Horák, Václav (Wenzel) Eman 01/01/1800 - 09/03/1871

Václav Horák (1800-1871) was a Czech composer and church musician, who began his career as a boy singer and later as a member of the St. Niklas church in Prag-Kleinseite. Around 1830 he became organist at the Prague Trinity Church and later teacher at the Prague Organ School. In 1833 he became organist at the Tein Church, in 1837 choir director at the Franciscan Church Maria Snow and in 1853 director of the choir at the Adalbert Church. In 1859 he became the director of church music at the Tein Church. Numerous associations and academies gave him an honorary membership, including the Mozarteum in Salzburg.



As composer Horak owes much through his teachers to the Classical and Romantic styles. His singable and harmonically well grounded compositions and his pleasant orchestral treatment are ravishing, so that he must be counted among the best masters of church music of his time. His sacred works (12 masses, a requiem, a passion, motets and sacred songs) found a wide audience and still live today. He also published two vocal methods books and wrote a treatise "On the Ambiguity of Chords."