OTTOKAR EUGEN NOVACEK

Violinista, violista e compositore ungherese (1866 - 1900). Iniziò gli studi musicali col padre Rudolf e li continuò a Vienna con J. Dont (1880-83) e al Conservatorio di Lipsia con H Schradieck e A. Brodsky*. Nel 1885 vinse il «Premio Mendelssohn». Iniziò la carriera concertistica nel 1880 quale membro dell'orchestra del Gewandhaus e come 2º violino e poi viola del «Quartetto Brodsky»; nel 1891, su invito di Nikisch, si trasferì negli Stati Uniti, entrando nell'Orchestra Sinfonica di Boston come violinista. Nel 1892-93 fu violista solista nell' Orchestra Damrosch di New York, fece poi nuovamente parte del ricostituito "Quartetto Brodsky", ma nel 1899 dovette sospendere ogni attività a causa di un grave malattia cardiaca.
Fu anche compositore: "Concerto per pianoforte e orchestra" (1894), "Perpetuum mobile" per violino; "Sinfonietta" per 8 fiati, 3 quartetti; 8 "Concerto Caprices" per violino e pianorte, "Bulgarian dances", "Suite" op. 7, "Air", pure per violino e pianoforte; 2 "Corncerto Caprices" per pianoforte 6 liriche su testo di Tolstoj. [Informazioni desunte dal DEUMM]

The Novaceks were a family of musicians from Temesvar in Hungary, a father and four sons; the father regarded Busoni with especial gratitude for all his kindness to the family and called him 'the friend of all Novaceks'. Rudolf's brother Ottokar, with his flashing eyes, heavy moustache, and thick untidy black hair, was the typical Hungarian violinist of his period, riotously exuberant in manner, both in conversation and in correspondence. He was not in America with the Busonis, but was a constant visitor in Berlin. He was always in love with some woman or other and generally in financial difficulties; he looked up to Busoni as an altogether superior being and as a friend who could be counted upon in any emergency. For Gerda he had — like every one of Busoni's friends who came in contact with her — a respect and affection that amounted almost to a religious devotion. Busoni did his best to assist him, and even played a concerto of his later on at Copenhagen; but even Busoni's playing could not make it a success, and his early deathI prevented his fulfilling such promise as he showed. To Ferruccio and Gerda, in those early days of their marriage, the brothers Novacek, Ottokar and Rudolf, were friends whose extravagant loyalty and affection were a support and encouragement which they acutely needed and never forgot.

[DENT, pp. 98-99]

A Ottokar Novacek Busoni dedicò la celebre "Sonata in mi minore per violino e pianoforte". Di Ottokar Busoni trascrisse per pianoforte il "Quartetto per archi nº 1" in mi minore composto a Lipsia nel 1892 (B 95); di Rudolf trascrisse la "Walzersuite", forse solo il "Deutscher Walzer" secondo Kindermann [p. 463]. Questa trascrizione è probabilmente andata persa.