Author: Vladimír Franz. From the stage music for the performance of Mademoiselle Jaire by Michel de Ghelderode. May 2013, Divadlo v Dlouhé (Prague, the Czech Republic), director: Hana Burešová.

Confutatis Maledictis

Symphonic poem by Vladimír Franz; performed by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Ondrej Lenárd. First performance in the Rudolfinum´s Dvořák Hall on 4th November 2010.

Radobӱl

Miserere Nobis

Author: Vladimir Franz. From the ballet Zlatovláska (Goldilocks). 2006, Prague´s National Theatre, director: Ondřej Havelka. Released on a DVD.

Romance

Author: Vladimir Franz. From the stage music for the theatre performance of Tattoo. 2010, Divadlo v Celetné, Prague, director: Jakub Zindulka.

Tattoo

Author: Vladimir Franz. Sample of his oratorio Ludus Danielis. Amateur recording (low sound quality), Prague, spring 1990. The libretto of the oratorio (written by Rostislav Krivanek)is inspired by the text of a medieval musical play found in the Beauvais monastery and by the Old Testament story of the Prophet Daniel. The oratorio was written and composed in late eighties. But that time ruling communist regime and its state-controlled art unions and organizations would have never permitted performing the work based on a biblical story, the work so infavourable and ill-disposed towards official state ideology. That was the main reason for the oratorio to have been performed in secret under the pretext of a wedding ceremony. The very first performance of Ludus Danielis took place in Prague's St.Kliment church in July 1st 1989, in the presence of a couple of dozens friends and well-informed persons. More respectable repeat of the performance took place a year later within the framework of a Czech university students´ campaign against human rights violation in China. Since then the oratorio has not been publicly performed or professionally recorded. 

Ludus Danielis: Mene Tekel Phares

Author: Vladimir Franz. Sample of his oratorio Ludus Danielis. Amateur recording (low sound quality), Prague, spring 1990. The libretto of the oratorio (written by Rostislav Krivanek)is inspired by the text of a medieval musical play found in the Beauvais monastery and by the Old Testament story of the Prophet Daniel. The oratorio was written and composed in late eighties. But that time ruling communist regime and its state-controlled art unions and organizations would have never permitted performing the work based on a biblical story, the work so infavourable and ill-disposed towards official state ideology. That was the main reason for the oratorio to have been performed in secret under the pretext of a wedding ceremony. The very first performance of Ludus Danielis took place in Prague's St.Kliment church in July 1st 1989, in the presence of a couple of dozens friends and well-informed persons. More respectable repeat of the performance took place a year later within the framework of a Czech university students´ campaign against human rights violation in China. Since then the oratorio has not been publicly performed or professionally recorded.

Ludus Danielis: Daniel

Author: Vladimír Franz. From the CD HA-HAMLET!!! finished on 9/11 2001, released by the Guerilla Records in 2005.

Credo

Author: Vladimír Franz. Finale from the stage music for the performance of Faust. 1997, National Theatre in Brno, director: Z. Srba. Released on CD in 1998.

Earth-Heaven

Author: Vladimír Franz. A cantata for a mixed choir based on the text of the Treaty on the Establishment of Peace throughout Christendom (the unsuccessful project of universal peace initiated by King George of Bohemia in the 15th century) and a quotation from biblical Apocalypse. Performed by Ars Brunensis Chorus mixed choir conducted by Roman Valek. 

Tractatus Pacis

Author: Vladimír Franz. From the stage music for the performance of a stage oratorio Ruth. 2000, Západočeské divadlo Cheb, director: Z. Herajtova. Released on CD in 2001.

Once upon a time...

Author: Vladimír Franz. From the score for the movie Stone Bridge by the Czech director Tomas Vorel. Released on CD in 1996.

Stone Bridge

Author: Vladimír Franz. From the stage music for the performance of a play Poslední santan, Mestske divadlo Most, 1995, director: Z. Srba. 

The War

Symphonic poem by Vladimír Franz; performed by the Brno Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Alexandar Marković. First performance within the opening of the Znojmo Music Festival 2014 on 9th July 2014.

Morava

Author: Vladimír Franz. From the stage music for the performance of Bloudění (Wandering). 1998, Prague´s National Theatre, director: J. A. Pitínský. 

Through Darkness And Light (Sack of Magdeburg)

Author: Vladimír Franz. From the stage music for the performance of Pašije (Passion). 1998, Prague´s National Theatre, director: Z. Srba.


Ascension

A pocket oratorio by Vladimir Franz for a mixed choir, organ and drums. Live recording of the first performance at the international choral festival Bohemia Cantat Liberec 2014. Choirmaster: Roman Válek

Presidential Election (Prezidentská volba) - a pocket oratorio (kapesní oratorium)

An unnamed movement from a string quartet by Vladimir Franz played by Sedláčkovo kvarteto. Live recording, November 11, 2015.

A movement from a string quartet

Prof. Vladimir Franz is a prominent Czech composer, painter and stage music author, six-time winner of the prestigeous Alfred Radok Foundation Award (1998, 2000, 2002 and 2005-2007) and holder of the Theatre News Prize (2001), and since the beginning of 1990’s also one of the leading personalities of Czech post-modern drama. His stage music compositions affected and inspired the work of the most important representatives of the new generation of Czech theatre directors. In his work he has followed the principles of his own theoretical concept of independent status of stage music as one of the determining components of the drama.

Vladimir Franz was born on May 25, 1959, in Prague. Between 1978 and 1982 he studied at the Faculty of Law of Charles University, at the same time taking private painting lessons with the famous Czech painters Karel Souček and Andrej Bělocvetov, studying composition with Prof. Vladimir Sommer, history of art with Prof. Jaromír Homolka and history of music with Prof. Jaromír Kincl. In 1981-1984 he became co-founder, set designer, art designer and composer of the author’s Kytka Theatre. At the present time, he works as head of music dramatics at the Theatre Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts. Until November 1999 he was also chairman of its Academic Senate. 
Vladimir Franz’s music creation is extensive. To date, he has composed stage music for more than 150 drama productions, including theatre performances (some of them were released on CD), stage oratorios Judith (Judit, 1999), Ruth (Rut, 2000) and Hercules (Herakles, 2002) and the musical Temptation of St Anthony (Pokušení sv. Antonina, 2001), the oratorio Ludus Danielis (1989) and the same-name opera (2000); the opera The War with the Newts (Válka s mloky, composed 2005, premiere 2013), the opera-oratorio Valley of Dry Bones (Údolí suchých kostí, premiere 2009), and the ballet Goldilocks (Zlatovláska, premiere 2006).

He has composed some 150 songs and ballads, the folk suittes Mardi grass (Masopust, 1984) and Love and Death (Láska a smrt, 1985); music for the performances Construction of the Tower of Babel (Stavba Babylónské věže, 1994) and The Republic Celebrates its Birthday (Republika má narozeniny, 2006); music for the multimedia project Icaros Ascending (Ikarův vzestup, 1995); music for for radio plays Hamlet (2001), The Tempest (Bouře, 2002), and Achajove (2007). Furthemore, he has composed the chamber cantata The Cry of Spectres (Křik strašidel) to the same-name poem of a famous Czech poet and the Nobel Prize winner Jaroslav Seifert, the cantata for a mixed choir Tractatus Pads (based on the text of a medieval European peace agreement proposal and some parts of biblical Apocalypse).

Vladimir Franz has also composed music for the TV play Historical Events (Dějinné události); for the documentaries Journey to Sambhala (Cesta do Sambhaly) and Varga; music for Tomáš Vorel’s feature film The Stone Bridge (Kamenný most, released on CD in 1996 and in 1997); part of the music for Vít Olmer’s movie Waterloo in the Czech Way (Waterloo po česku, 2002); and music for Jakub Hussar’s feature sci-fi movie Skeletons (Skeletoni).

In addition, he has composed the First symphony for solo voices, narrator, children’s choir, mixed choir, organ and orchestra Songs on solitudes (Písně o Samotách (2003; first performance 2004); the „pocket oratorio" Young Men in the Stew (Mládenci v peci ohnivé, 2007); the symphonic overture The Bourgeois Gentleman (Měšták šlechticem, 2007); the symphonic poem Radobýl (2010; first performance by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra); and the symphonic poem Morava (2014; first performance by the Brno Philharmonic Orchestra).

Vladimir Franz has also composed organ and drums variations Dialogues (Dialogy), organ Variations in Homage to John IV of Dražice (Variace k poctě Jana IVz Dražie), Variations in Homage to St George (Variace k poctě sv. Jiří), Variations in Homage to St Wenceslas (Variace k poctě sv. Václava), Variations in Homage to St John of Nepomuk (Variace k poctě sv. Jana Nepomuckého), Homage to Vitkov Hill (Pocta hoře Vítkov) and cycles of madrigals Choruses from Oedipus the King (Sbory z Krále Oidipa), Theatre Madrigals (Divadelní madrigaly) and The Radiant Night (Zářící noc).

He has applied his education in a wide range of activities. As a painter, to date he has held almost 80 independent exhibitions both in the Czech Republic and abroad and participated in more than fifty collective shows, exhibitions and competitions. His works of art are on display in galleries and form part of private collections on three continents.
In 2012 he was also a registered candidate in the 2013 Czech presidential election; in the 1st round of the election, he placed 5th with 6.84% (351,916 votes).


Vladimír Franz

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