Jaroslav Jankovec composer

Jaroslav Jankovec ( * 26 April 1896 Malenice - 6 September 1961 Prague ) was a Czech conductor and composer of popular music.
His father was a typical Czech village cantor, a patriot and a passionate musician. Thus his son acquired a broad musical foundation. He learned every musical instrument available and played at a young age in a band led by his father. They played at village festivals, weddings, pilgrimages, celebrations and funerals.

He graduated from the secondary school in Ceské Budejovice and the Teachers' Institute in Príbram . He studied for two years at the University of Engineering and Technology in Prague . In 1915, however, he transferred to the Conservatory , where he studied organ playing with Karel Steckr , Josef Klicka and Ondrej Horník . His composition teacher was Prof. Jaroslav Kricka .

At first he earned money on the side by playing the piano for silent films in various cinemas. Otakar Ostrcil engaged him in the choir of the Vinohrad Theatre . Already during his studies he was a member of the Czech Theatre Association in Prague . After graduating from high school, he earned his living as a répétiteur with travelling theatre groups. He also worked for some time in Hungary. In 1920 he became conductor of the Smíchov Arena , where he remained until its dissolution in 1933. It was here that he achieved his first compositional success with the music for the revue Evropa o nas ví .

After the end of the Arena he worked for three years at the Švand Theatre and briefly at the Theatre U Nováku . From 1938 until his retirement in the 1950s he was conductor of the Tyl Theatre in Nuslí (today Na Fidlovacce Theatre ). He wrote 60 operettas and operas for the Nuslí Theatre, which also featured scenes outside Prague. The operetta Love of Her Highness was also performed in Hamburg under the title Love of Her Highness and Cuckoo in Yugoslavia . His last work, performed in 1954, was the operetta Tak žil a praal nam Kmoch. The operetta Primátor Ditrich from 1956 was no longer performed. Along with Josef Stelibský and Jára Beneš, Jaroslav Jankovec was one of the founders of folk operetta in the 20th century .

Many songs from his operettas and revues literally became popular. In songs like " When spring knocks , Band, play me this polka beautifully from the floor " or "Play me mine" , I saw Ella on guard " Behind this garage of ours" few know who their author was.