Jana Obrovska

About Jana Obrovska

The work so for of the Prague composer Jana Obrovska (born 13 September l930) is not very extensive, but shows concentrated approach towards her creation which has already become an important part of Czech contemporory music. She has devoted herself mostly to instrumental creation, having received excellent education in piano playing from B. Kabelacova-Rixova, in theory from Professor J. Ridkýyand ot Prague Conservatory from M.Krejci and E. Hlobil, professors of composition (1949 - 1955). Already her graduation composition, Piano Concerto No. 1, revealed a creative talent. Concertant forms ore closest to Obrovska, because they suit her feeling for characteristic individuality of chosen instruments for which she manages to find new, often unknown planes.
Her orchestral ond chamber works do not solve only a purely compositional problem, given by unusual use ot concertant-treated instruments, but also on attroctive eXpressional point, requiring innovation of known means. She devotes special ottention to compositions for guitar in which she strives for o synthesis of modern-type invention with traditional guitar stylisation. Her creative work of many years in this sphere brought her valuable results and international successes of which let us recall at least the prize in the 1972 Concours international de guitarre in Paris for "Passocaglia und Toccata" for guitnr. Her "Hommage a Bela Bartok" which became compulsory in the said Paris competition in 1975 has found o place in the repertory of European guitarists. In orchestral and chamber scores by Obrovska professionol critics appreciate their unusual colour imagination which underlines the effect of her typical lyrical meditative sections, suitably contrasted to lively, refreshing rhythms in harmonically bolanced and emotionally rich compositions.