Karel Haba

Karel Haba was born on 21 May 1898 in Vizovice (at that time Austria-Hungary, today: Czech Republic). After school he first completed the teacher training college in Pribor before enrolling at the Prague conservatory. There he studied under Jan Marak and Karel Hoffmann (violin), Jaroslav Kricka, Josef Bohuslav Foerster and Vitezslav Novak (composition) from 1918 to 1923. He later also attended the lectures about quarter-tone composition of his brother Alois Haba.
After his exams in choral singing and violin in 1922 Karel Haba began to teach at the teacher training college in Svaty Jan pod Skalou. From 1929 to 1936 he was a violist in the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra as well as program editor at the Czechoslovak Radio (until 1950). In 1945 he founded the children's choir of the Czechoslovak Radio. From 1951 to his retirement Karel Haba was professor for the methodics of music education at the Charles University in Prague. 
Karel Haba died on 21 November 1972 in Prague (Czech Republic).

The work catalogue of Karel Haba contains 4 operas, 2 symphonies, concertos for violin and cello, orchestral suites, 2 string quartets, a piano trio, piano sonata, other chamber music and many songs.

In my possession is an autograph manuscript with 4 short songs for SATB choir by Karle Haba. The songs themselves are complete, but the manuscript in total seems to be incomplete because the first page of the manuscript is numbered 3. The manuscript ends on page 6 with no sign if the song cycle ends there. The included 4 songs are titled:

• Dievča čo robíš (with the indication "Se zavřenými ústy" (with closed mouth, so not sung but only crooned)
• A já som z bravy debnár
• Alebo ma zamýkajtě
• Keď hysce to