Ars Rediviva was a Czech classical instrumental music group, whose historically-informed performances played a key role in the revival of Baroque music in Czechoslovakia.

Ars Rediviva chamber ensemble

The group was founded in 1951 in Prague by flautist and musicologist Milan Munclinger and his wife, pianist and harpsichordist Viktorie Švihlíková (she was later succeeded by Josef Hála). The original lineup also consisted of two prominent members of the Czech Philharmonic, cellist František Sláma and oboist Stanislav Duchoň (later succeeded by violinists Václav Snítil and Antonín Novák).
From 1951 to 1956 Václav Talich collaborated with Ars Rediviva.

Orchestra, soloists

The band's repertoire consisted largely of chamber music, the works of J. S. Bach ranking high on the list.
Depending on score requirements, the ensemble's size expanded regularly up to the chamber orchestra having mainly Czech Philharmonic instrumentalists as members (a complete string group with its section leaders, prominent wind-players, for example solo flautists Géza Novák and František Čech, solo oboist Jiří Mihule, solo bassoonists Karel Bidlo and František Herman, solo horn-players Miroslav Štefek and Zdeněk Tylšar, solo double-bass player František Pošta, etc.).
Ars Rediviva collaborated with the Czech Philharmonic Choir, Czech singers (Karel Berman, Ladislav Mráz, Jana Jonášová, Virginia Walterová, Ludmila Vernerová, etc.), and foreign artists, specializing in performances of Baroque and Classical music (e.g. András Adorján, Theo Altmeyer, Maurice André, Nedda Casei, Otto Peter, Jean-Pierre Rampal).

Season performances (1954–1994)

In 1954, the ensemble started giving season performances in Wallenstein Pallace, and later in Rudolfinum) in Prague (6 concerts, later 12 concerts per year). In four decades, several hundreds of compositions were introduced here, including scores of premiered archive pieces.
Live recordings of Ars Rediviva performances in Rudolfinum are deposited in the Czech Museum of Music.

Repertoire, recordings

Ars Rediviva was the first ensemble in Czechoslovakia to record a large number of works of Johann Sebastian Bach (LPs of the complete Brandenburg concertos, The Art of Fugue, The Musical Offering, trio sonatas, flute sonatas, cantatas, concerto reconstructions, etc.), Bach's sons (Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach: sonatas, sinfonie symphonies, concerts; Wilhelm Friedemann Bach: sinfonies symphonies, sonatas; Johann Christian Bach: chamber music, symphonies), Antonio Vivaldi (concertos, sonatas, Stabat Mater), Jean-Philippe Rameau (e.g. Pièces en Concerts), François Couperin (Les Apothéoses, Les Goûts réunis), Georg Philipp Telemann (concertos, orchestral suites, Nouveaux Quatuors, Tafelmusik, Essercizii musici, Der harmonische Gottesdienst, cantatas), Jan Dismas Zelenka (trio sonatas ZWV 181, orchestral works, Lamentationes Jeremiae Prophetae), František Benda (sonatas, flute concertos), Jiří Antonín Benda (Ariadne auf Naxos, Bendas Klage, sonatas, concertos), etc. (for more see External links: Ars Rediviva Discography).
The ensemble recorded for Supraphon, Panton, Columbia, Ariola, CBS, Orfeo, Nippon, Deutsche Grammophon, Sony, as well as for broadcasting and television companies and film industry (awards: Grand Prix du Disque, Supraphon Golden Lion, etc.).

Jan Tausinger, Ivan Jirko, Ilja Hurník, and other Czech composers dedicated their neoclassical compositions to Ars Rediviva (e.g., Hurník's Sonata da Camera, Concerto for Flute and Chamber Orchestra.

References

• Vašatová, Jana (2001–2002). "Filharmonikové v souboru Ars rediviva (Ars Rediviva's 50th anniversary)". Rudolfinum Revue. Praha (Prague): Česká filharmonie (Czech Philharmonic). 1 (1): 33–34.
• Sláma, František (2001). Z Herálce do Šangrilá a zase nazpátek ("From Heralec to Shangrila and Back Again") (in Czech). Říčany: Orego. ISBN 80-86117-61-8.
• Slonimsky, Nicolas; Laura Diane Kuhn; Dennis McIntire (1997). Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Twentieth-Century Classical Musicians. Schirmer Books. ISBN 0-02-871271-4.
• Pâris, Alain; Rudolf Kimmig (1992). Lexikon der Interpreten klassischer Musik im 20.Jahrhundert (in German). Kassel: Bärenreiter. ISBN 3-7618-3291-5.
• Šeda, Jaroslav (1992). "Ars rediviva jubilující (Ars Rediviva's 40th anniversary)". Koncertní život (Concert Life) (in Czech). Praha (Prague): Pražský symfonický orchestr FOK (Prague Symphony Orchestra FOK) (4–5): 12–16.
• Mlejnek, Karel (April 1992). "Hudba barokních mistrů. Ars rediviva (Baroque Music. Ars Rediviva)" (in Czech). Praha (Prague): Česká filharmonie/Český spolek pro komorní hudbu (Czech Philharmonic/Czech Chamber Music Society). {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
• Pâris, Alain (1989). Dictionnaire des interprètes et de l'interprétation musicale au XXe siècle (in French). Paris: Laffont.
• Rampal, Jean-Pierre (1989). Music, My Love. Random House. ISBN 0-394-56578-9.
• Vignal, Marc (1982). Larousse de la musique (in French). Paris: Larousse. ISBN 2-03-511303-2.
• Volek, Tomislav (1978). "Ars rediviva a Pražští madrigalisté (Ars Rediviva and Prague Madrigalists)". Hudební rozhledy (Music Observer) (in Czech). Praha (Prague): Svaz čs.skladatelů (Czechoslovak Composer Association). 31: 21, 124.
• Lazarevich, Gordana (1977). "Reviews of Records". Musical Quarterly. Oxford University Press. LXIII (3): 446–450. doi:10.1093/mq/LXIII.3.446.
• "Barockmusik av mästere". Onsdagen (Aftonbladet). Stockholm: Anders Gerdin. 9 April 1975.
• Schuhmacher, Gerhard (1974). "Schallplatten-Rezensionen (G.P.Telemann - Ars Rediviva)". Musica (in German). Kassel: Bärenreiter (3): 293.
• Smith, Judy (1974). "Recordings-quarterly check list 9". Early Music. Oxford University Press. 2 (3): 205–d–210. doi:10.1093/earlyj/2.3.205-d.
• Kříž, Jaromír (1966). "Naši umělci a barokní interpretace (Czech Musicians and Baroque Music Performance)". Hudební rozhledy (Music Observer) (in Czech). Praha (Prague): Svaz čs.skladatelů (Czechoslovak Composer Association). 19 (7): 207–208.
• Československý hudební slovník osob a institucí (Czechoslovak Music Dictionary) (in Czech). Praha (Prague): SHV (State Music Publishing). 1963–1965.
• Kozák, Jan (1964). Českoslovenští hudební umělci a komorní soubory (Czech Music Performers and Chamber Ensembles) (in Czech). Praha (Prague): SHV (State Music Publishing). pp. 426–429, 454, 456, 469.
• Brunner, Gerhard (1968). "Schallplatten-Rezensionen (A.Vivaldi - Ars Rediviva)". Musica (in German). Kassel: Bärenreiter (2): 305.

External links