Černohorský, Bohuslav (EN)

Černohorský, Czernohorský, Cžernohorský, Bohuslav Matěj, baptised 16 February 1684 Nymburk, †15 February 1742 (or earlier) Graz, Czech composer and organist, member of the Conventual Franciscan (O.F.M.Conv). Initially, he learned music from his father, cantor and organist Samuel Černohorský (1648–1726), and later probably in monastery schools. Until 1702, he studied at Charles University in Prague, obtaining a bachelor’s degree. In 1703, he joined the Franciscan order, and on 10 April 1704, he made his religious vows. In 1709, without the knowledge and consent of his superiors, he went to Italy, for which he was deprived of his privileges for ten years and exiled from the order’s home province. From 1710, he worked in the monastery in Assisi (here G. Tartini was probably his student), and then (1715–1720) at the Basilica of St. Anthony in Padua, among others as an organist. In 1720, he returned to Prague. He also stayed in Wrocław (1723) and Kłodzko (1726), where he led a music ensemble during meetings of the provincial chapter. In 1727–1730, he was again stripped of his titles and exiled to the monastery in Horažd’ovice, among others, for refusing to transfer the inheritance of his deceased father to the monastery. After serving his sentence, he applied for permission to return to Italy, which he eventually received. From 1731, he served as organist in the Basilica of St. Anthony in Padua, from where he was released at his own request in 1741. On his way back to the Czech Republic, he stopped at the Mariahilf monastery in Graz, where his presence was recorded since October 1741. He died there, probably on 15 February 1742, when a mass was said for his soul.

Černohorský was one of the greatest Czech composers of the late Baroque. Most of his compositions were probably destroyed in 1754 during the fire of the church of St. James in Prague. Some organ fugues previously attributed to Černohorský are transcriptions or copies of works by, among others, J.J. Froberger, G. Muffat and J. Seger. Černohorský was an excellent contrapuntist. His works show influences from both northern German and Italian music. Černohorski’s student was J. Seger and perhaps also Š. Brixi (the monk officiated his wedding). There are no documents confirming that such masters as Ch.W. Gluck, F. Tůma and J. Zach also studied with him, as mentioned in the literature. The heirs of his achievements undoubtedly include F.X. Brixi, J.A. Koželuch and J.K. Vaňhal.

Literature: F.P. Laurencin, Czernohorsky “Neue Zeitschrift für Musik”, 1864; O. Schmid Die musikgeschichtliche Bedeutung der altböhmischen Schule Czernohorsky’s, “Sammelbände der Internationalen Musikgesellschaft” II, 1900/01; O. Schmid, Die böhmische Altmeisterschule Czernychorsky’s und ihr Einfluss auf den Wiener Classicismus, Leipzig 1901; Z. Culka Několik dokladnů k Životopisu Bohuslava Matěje Černohorského, «Hudební Věda» III, 1966; J. Šafařík Cernohorsky’s zweifache Textvertonung des Offertoriums für den XII. Sonntag nach Pftngsten, «Sborník prací filosofické fakulty brněnské university» XVI, book 2, 1967; T. Volek O Černohorském v Italii, “Hudební rozhledy” XXIII, 1970; L. Frasson Padre Bohuslav Czernohorsky, “Il Santo” XVIII, 1973; J. Smolka Hudba Bohuslava Matěje Černohorského, “Hudební Věda” II, 1984; K. Šulcová, Impulsy studiu o hudbě baroka: nové ze života Bohuslava Černohorského, «Opus musicum» 20, 1988; S. Bohadlo, Musik in der Böhmischen Minoritenprovinz und die Ursachen des Weggangs Bohuslav Matěj Černohorskýs nach Italien (1710), in: Musikgeschichte zwischen Ost- und Westeuropa: Kirchenmusik – geistliche Musik – religiöse Musik. Bericht der Konferenz Chemnitz, 28.–30. Oktober 1999 anläßlich des 70. Geburtstages von Klaus Wolfgang Niemöller, Sinzig 2002; S. Bohadlo Czernohorsky, Bohuslaus, in: Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart, vol. 2., ed. L. Finscher, Stuttgart 2001; K. Šulcová, Černohorský [Czernohorsky], Bohuslav Matěj, in: The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. S. Sadie, London 2001; M. Niubo Bernard Artophaeus and Bohuslav Matěj Černohorský. Casual Examples of Czech Music in Baroque Silesia or the Last Traces of Music by Minorites in Wrocław?, in: The Musical Culture of Silesia before 1742. New Contexts – New Perspectives, Frankfurt am Main 2013.