Karel Nedbal. In 1941 he left Olomouc to join the roster of principal tenors at the Czech National Opera in Prague, singing Jenik again for his first appearance at that house.[1]
Up to this point, Blachut had mostly portrayed lyric tenor parts, but in Prague he began to sing works from the dramatic repertoire, especially in operas by JanáÄek, Dvořák, and Smetana. On 3 February 1942 he starred in the world premiere of FrantiÅ¡ek Å kroup's Columbus (composed in 1855). Outside the Czech repertoire, he sang Alfredo in La traviata, Cavaradossi in Tosca, Don José in Carmen, Ferrando in Così fan tutte, Florestan in Fidelio, Hermann in The Queen of Spades, Lensky in Eugene Onegin, Pierre Bezukhov in War and Peace, Radames in Aida, Walther in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, and the title roles in Faust and Otello among other roles.[1]
By 1945 Blachut's performance credits had grown to include almost all of the major tenor parts from the Czech repertory. At this point he was widely view as Czechoslovakia's leading tenor and he appeared on tour with the Czech National Opera in opera performances in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Russia. He also appeared with the company in England at the 1964 Edinburgh Festival in an acclaimed portrayal of Luka KuzmiÄ in JanáÄek's From the House of the Dead. He returned to Edinburgh for another lauded performance in 1970 as MatÄ›j BrouÄek in The Excursions of Mr. BrouÄek. That same year he sang in the world premiere of Jiřà Pauer's Zdravý nemocný in Prague after Le malade imaginaire by Molière. Blachut was also highly regaurded internationally for his portrayal of the title role in Smetana's Dalibor.[1]
In addition to his performances with the Prague Opera, Blachut also occasionally worked as freelance artist, notably making guest appearances at La Fenice, Deutsche Oper Berlin, De Nederlandse Opera, the Finnish National Opera,and the Vienna State Opera. In 1959 he appeared at the Holland Festival as Boris in Káťa Kabanová.[1] Blachut was also active as a concert singer, appearing in productions like Dvořák's Stabat Mater and JanáÄek's Glagolitic Mass. He was particularly known for his interpretation of JanáÄek's The Diary of One Who Disappeared and his recording of that work is considered by many critics to be the remaining definitive interpretation.
He died in Prague at the age of 71. He is buried at the VyÅ¡ehrad cemetery next to AntonÃn Dvořák. In 2001 was founded in Prague The Beno Blachut Society (SpoleÄnost Beno Blachuta) producing historical recordings of Blachut and his artistic colleagues.
Recordings
Opera recordings
Year | Title | Role | Conductor and Ensemble | Label |
---|---|---|---|---|
1942 | František Škroup's Columbus | Frantisek Dyk (conductor) Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus |
Multisonic Records | |
1947 | BedÅ™ich Smetana: The Bartered Bride | VaÅ¡ek | Karel AnÄerl (conductor) Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus |
Opera d'Oro |
1950 | Bedřich Smetana: Dalibor | Dalibor | Jaroslav Krombholc (conductor) Prague National Theatre Chorus and Orchestra |
LP: Supraphon |
1955 | AntonÃn Dvořák: Rusalka | The prince | Jaroslav Krombholc (conductor) Prague National Theatre Chorus and Orchestra |
LP: Supraphon |
1956 | LeoÅ¡ JanáÄek: Jenůfa | Laca Klemeň | Jaroslav Vogel (conductor) Prague National Theatre Chorus and Orchestra |
LP: Supraphon |
1956 | Bedřich Smetana: The Kiss | Lukáš | Zdeněk Chalabala (conductor) Prague National Theatre Chorus and Orchestra |
LP: Supraphon |
1959 | LeoÅ¡ JanáÄek: The Makropulos Case | Albert Gregor | Jaroslav Vogel (conductor) Prague National Theatre Chorus and Orchestra |
LP: Supraphon |
1960 | LeoÅ¡ JanáÄek:Káťa Kabanová | Boris Grigorjevic | Jaroslav Krombholc (conductor) Prague National Theatre Chorus and Orchestra |
LP: Supraphon |
1964 | LeoÅ¡ JanáÄek:From the House of the Dead | Luka KuzmiÄ | Bohumil Gregor (conductor) Prague National Theatre Chorus and Orchestra |
LP: Supraphon (won the Grand Prix du disque lyrique in 1978) |
1978 | AntonÃn Dvořák: The Jacobin | Benda | Jiri Pinkas (conductor) Prague National Theatre Chorus and Orchestra |
LP: Supraphon |
AntonÃn Dvořák: Vanda | FrantiÅ¡ek Dyk (conductor) Prague Radio Chorus and Orchestra |
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Choral and symphonic recordings
Year | Title | Genre | Collaborators | Label |
---|---|---|---|---|
1956 | LeoÅ¡ JanáÄek: The Diary of One Who Disappeared | Song cycle | Jan Kühn (conductor) Josef PálenÃÄek (piano) Å tÄ›pánka Å tÄ›pánová (contralto) Czech Singers' Chamber Female Chorus |
LP:Supraphon |
1961 | AntonÃn Dvořák: The Spectre's Bride | Dramatic cantata | Josef Veselka (conductor) Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus |
LP:Supraphon |
1963 | LeoÅ¡ JanáÄek: Glagolitic Mass | Mass | Karel AnÄerl (conductor) Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus |
LP:Supraphon |
1964 | AntonÃn Dvořák: Saint Ludmila | Oratorio | Vaclav Smetacek (conductor) Prague Symphony Orchestra |
LP:Supraphon |
1966 | Jakub Jan Ryba:Czech Christmas Mass | Mass | Vaclav Smetacek (conductor) Prague Symphony Orchestra |
LP:Supraphon |
1997 | LeoÅ¡ JanáÄek: The Eternal Gospel | Cantata | Jiri Pinkas (conductor) Prague Symphony Orchestra and Chorus |
CD:Supraphon (released posthumously) |
Other recordings
Year | Title | Genre | Collaborators | Label |
---|---|---|---|---|
1995 | AntonÃn Dvořák: Biblical Songs, Op 99, Gypsy Songs, Op. 55, Evening Songs, Op. 3, Love Songs, Op. 83 | Song cycles | VÄ›ra Soukupová (contralto) JindÅ™ich Jirák (baritone) Ivan Moravec, Alfred HoleÄek, Ferdinand Pohlreich (pianos) |
CD:Supraphon (released posthumously) |
References
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