The focal point of chamber music by Mikuláš Moyzes (1872 – 1944) consists of a quartet of string quartets (D major, A minor, F♯ minor, G major), which can be compared in significance to the quartet works of the older generation of Ján Levoslav Bella. Moyzes devoted himself to chamber composition from 1916 to 1943 and sought to integrate Slovak folk songs into it, undoubtedly enriching the musical language of his time. Although he operated within the bounds of tonality, a certain modernism manifested itself in the temporal and textural economy of his language.
The recording of string quartets was made by the MUCHA QUARTET ensemble:
Juraj TOMKA – 1st violin
Jozef OSTROLUCKÝ – 2nd violin
Veronika KUBEŠOVÁ – viola
Pavol MUCHA – cello
CD contents:
String Quartet No. 1 in D Major (1916 – 1926):
1. Allegro moderato
2. Adagio. Poco più mosso (Ľecela pava, ľecela). Tempo I.
3. Gavotte. Moderato
4. Finale. Allegro
String Quartet No. 2 in A minor (1929):
5. Allegro (Keď sa ti chce spať; Budzil som ca, budzil)
6. Adagio
7. Moderato di Menuetto. Trio. Menuetto Da Capo al Fine
8. Finale. Allegro (Sokolovie lúka; Doliny, doliny)
String Quartet No. 3 in F sharp minor (1931 – 1932):
9. Allegro ma non troppo
10. Adagio placido. Più mosso (Vyletel vták). Tempo I.
11. Allegretto leggiero
12. Allegretto con tenerezza. Meno mosso. Andante. Allegretto. Meno mosso. Allegretto
String Quartet No. 4 in G Major (1943):
13. Allegro giusto (Zasial som žitko, nebudem ho žať)
14. Larghetto con espressione
15. Menuetto
16. Rondo. Allegro con anima
Total time:71:30
The CD is the thirteenth title in the Music Centre's Monumenta Musicae Slovacae edition, in which recordings of major works by Slovak composers are successively released.
CD is available in selected stores and in our e-shop.
The Slovak composer Mikuláš MOYZES (6. 12. 1872 Zvolenská Slatina – 2. 4. 1944 Prešov) completed his courses at secondary school in Banská Bystrica and the Teacher Training Institute in Kláštor pod Znievom (1889 – 1893). He worked as an organist and teacher in Hungary, in Eger, Oradea (today’s Romania) and Csurgó. Following his return to Slovakia during the years of World War I, he worked in Kláštor pod Znievom at the Teacher Training Institute. He acquired the state certificate at the Hungarian Royal Academy in Budapest with Zoltán Kodály (1917), and until his retirement on pension he was the regular professor of music and singing at the Girls’ Teacher Training Institute in Prešov.
Moyzes devoted himself to composition during all of his engagements, having regard to the cultural needs of the given town. As a teacher, he collaborated in producing basic materials of instruction. Inspired by the ideas of Bartók and Kodály, following the foundation of the Czechoslovak Republic he began to create a concept of music education based on the folk song. During this time he produced several textbooks and numerous arrangements of folk songs for piano, voice and piano, and various choral bodies.
(excerpts from Vladimír Godár's text, booklet to the CD Mikuláš Moyzes - String Quartets)
Other titles from HC Publishing that might be of interest to you:
Sheet music from the Slovak Chamber Music edition:
Mikuláš Moyzes - String quartets No. 1 D Major, No. 2 A Minor, No. 3 F sharp Minor, No. 4 G Major
Monumenta Musicae Slovacae Edition