Karel Šejna [SEP] place of birth
Karel Šejna
Karel Šejna (1 November 1896, Zálezly – 17 December 1982, Prague) was a Czech double bassist and conductor, the principal conductor of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra in 1950.
Life and career.
Šejna's musical studies were at the Prague Conservatory under Professor Černý (double-bass, 1914–20) and later with K B Jirák (composition). As a young man he gave several concerts in Egypt, and on his return to Czechoslovakia in 1921 he was appointed the first double-bassist of
his native country for many years. In November 1954 the Czech Philharmonic with Karel Šejna performed the work at two concerts in the Smetana Hall of the Municipal House in Prague. In 1987 another concert took place, this time with the conductor Václav Neumann. The first performance in the 21st century was given in 2004, one hundred years after Dvořák's death, with the Czech Philharmonic and conductor Jiří Bělohlávek.
Structure.
The verses of the libretto are based on historical fact. Prince Rastislav of Moravia asked the brothers Cyril