This is a guest post by Scott Belyea:
In memoriam Antonín Kubálek
The bare outlines of a life can be quickly sketched – born outside Prague in 1935, sight damaged in an explosion of a half-buried piece of munitions just after World War II (“One eye is gone, and the other’s no damn good”).
Musical talent recognized and encouraged, built a performing and teaching career, left what was then Czechoslovakia in 1968 when the brief Prague spring ended with the arrival of Russian tanks.
Reestablished career in Toronto, worked often with the CBC, concertized extensively, recorded more than 30 LP’s and CD’s, many of the CD’s with Dorian Recordings. Resumed working in late ’90’s following health issues.
One highlight of his later career was a triumphant recital at the Prague Spring Festival in 2002. Another was the release in 2010 of 6 private-label CD’s, a combination of live performances plus LP’s which had not previously made it to CD.
But such brief details miss the person.
Earlier in November, a memorial recital was held in Walter Hall at the U of T to celebrate Anton the friend, the collaborator, the teacher and mentor, and the husband and father. Each of the performers had personal connections with Anton.
The program opened with the Kubálek’s daughter Karolína and Richard Herriott performing a piece for two pianos. It was composed for the occasion by Daniel Foley, and titled Music for the Duke of York (the pub, not the ducal personage who marched his men up the hill and then back down again).
Soprano Dana Campbell’s earlier debut recital was sponsored by the Fred Gaviller Memorial Foundation, which Anton chaired. He had also been the Honourary Patron of the Uxbridge Chamber Choir, and had given benefit recitals for them. Violinist Ivan Ženatý was a colleague with whom Anton had recorded 2 fine Dorian CD’s. Richard Herriott (now living in England) provided two connections — he was an advanced student of Anton’s in the ’80’s, and he played a Walter Buczynski sonata which Anton commissioned with the help of the Canada Council. And the Rembrandt Trio were friends and colleagues of Anton’s for many years.
The program ended with warm and affectionate comments from Brian Levine, formerly Executive VP of Dorian Recordings and long-time friend and collaborator of Anton’s.
At the end of his remarks, he introduced a special, never-heard, unedited take of the fourth and last of Brahms’ Ballades, Opus 10 … but listen to Brian’s brief background to this recording and then to Anton’s playing.