Karel Janovický is a pseudonym for Bohuš František Šimsa. He was born on 18 February 1930 in Plze (Pilsen), then in Czechoslovakia. His father, Bohuslav Simsa, born 18 January 1900 and died on 26 August 1974, was a master tailor and, later an opera singer, a baritone soloist in the Pildsen opera from 1935-1948. He was interested in amateur theatre which lead to his career in opera. Karel’s mother was born Marie Dobra on 1 February 1907 and was a dressmaker. She was also interested in opera and the Sokol gymnastics association. She died on 16 September 1970.

At the time of Karel’s birth, the family lived at 7 Premyslova ulice. He attended the primary school at the Pedagogical Institute, and, then, the secondary school, the Realne Gymnasium where he graduated in 1949.

He was about five years old when he had his first piano and theory lessons with Josef Hasek and, later, had lessons with Oldrich Filipovsky and also studied composition with Josef Bartovsky. From 1951 to 1954 he studied at the Surrey College of Music in Ewell in England.. His piano teacher was Percy Turnbull and he was tutored in chamber music with Jan Sedivka. Janovický first earned his RAM and RCM at Trinity College, London and his M. Mus at RCM in 1956.

From a young age, he had accompanied his father in his singing of lieder and arias and watched opera from the wings from early childhood. Due to growing up during World War II and living under German occupation, he was drawn to Tolstoy’s epic novel, War and Peace. He had wanted to enrol at the Prague Academy to study conducting but was rejected as unsuitable because the Communists were now in control and his class and his political origin were unacceptable and so his exile came about in October 1949.

Because Czechoslovakia was under the Communists from 1948 anyone who were middle class or had capital or a business were not compatible with the ideology of oppressive Communism and were treated with suspicion. This is why Karel was rejected by the Prague Academy and why he was to use a pseudonym so as to prevent any danger or threat to his parents back home in Czechoslovakia.

In the 1930s many people fled from the Nazi terror and changed their names to protect themselves, particualrly if they were Jewish.

The 1950s in Czechoslovakia was an era of harsh repression and decline as Communist economic policies nearly bankrupted the country. Many people were imprisoned and hundreds were executed or died in prison often for little more than belief in democracy. The Soviet leaders unable to allow a democratic society had their armies invade Czechoslovakia in 1968 which put down Dubcek and his fight for reform.. The Berlin Wall fell in 1989 and the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia ended communist rule.

But to return to earlier days. One of Karel’s first compositions was a Piano Trio in A flat for piano, violin and viola performed at his secondary school in which his arts professor took the viola part.

He developed a wide appreciation of music. He has said that Monteverdi stepped out of the constraints of vocal polyphony and that Mozart was a great influence on Czech music generally. Schubert impressed Karel particulalry the lieder and the Octet. One of his teachers, Matyas Seiber, confirmed the mastery of Haydn and Beethoven. Having accompanied many string players in works by Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart and Debussy, Karel grew to know and admire such works particularly in Jan Sedivka’s master classes and with the cellist Sela Trau. Janovický admires his compatriot Mahler and values the theatrical works of Britten. But it was Janacek and Bartok who opened new paths of harmony and rhythm for him. Janovický admires Schoenberg and has read and re read his book on dodecaphony. Martinu was for a long time a puzzle to critics but his music is lovely, original and enjoyable both to sing and play. He finds the Field Mass deeply felt and admires Gilgamesh, the Madrigals and other works.

He is not a smoker and is teetotal. He used to take his family on hiking and camping holidays mostly in the Scottish mountains, the Lake District and Wales. He enjoys gardening. He is fond of animals especially Tibetan terriers. His present one is called Molly. He takes an interest in politics, economics and the practice of philosophy.

He married Sylva Maiwaldova on 22 May 1950 in Nuremberg while they were refugees for about 15 months. They have two children, Cyril, born 24 January 1960 and Debora born 19 January 1962. Sylva is very knowledgeable on recent Czech history.

After working freelance as a performer and musician for about ten years, Karel took up a post as a producer on the gramophone department of the BBC, and then worked for Czechoslavakian service of the BBC Service. For about 27 years between 1963 and 1990 he composed little as other demands were made upon him.

In recent years, Janovický has become a committee member of the Dvorak Society and of the Emmy Destinn Foundation and the Emmy Destinn Competition for young singers. He is an instructor for the Fons courses for young people in Czech Republic since about 1991. These are voluntary posts. He has written many articles and edited and made a new translation of Jaroslav Vogel’s biography of Janacek (Orbis Publishing, London 1981) which has a forewood by Sir Charles Mackerras.

He has given sterling work teaching the BBC singers and other English singers and groups in the Czech language particularly in forthcoming productions of works by such composers as Janacek and Martinu.

He returned to Czechoslovakia in 1990 for the first time in 40 years.

He is a highly intelligent and very kind man, generous, courteous and self-assuming. Conversations with him are always uplifting.

David Wright