Zdenek Liska: A Unique Talent

By Cory Vielma

WATCH MORE ON NETWORK AWESOME

By all accounts, Liska's ability to compose was nearly effortless, his scores seemingly flowing from his body like an exhaled breath. Besides being the most prolific composer in Czech history, he was known to work on composing new scores while in the studio recording others, apparently able to devote full attention to both. His gift for melody is unparalleled and his knack for combining disparate sounds, moods and genres into a wholly new musical package while also working within the rhythms, emotions and time limits of any given film is beyond compare. His many musical innovations include using the human voice as a wordless instrument, (or even as the rhythm section), using unusual combinations of instruments to create a new timbre (like for example harmonica and glockenspiel) and using sounds considered "sound effects" like whistles, creaks and bangs in his compositions, but most importantly, elevating the language of film music to the point where the music was at least as important as the image (in some cases even more so). Even Svankmajer admits that in many of his films, there is little action, but it feels like action thanks to Liska's delightful music.

Liska's working relationship with Svankmajer was especially long and fruitful. Liska's endless reservoir of invention was the perfect fit for Svankmajer's equally inventive, surreal and playfully macabre creations. They made many films together (my internet research proved inconclusive, but the final count was certainly in the double digits) and one could argue that neither would have been as artistically successful without the other. Since Liska's death in 1983, Svankmajer has never used music in his films again. That's how powerful their collaboration was.

Liska's ability to translate and enhance the action and emotions on the screen is almost entirely unique to the history of cinema. I could name a handful of exceptions, like Morricone or Rota, but I would put myself out on a limb and say that Liska was even better at it, or at the very least, had a more unique take on it. The combination of all of the elements unique to Liska's music came together to create a gripping and overwhelming emotional reaction in the viewer that, at times, feels like nothing else.

Take for example his remarkable score for Mala Morska Vila, the 1976 adaptation of Hans-Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid. In the opening theme, wordless voices swell and crash like the ocean...

waves you see on the screen. The tone seems to indicate that something grandiose and romantic is about to happen, but then about 2/3 of the way through the song, the tone suddenly takes on a much darker tone and the ending feels like slowly drifting to the bottom of the sea, echoing the entire arc of the story in a single piece. Even without the visuals, this is the unmistakable feeling one has when listening to the track.

Liska also thrilled in using unique sound sources and had no qualms about bringing electronic instruments into the mix when they became available. The track "Witches Firewall" from Mala Morska Vila is created almost exclusively through pulsing electronics and noisy washes and would not sound out of place on a Throbbing Gristle record.

With this collection of opening sequences, I am attempting to show not only the wide variety of sounds and emotions he was able to create, but also the variety of projects on which he worked. Ikarie XB-1 is a dark sci-fi drama with an experimental electronic theme, whereas Kat'a a Krokodyl was a children's fantasy film with a playful score, and 30 Pripadu Majora Zemana was a TV soap opera with an appropriately energetic and varied theme.

People with Liska's immense talent come along all too rarely and are sorely missed when they are gone. And with the state of most modern scores being little more than a collection of tunes, the world may never again stand witness to another genius like Liska. I, for one, am thankful for what he left behind.

Comments

[Jim]

Zdenek Liska made some beautiful music, but this is just silly. Svankmajer's more recent work is arguably much better than the 9 shorts he did with Liska, and proceeds from an even more remarkable collaboration with sound designer Ivo Spalj. Better than Morricone? Unequivocally, no. Liska's range is limited and his work in contemporary pop idioms is hopelessly wooden. The truly remarkable thing about his music is the way that he adapts the folk and courtly traditions of central Europe for the cinema screen - nobody else does such great things with waltz time.

Liska's music deserves an insightful celebration. This article is not that thing.

[Cory Vielma]

Hi Jim,

Sorry that you had some issues with the article, but I appreciate you taking the time to read it and post such a well-formulated response.

I think part of your dissatisfaction could perhaps stem from what you perceive as my intentions. The article was intended mostly as an introduction for anyone unfamiliar with his work, and it is clear that you are already quite knowledgeable on the subject.

I’m not writing to respond your comment point by point, as much of it is subjective and I respect your opinion, but I will respond to the whole “better than Morricone?” thing.

Knowing full well that it would be contentious, I included my comment about Morricone & Rota in the article for two reasons: first, I wanted to start a conversation, and second, since I was aiming for people unfamiliar with his work, I wanted to show the caliber of composer I was discussing, and comparing Liska with two other (perhaps better-known) film music greats was my way of showing that he was worthy of being discussed in such company. Saying that Liska is “unequivocally” not better than Morricone strikes me as being undeservedly dismissive. Considering the comparable virtuosity and variety of work, the inventiveness and experimentation in both cases, how well each is able to translate the emotion on the screen into music, not to mention the sheer volume of both bodies of work, I find it hard to believe that even though you clearly think of Liska as the lesser talent, you would not consider them to at least be worthy contemporaries, when considered objectively.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the video collection more than you enjoyed the article.

Best regards
Cory

[LAGARDE]

Here in french the titles and realisators of movies for whom Liska wrote the music (from 1960):
"Monsieur principe supérieur" (Krejc…ík, 1960) ; "La colombe blanche" (Vla…il, 1960) ; “Le baron de Crac” (Zeman, 1961) ; "Le labyrinthe du coeur" (Krej…ík, 1961) ; "Le piège du diable" (Vlá…cil, 1961) ; "Tombée de la lune" (Podskalský, 1961) ; "Le chant du pigeon gris" (Barabaš, 1961) ; “Les horizons verts” (Novak, 1962) ; “Icarus XB1” (Polak, 1963) ; “La mort s’appelle Engelchen”(Kadár-Klos, 1963) ; "Sur la corde" (Novák, 1963) ; "Trio angelos" (Barabaš, 1963) ; "Les tambours" (Novák, 1964) ; "Si près du ciel" (Brebera, 1963) ; “L’accusé” (Kadár-Klos, 1964) ; “Katia et le crocodile” (Plivová-Šimková, 1965) ; “La boutique dans la grand-rue” (Kadár-Klos, 1965) ; “Marketa Lazarova” (Vlá…cil, 1966) ; "Les gens des roulottes" (Fri…c, 1966) ; "Tango pour un ours" (Barabaš, 1966) ; "Le pique-nique" (Sís-Smocek, 1966) ; "La vallée des abeilles" (Vlá…cil, 1967) ; "La fuite" (Skalský, 1967) ; "La douce" (Barabas, 1967) ; "Honneur et gloire" (Bo…can, 1968) ; "Les nuits de Prague" (Brde…ka, Schorm, Makovec, 1968) ; "La balade des 7 pendus" (Holly) ; "L'incinérateur de cadavres" (Herz, 1968) ; "Adelaïde" (Vlá…cil, 1969) ; "Adrift" (Kadár/Klos, 1969) ; "Un monsieur ridicule" (Kachyňa, 1969) ; "Fête au jardin botanique" (Havetta, 1969) ; '"Les fruits du paradis" (Chytilová, 1969) ; "Esope" (Valtchanov, 1969) ; "Les doux jeux de l'été passé" (Herz, 1969) ; "Je sauterai encore par dessus les flaques" (Kachyňa, 1970) ; "The angel levine" (Kadár, 1970) ; "La tour de cuivre" (Hollý, 1970) ; "L'arc de la reine Dorothée" (Schmidt, 1970) ; "La chance" (Valtchanov, 1971) ; "Plume d'aigle" (Hollý, 1971) ; "Les jeux trompeurs de l'amour" (Krej…ík, 1971) ; "Le suspect" (Krej…ik, 1972) ; "Le train pour la station ciel" (Kachyňa, 1972) ; "Les lys des champs" (Havetta, 1972) ; "Les jours de la trahison" (Vávra, 1973) ; "Chronique d'un été chaud" (Sequens, 1973) ; "Le péché de Katarina Padichová" (Hollý, 1973) ; "Adam et Otka" (Dvora…ek, 1973) ; "L'amour" (Kachyňa, 1973) ; "Sokolovo" (Vávra, 1974) ; "Qui sort avec la pluie" (Hollý, 1973) ; "Dernier bal à la piscine de Roznov" (Novák, 1974) ; "L'homme de Londres" (Bo…can, 1974) ; "Aux armes, rebelles" (Lettrich, 1974) ; "Ainsi commence l'amour" (Bo…can, 1975) ; "La fiancée aux beaux yeux" (Schmidt, 1975) ; "La nage des poulains" (Bo…can, 1975) ; "La fièvre" (Hollý, 1975) ; "La petite sirène" (Kachyňa, 1976) ; "La libération de Prague" (Vávra, 1976) ; "Les ombres d'un été brûlant" (Vlá…il, 1977) ; "Trilogie des temps préhistoriques" (Schmidt, 1977) ; "Histoire d'amour et d'honneur" (Vávra, 1977) ; "Le coup de foudre" (Smoljak et Podskalský, 1978) ; "En attendant la pluie" (Kachyňa, 1978) ; "Plus fort que la peur" (Čech, 1978) ; “Et je vais courir jusqu’au bout du monde” (Solan, 1979) ; "La mort cousue sur mesure" (Hollý, 1979) ; "Les otages de Bella Vista" (Sequens, 1980) ; "Signum laudis" (Hollý, 1980) ; "Où a disparu le courrier" (Fuka, 1981).