Kubelik, Rafael Jeronym

▪ 1997

      Bohemian-born Swiss conductor and composer (b. June 29, 1914, Bychory, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary [now in Czech Republic]—d. Aug. 11, 1996, Lucerne, Switz.), was known for his powerful and invigorating interpretations, especially of the music of composers from his homeland. He made frequent guest appearances with major orchestras throughout the world and held a number of important directorship posts. Kubelik, a son of the violinist Jan Kubelik, attended the Prague Conservatory, made his debut with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra in 1934, and became that orchestra's conductor in 1936. He served as director of the Brno Opera from 1939 to 1941 and then returned to the Czech Philharmonic. In 1948, when the communists took over, Kubelik left the country, vowing not to return as long as they were in power; he settled first in England and later in Switzerland, where he became (1967) a citizen. He served a tempestuous three seasons (1950-53) with the Chicago Symphony and in 1955 was appointed music director at London's Covent Garden. His stint there was also controversial, in part because of his policy of having the operas performed in English, and he left in 1958. Kubelik was guest conductor with the Vienna Philharmonic and the Israel Philharmonic, principal conductor of the Bavarian Radio Symphony (1961-79), and music director of the Metropolitan Opera, New York City (1973-74). In 1990, after the fall of communism, he returned to Prague and conducted the Czech Philharmonic in three performances of Bedrich Smetana's Ma vlast (My Country). Kubelik counted operas, requiems, symphonies, and concerti among his compositions, and a number of his notable recordings were reissued many times.

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