In February 2022, the National Czech and Slovak Museum & Library (NCSML) in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, which is part of the Smithsonian Institution, will receive a unique musical instrument for its collection: a cimbalom. Made in a workshop in the small Moravian village of Kozlovice in northern Moravia, the instrument was played for more than 10 years by one of the best Czech cimbalom players, Petr Gablas, a native to Uherské Hradiště and member of the folk music group Harafica. The instrument, whose acquisition is financed by Czech-Slovak compatriot Bob Petrik, will not only serve as an item on display in the museum, but will also open the door to cimbalom band concerts in the American Midwest and help teach young generations of Czech, Slovak, and Hungarian compatriots how to play this instrument.
Cecílie Rokusek, Director of the National Czech and Slovak Museum in Cedar Rapids, who is preparing to accept the cimbalom and its future use, said: “The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library in Cedar Rapids, IA is absolutely thrilled and honored to be hosting Harafica, the original cimbalom orchestra from Moravia. As the only national Czech and Slovak museum and library in North America, it is so important that we bring our cultural stars of the 21st century to our community and our national audiences. We are especially excited to introduce cimbalom music to our children as the younger generation is truly our future. Harafica represents the finest in terms of history, culture, and unique music that is so important to preserve for all generations, current, and future. We welcome with open hearts this cultural gem to the Midwest and the heart of America. The cimbalom played for our concert will become part of the museum and will be used to teach children and all interested in this important instrument in the Moravian and Slovak cultures.”
Miroslav Konvalina, Director of the Czech Center in New York, who was behind the idea of a cimbalom for the compatriots’ museum in America, added: “We have been currently supporting the living traditions of Bohemia and Moravia here in the United States. The opportunity to provide the museum in Cedar Rapids with a cimbalom that was made in Moravia and (until its last days before being sent to America) played by one of the Czech Republic’s best folk bands (who will also play the instrument in the States) is a prime example of what we have been striving to achieve. With young artists, we want to present the best that the exceptionally musically gifted people of our country have given to the world. I'm thrilled to see that such a great ensemble like Harafica, who has enjoyed tremendous success in Europe with this instrument and is now journeying to America for the first time, will get to play in Cedar Rapids for the presentation of this cimbalom.”
The donor of the instrument, Dr. Bob Petrik, retired NCSML board member and former Slovak Honorary Consul in Florida, also shared his views: “As a first generation Czech and Slovak born in the US, I am exceedingly proud of my heritage and want to share it with everyone. This handmade cimbal from Moravia will have a very special place in the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library in Cedar Rapids, IA as it is used for concerts, for education of persons of all ages, and for the preservation of our rich musical traditions.”
Cymbalist Petr Gablas played the valuable instrument (which was made by the traditional Moravian family-owned company Holak, located near Čeladná in Moravia) at concerts with the Philharmonic and at Moravian weddings and wine festivals. Saying goodbye to this special cimbalom was not easy for him:
“This instrument really grew on me. The huge and diverse color palette that can be created with it is stunning. I can always rely on this instrument and I know that the resulting sound will always be of the best quality. On behalf of Harafica and myself, I would like to thank the NCSML director Cecilia Rokusek and Mr. Bob Petrik not only for purchasing this cimbalom for the museum but also for putting together our concert in Cedar Rapids, which we are very much looking forward to."
Cimbaloms made by Holak are now considered world-class instruments. Leading Czech artists and bands play on them. The sound of the instrument, its diverse color palette, and its thoughtful and detailed mechanics allow players to quite literally enchant their audiences with their music, regardless of what genre they play. It’s no wonder the world's leading cymbalists are already playing this instrument today. Unfortunately, Mr. Vladimír Holiš died on August 24, 2021, after battling a long-term illness. His legacy lives on through his son Miroslav, whose father introduced him to the production of this extraordinary instrument.
This Holak cimbalom is noted for having been played at the State Opera in Leipzig and Dresden. Its last big foreign concert took place in 2021 in Hamburg. It also sounded beautiful in the famous cathedral in Iceland. The cimbalom has also been played in Lyon, Lisbon, Barcelona, Warsaw, Vienna, Copenhagen, Venice, and the Vatican in celebration of the birthday of Cardinal Tomáš Špidlík. In the Czech Republic, the instrument has been played alongside the Janáček Philharmonic in Ostrava and the Prague Symphony Orchestra and has also accompanied Karel Gott in one of his songs.
Petr Gablas, a native to Traplice near Uherské Hradiště, has been playing the cimbalom since he was five when he began learning from legendary cimbalom player Ludovít Daniel. He later studied the cimbalom with Professor Dalibor Štrunc at the Brno Conservatory, as well as music director at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. He is currently engaged in active playing and teaching activities at the Music School and the Conservatory in Brno. Since 2005, Petr has also held the position of artistic director for the contemporary cimbalom music group Harafica, in which he is in charge of the dramaturgy and repertoire. Today, he is active not only as a musician, but also as a programmer, music director, producer, conductor, and composer. He collaborates on the domestic scene with top leading performers. The Harafica Symphonic project is without a doubt one of his greatest musical achievements. In it, cimbalom music in Petr’s adaptation embraced Moravian folk poetry together with a large symphony orchestra.
Petr was also heavily involved in the creation of the musical fairy tale The Brave Blacksmith, which has been staged at the Brno City Theater since 2020. Petr created complete arrangements of Petr Ulrych's songs for it.
From the history of the cimbalom in the Czech Republic
The cimbalom is one of the oldest musical instruments. We see it depicted in ancient Iranian and Assyrian reliefs. At the time, it was a small and light trapezoidal instrument that resounded with wooden sticks or nails. It likely arrived in Europe through Arab traders. Its oldest known iconographic depiction from 1184 is preserved in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.
The cimbalom was later improved in Hungary for concert playing in as early as the 1880s. Its creator was Václav József Schunda (originally from Dubče near Říčany), who in 1874 managed to devise a solid pedalization system. With this revolutionary act, the era of the cimbalom as a respected concert instrument began.
The Bohák Company, whose instruments are still played to this day, became a successor and later also a competitor of the Schunda Company. Vladimír Holiš, a native to Čeladná, continues the traditions of the Bohák brand in the Czech Republic. The instruments made in his workshop in the small village of Kozlovice bear the name Holak.
