# Vaclav Havel -- an obscure 17th/18th century composer



## Classical Gas (Jan 31, 2017)

He has the same name as the great Czech leader of the "Velvet Revolution", but it's not the same guy.

I discovered this obscure composer by purchasing a vinyl record many decades ago of "pastoral" music. The only piece I like on that album is by Vaclav Havel. His piece, written in 1806, is called _Allegro ut Pastorella in B _-- written for 2 clarinets, 2 French horns, 2 bassoons and tuba pastoralis (a B flat bass alphorn nine feet long). According to the liner notes, Havel was "the otherwise obscure personal secretary to Maria Thaddäus Trauttmannsdorf".

It's a wonderfully charming, deceptively simple exercise in the "pastoral" genre.

Has anyone else heard of him and know of other compositions by him...?


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## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

Classical Gas said:


> He has the same name as the great Czech leader of the "Velvet Revolution", but it's not the same guy.
> 
> I discovered this obscure composer by purchasing a vinyl record many decades ago of "pastoral" music. The only piece I like on that album is by Vaclav Havel. His piece, written in 1806, is called _Allegro ut Pastorella in B _-- written for 2 clarinets, 2 French horns, 2 bassoons and tuba pastoralis (a B flat bass alphorn nine feet long). According to the liner notes, Havel was "the otherwise obscure personal secretary to Maria Thaddäus Trauttmannsdorf".
> 
> ...


Thanks for sharing this information! I have never heard of Havel, and I look forward to learning about him and his music. I love the music of the early 19th century, so I expect that I'll probably enjoy his work. I'll try to come back to this thread later with an update, when I've had a chance to hear some of his pieces.


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## Classical Gas (Jan 31, 2017)

Thanks Bettina! I used to have a link to a You Tube of it, but it is now defunct.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Allegro+ut+Pastorella+in+B+havel


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Classical Gas said:


> Thanks Bettina! I used to have a link to a You Tube of it, but it is now defunct.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Allegro+ut+Pastorella+in+B+havel


That's clears it, I was searching yesterday and couldn't find anything.


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## Classical Gas (Jan 31, 2017)

Pugg, it's odd because I remember seeing it there about a year ago -- the video had the same album cover I own which has the piece on it.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Classical Gas said:


> Pugg, it's odd because I remember seeing it there about a year ago -- the video had the same album cover I own which has the piece on it.


I do believe you, no reason to doubt.
Must be my bad searching.


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## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

Help! I can't find any of Havel's music. No recordings, no Youtube videos, no scores. It's frustrating. I love the music of the early 19th century and I'm curious about how Havel fits into that stylistic world--but I just can't get a hold of anything! Any suggestions?


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Bettina said:


> Help! I can't find any of Havel's music. No recordings, no Youtube videos, no scores. It's frustrating. I love the music of the early 19th century and I'm curious about how Havel fits into that stylistic world--but I just can't get a hold of anything! Any suggestions?


Alas not, thank goodness I am not alone ,I was thinking I am going crazy.


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

I shall explore and report back.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

ArtMusic said:


> I shall explore and report back.


Do not keep us in suspense......


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## TxllxT (Mar 2, 2011)

http://alain.cf.free.fr/CD-musique-lumieres-moravie.htm

With Google Translate you can read French


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