Tomásek, Václav Jan Krtitel |
| COMPOSER, PIANIST, MUSIC TEACHER, CRITIC (AUSTRIAN EMPIRE) |
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BORN 17 Apr 1774, Skutsch, Bohemia (now: Skutec) - DIED 3 Apr 1850, Smichov, Praha BIRTH NAME Tomásek, Václav Jan Krtitel GRAVE LOCATION Praha: Malostransky Cemetery, Plzenska Street |
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Wenzell Johann Tomaschek came from a family of clothiers and weavers. His father Jakub was an amateur musician. Václav received violin and singing lessons at an early age from Pavel Josef Wolf in Chrudim. He studied law, philosophy and medicine in Prague. He taught himself to play the piano, but probably took lessons from František Xaver Dusek as well. In 1798 he heard Ludwig van Beethoven play in Prague. In 1814 he visited Beethoven in Vienna and he made extensive notes of this visit. He worked as a piano teacher in aristocratic families and worked for several years for Count Jirí Frantisek Buquoy until 1824. His compositions found favour with the noble families and earned him their support. In 1824 he married Vilemína Ebertová, the sister of the German poet Karl Egon Ebert. She was an able pianist and singer and performed his songs at concerts. He founded a music school with her in Prague, where Eduard Hanslick, Alexander Dreyschock, Johan Friederich Kittl and many others were his pupils. But the marriage wasn't happy. Vilemína was much younger and their only child that was born didn't survive. Vilemína was seduced by Tomásek's pupil Bedrich Kittl around 1834. She suddenly died in 1836 to the horror of both Tomásek and Kittl. After that Tomásek lived in social seclusion and concentrated on composing and teaching. He died in 1850 in Prague. Related persons • visited Beethoven, Ludwig van • was teacher of Geiger, Constanze • met Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von • was teacher of Hanslick, Eduard • met Haydn, Joseph |
| Images |
 The grave of Václav Tomásek at the Malostransky cemetery, Prague. Picture by Androom (11 Aug 2019) |
