Classical and scholarly music
Slovakia as a national entity emerging late in history, it was really only at the beginning of the 20th century that Slovak classical music as such developed. It was led by a trio of illustrious composers: Alexander Moyzes (1906-1984), Ján Cikker (1911-1989) and Eugen Suchoň (1908-1993). Articulating his themes around Slovakian history and incorporating many folk elements, it was Suchoň who really imposed a national style through his two major operas Krutnava(The Whirlwind, 1949) and the very famous Svatopluk (1960). Although his works have not been widely disseminated so far, the master of Suchoň, Frico Kafenda, is another great twentieth-century composer, as is Viliam Figus-Bystry, author of the first Slovak opera Detvan (1928) and collector-arranger (in the manner of a Bartók) of Slovak folk songs. More recently, in the 1960s, Slovakia shone on the international scene with a very beautiful avant-garde stage. One crosses dodecaphonism, serial music and atonality with Jozef Malovec, a local pioneer of sound collage and electroacoustics, but also Ilja Zeljenka, with a more experimental sound grammar (to the point of being banned by the communist regime) or Ladislav Kupkovič, a close friend of Stockhausen who composed a lot for the accordion. Freed after the fall of the wall, contemporary Slovak music now quivers in the hands of musicians such as Peter Breiner, a daring (even iconoclastic) pianist and conductor, or Vladimír Godár, a composer (of film music in particular) who worked for the very prestigious ECM label
Slovakia is a great land of opera. Its reputation has been nurtured all over the world thanks to magnificent voices such as the coloratur soprano Edita Gruberova, the tenor Peter Dvorsky, in whom Luciano Pavarotti himself saw a new generation, or Pavol Breslik, the best Slovak tenor of his generation. In view of the quality of the ensembles and soloists - the violinists Bohdan Warchal and Dalibor Karvay are prodigious - one could not be better advised than to attend a classical music concert or an opera in Slovakia. The Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, for example, is particularly renowned for its excellent performances, which has enabled it to invite such distinguished conductors as Claudio Abbado and Sergiu Celibidache. It has been conducted by the best local conductors - Ľudovít Rajter or Ladislav Slovák - as well as Emmanuel Villaume, a Frenchman (surprisingly) not well known to the French. The orchestra plays in the magnificent neobaroque building of the Reduta in Bratislava, as does the amazing Slovak Philharmonic Choir (with whom it collaborates regularly) whose list of guest conductors includes stars such as Casadesus, Gatti, Chailly, Masur or Salonen. The other important orchestra in Slovakia is the Košice State Philharmonic. Located in the Dom Umenia Fatra (House of Arts), a former synagogue converted into a concert hall, this philharmonic orchestra receives internationally renowned ensembles and has recorded many works for record companies such as Naxos. Also very interesting is the Radio Slovakia Symphony Orchestra, which, like our Radio France Orchestra, offers excellent interpretations of local composers. Lovers of lyric art will be enchanted by the New Slovak National Theatre. This magnificent neo-Renaissance building overlooking Hviezdoslav Square hosts quality theatre and opera performances in a sumptuous interior. InBanská Bystrica, in the heart of the country, the Štatna Opera ("State Opera") presents two to three beautiful opera performances a week, usually at good prices.
Folk and traditional music
Slovakia is proud of its traditional dance, music and costumes. We understand that. The country's folklore tradition is as long as it is remarkable. Although it is united by a core dating back to the days of the Great Moravia, it varies enormously from region to region. In the west of the country, polyphonies resound and small bowed ensembles are often encountered. In the mountainous regions, shepherds' songs and bagpipes can be heard as well as gypsy influences. Further east, male polyphonies can be heard, here accompanied by clapping or clapping on the body. If, in the second half of the 19th century, Slovak composers enriched the classical repertoire of traditional music, the latter benefited enormously from Béla Bartók's collecting and arranging work in The Slovak Folk Songs (4,500 musical pieces transcribed!). Still very popular, folk music is regularly performed by the Radio Slovakia Symphony Orchestra and numerous festivals are dedicated to it: Myjava folk festival, Elro folk festival,Detva folk festival (the oldest) or Vychodná folk festival (the most important in the country). Forits part, the Cassiova Folkfest is the best opportunity to see fujara players. This very long flute made of elderberry wood is an emblem of Slovak folk culture and was included in the list of oral and intangible heritage of humanity by UNESCO at the end of 2005
To listen to it, a good idea is to go to the Klub Lúčnica. This small, authentic bar-restaurant - once home to the famous folk dance group Lúčnica (an institution) - now offers tasty and inexpensive cuisine against the backdrop of very good traditional music. You still come across a few dancers there from time to time. Also, let's not forget the SL'UK (Slovenský l'udový umelecký kolektív), a collective with its own stage that develops shows around folk music and dance.
Rock, pop and electronic music
In Slovakia, rock is a company that is not experiencing a crisis. Since the pioneers Elán, considered the local Queen, and Vidiek, the other mythical band of the 1980s, paved the way, each generation has produced a constellation of stars. No Name, Peha, IMT SMILE, Desmod, The Hex... Slovakia is a factory of rock bands, most of them under the same boss, but whose success often ensures them a career outside their borders (especially in the Czech Republic). Thanks to the Internet, we see more and more young bands tempted by indie rock and electro-pop, more sophisticated, progressive and cooler than the aesthetics of their elders. The spearheads of this scene are Nvmeri, The Ills, Tolstoys, Fallgrapp or Bulp. But the most amazing thing at the moment is undoubtedly the boom that the Slovak electro scene is experiencing. With artists such as Pjoni and his research on sound (and cello), Jimmi Pé and his nervous beatmaking, Theydon Boys following in the footsteps of Nicolas Jaar or Slavo Herman and his almost palpable ambient, the still small Slovak electronic scene will soon get the worldwide recognition it deserves
In Bratislava, there are some very beautiful scenes of current music. Among them, KC Dunaj is worth more than a detour. A party venue, concert hall, design shop, radio, café́ and bar all at once, the Dunaj Cultural Centre offers its trendy clientele labyrinthine spaces, a fantastic view of Bratislava's Old Town and a very well thought-out programme. In the same spirit, Nova Cvernovka, a former chemistry school transformed into a cultural centre, is developing a rather sharp program with a strong focus on young local talent. In Košice, the Tabačka kulturfabrik is a former tobacco factory that has become a cultural platform to promote visual arts, theatre, dance or music. A very lively place.
Dance and theater
Although Slovak folk dance has been shaped by many factors, its roots lie in the cultures of peasants and shepherds who lived along the Danube before the 12th century. Considered the "national" dance, theodzemok is one of the most emblematic and spectacular. Here a shepherd performs an impressive acrobatic solo while jumping, swirling the valaška(small axe) around him. The chorovod is an older (and even the oldest) female collective dance where one runs in a chain. The verbunk, named marhaňská in some regions, is a male dance performed solo or in a circle with many boot-slapping patterns. A similar spirit can be found in bašistovská, where the boots are also slapped in a group, but with the addition of hand claps to syncopated rhythms. The last emblematic dance, the čardáš sees couples improvising steps, most of the time by turning on themselves
To see folk dance in Slovakia, a troop to follow is Lúčnica. This semi-professional dance club is an institution in the country and has been touring all over (the world) since 1948. Attending one of its performances ensures that you will meet some of the best Slovak dancers. In another register, directed by the highly effective Russian choreographer Vasily Medvedev, the ballet of the New Slovak National Theatre offers beautiful adaptations of the classical repertoire. It is also an opportunity to see sound pieces by great local composers such as Peter Breiner choreographed.
A great artistic tradition in Slovakia is the puppet theatre. Inscribed in 2016 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, it is both a popular traditional form of entertainment and an educational tool conveying moral values to the youngest members of society. Not at all considered a sub-genre or minor art, it is instead an integral part of the local theatre and literary tradition of Slovakia. To attend a performance, the cities of Bratislava, Košice and Banská Bystrica each have a puppet theatre of excellent reputation. For those who speak Slovak and wish to experience contemporary drama, the Malá Scéna Stu Theatre is the best place in the country to find it. Founded in 1991 in the capital, this stage complements the Slovak National Theatre with a repertoire geared towards the staging of new authors. Good texts in an intimate setting.
