JOSEFFIALA

CONCERTO in B flat

for

oboeor flute
and
a

plano

M editedby Himie Voxman

 PREFACE

Josef Fiala* wasborn in Lochovice,nearPfibram in westernBohemia,and died in Donaueschingen, 3 I July 1816.

There is someunceftainty as to the year of his birth. The date of 1749 or 1750 is by
suggested Piersol on the basis
of court fecofds and the date given by Fiala's son, Franz.
Fiala's early music study ias from his father, a teacher and serf in the serviceof CountessNetolitzky von
Netolitz. When the Countessmoved to Prague,father and son were obligedto accompanyher. Josefs duties there
were of a menial nature, not at all in keeping with his talent on the oboe. He receivedinstruction on that inst-
cello from Franz JosephWerner.
-;;;;;eG ftom Johann Stiasny,a noted Czechoboist,and on
rument
d F;; Fiia, his father became discouraged with his prospectsand escapedfrom Praguewit! a
cook. The two were captuteOUy a search party sent Ui ttre Countessand were returned and imprisoned.She
ordered that Fiala's front teeth be broken but io prevent him from playing the oboe. The head of the ptison,
however, did not catry out her wishesand befrienOeO trim in return for music instruction for his son.Whenthe
trigh nobility (already familiar with Fiala's talent) learned of the Countess' plan, they were able to securehis
reieuseby impirial decree- after two yea$- in prison according to soine sources.
Fiala,s career then took him to Vienna (where he was said to have been a student of J. B. Vanhal), the
Wallentein Court, Munich, and the Archbisiiop's Hofkapelle in Salzburg.Here he becameintimate with the
Mozarts. There arg numerousreferencesto Fiali in the lelters of the Mozart family. Wolfgangpraisedhis wind
compositions.In his later yearsFiala turned increasinglyto the cello and viola da gambat
,titer leaving his position in Salzburg,he was activein Vienna, in St. Petersburg,and finally in Donaueschingen,
wherehe diedin 1816.
Among Fiala's compositionsare string duos and quartets, a Conc.ertantefo.t.flute or oboe and bassoon,sym-
phonies, concertos foi various wind instruments, and numerous diveftimenti for winds. The cover pageof the
manuscript lists only oboe principale asthe solo instrument.The solo pait however,lists aboe Principaleo Flauto.
The concertois obviously more suited to the oboe.
The editor rvishesto itt.nt the Fiirstlich Thurn und TaxisscheHofbibliothek in Regensburgfor providing the
migofilm on which this edition is based.
n
The pianoreductionis by R. P. Block of Iowa City, U.S.A'

H. Voxman
Iowa City,Iowa
June 1980

rA fascinsting doctoralthesis,
accountof Fiala'slife is foundin JonR. Piersol's andItsWind
Hofkapelle
"TheOettingen-Wallerstein
of lowa,1972.
Music,"TheUniversity
 Concertoin B flat
J. FIALA
Allegro assai

Oboe
or
Flute p eresc.

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@ World Copyright 1980 by Nova Music, London
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134