Kolya - Ondřej Soukup
"I wrote the main theme for Kolya right after I’d finished reading the script – it made such an impression on me. I actually never do that; I always compose only once the film has been edited, because I find the visual aspect very inspiring and I like to follow its lead when I work.
This time, however, it worked this way. The theme appears in the film either on the piano or with strings joining in. Once only does a solo cello start and is later joined by the whole orchestra. The solo trumpet part – played by Mirek Kejmar, a trumpetist with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra – contains a blue tone (to clarify: a tone that seems to be out of tune). When we had recorded this section, he came running into the control room from the studio with the sheet-music as proof, shouting: “That wasn’t a mistake, he did write it in here!” And it remained on the record, we liked it.
On the Oscar night, when Kolya was among the nominated, the show was live on TV in the Czech Republic, but very late at night due to the time shift. I couldn’t put up with the pressure, so I got drunk and fell asleep. It was close to morning when Gábina, my wife who had managed to stay up, shook me back to consciousness, screaming: “Soukup, you moron, you got an Oscar!” I sprang out of bed and was so thrilled and excited that I went on drinking.
Later on, Kolya was thrashed to pieces by critics such as Messrs. Rejžek and Just and Ms. Brdečková. Deservedly, no doubt. How dare such a dewy-eyed, sentimental kitsch of a film bring shame on us all around the world and win Oscars!" O. Soukup
Other compositions by Ondřej Soukup published in Czech Radio:
Accumulator (Akumulátor)
Dark Blue World (Tmavomodrý svět)
Empties (Vratné lahve)
Lída Baarová
Requiem for a Doll (Main theme)
Lucky Four Serving The King (Main Theme)
Joan of Arc
Parts only for hire at nakladatelstvi@rozhlas.cz