Josef Srb

Josef Srb-Debrnov (18 September 1836 – 1 September 1904) was a Czech music historian and writer.

Life He was born Josef Srb on 18 September 1836 in the village of Debrno in Bohemia, Austrian Empire (today part of Dolany nad Vltavou, Czech Republic). and worked as a teacher, tutor, and clerk in a savings bank.

He loved music from his childhood at school in Minice, when he began to sing.

He also turned his hand to composing, writing pieces for choirs, and for cello.

He was one of Bedřich Smetana's closest friends towards the end of the composer's life, and was also friends with Karel Bendl, Antonín Dvořák and many others. His apartment in Jircháře became the venue for the first performances of many works by contemporary composers, rendered into German. He died after a long illness in Prague on 1 September 1904 and was buried in the Vyšehrad Cemetery.

Selected works of music history Dějiny konservatoře pražské, ('History of the Prague Conservatory'), Prague, 1878 Varhanická škola v Praze, ('Organ School in Prague'), Dalibor, vol. III, 1881, pp. 213–215 Instrumentace: stručný návod ku poznání nástrojův hudebních s dodavkem o hudbě komorní: s notovými příklady skladatelův českých, ('Instrumentation: a brief guide to the knowledge of musical instruments with a supplement on chamber music: with musical examples by Czech composers'), Prague, 1883 Poslední rok života B. Smetany, ('The last year of B. Smetana's life'), Dalibor, vol. VII, 1885, pp. 177-180 Památník pražského Hlaholu, Sest. s Ferd. Tadrou, ('Memorial of Prague Glagolitic, Sest. with Ferd. Tadra'), Prague, 1886 Dějiny hudby v Čechách a na Moravě, ('History of Music in Bohemia and Moravia'), Prague, 1891 Z deníků Bedřicha Smetany, ('From the diaries of Bedřich Smetana'), Prague, 1902 Slovník hudebních umělců slovanských ('Dictionary of Slavic Musicians'), manuscript, 5 volumes

Literature