Jaroslav Meier

Jaroslav Meier was born on 7 December 1923 in Hronov (Czech Republic). First he studied at the German Music Academy in Prague under Anton Nowakowski (organ), Josef Langer (piano) and Fidelio Finke (composition). Later he completed his studies at the conservatory in Bratislava and first was active as a concert organist. In 1949 Jaroslav Meier became editor for classical music at the broadcasting station in Bratislava. In 1956 he co-founded the Czechoslovak television in Slovakia and was appointed head of the department for music broadcasting. Jaroslav Meier held this position until his retirement in 1987. After his professional life he moved back to Hronov where he deceased on 17 March 2001.

Jaroslav meier also composed many works during his lifetime. His work catalogue contains several operas, ballet music, an organ concerto, orchestral works like "Bratislava festival" or "Resurrection" for voice and orchestra, chamber music and songs. Jaroslav Meier also made arragements of works by other composers like Johann Matthias Sperger, Jan Levoslav Bella or Johann Sigismund Kusser.

In my possession is a handwritten piano reduction of the "Musical-Turkish Eulenspiegel" by Daniel Georg Speer (1636-1707). The manuscript consists of 78 pages and bound in cardboard. The title page says: "Daniel Georg Speer / Hudobný turecký Eulenspiegel / upravil a inštrumentoval Jaroslav Meier / klavírny výťah" (roughly translated to "edited and orchestrated by Jaroslav Meier / piano reduction"). The manuscript is not signed nor dated, so I am not sure if it is an autograph by Jaroslav Meier. But I could not find any reference to this edition and so it seems likely that it is the (unpublished) original.

This version is scored for mostly voice and piano, only the finale is scored for chorus. The work consists of three parts with several subdivisions. The three parts have the titles: "Obraz 1: O vojnovej slávy, Obraz 2: O múdrej žene, Obraz 3: O mly nárovej oslicí".