Vladimír Bokes
VLADIMÍR BOKES (1946) studied cello and composition with Juraj Pospíšil at the Bratislava Conservatory. He continued his composition studies with Dezider Kardoš at the Academy of Music and Performing Arts (graduating in 1970 with his Symphony No. 1). Working as a teacher he lectured on theoretical subjects at the Conservatory and the Academy. Since 1983 he teaches composition at the Academy, and in 1993 he was appointed professor. Between 1993 – 1998 he was the chairman of the Festival Committee of the International Festival of Contemporary Music Melos-Ethos.
Bokes is primarily a rationalistic artist. In his work he develops the ideas of the Second Viennese School in a special and innovative manner. Combining the consistent organisation of elements (the principle of the golden section) with aleatory composition, he seeks achieving control over the timbre qualities of New Music, while confronting serialism with tonality by introducing the series into tonal context.
Works (selection): 5 symphonies (1970, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1988, 2003); 2 piano concertos (1976, 1985); 4 piano sonatas (1963, 1973, 1979, 1985); String Trio (1963), Sequenza per 9 stromenti for oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, tuba, violin, viola, cello (1965), La Folia, ciaccona for violin solo (1967), 2 string quartets (1970, 1974), Cadence to the Memory of Pablo Picasso for flute a guitar (1973), Good Day Mr. Fibonacci, cycle of piano pieces (1977), The Manner of Silence, song cycle for bass and 4 instruments to Mihalkovič’s lyrics (1977), Lines for 12 singers (1978), Music for Organ and Winds (1986), Coll’Age for piano, 2 violins, viola and cello (1989), Preludes and Fugues for piano op. 53 (1989), Five Etudes for piano (1989), Nine Variations on a Theme by Zdeněk Fibich for piano, op. 54 (1990), Pater noster for trumpet and baritone (1990), Missa Posoniensis for soli, choir, organ and orchestra (1990), Ave Maria for soprano and string quartet (1991), Lied ohne Worte for mezzo-soprano/trumpet in C, bass clarinet and piano (1992), Haydn at the Computer, overture for chamber orchestra (1992), Variations on a Theme from Haydn’s ‘London Symphony’ for flute solo, op. 57 (1992), Variations on a theme by Ján Cikker for clarinet (1992), Symphony No. 1, new version (1969/1993), Variations on a Theme by Ján Egry for wind octet (1994), Commedia del’arte, aria for tenor and piano on a 1981 document of the Central Committee of the Slovak Composers Union (1995), Cadenza No. 3 per violino solo (1995), Capriccio for flute and piano (1996), St. Martin, hymn for mixed choir (1996), Variations on a Theme by Joseph Haydn for orchestra (1996), Rondo for Oboe and Bassoon (1997), Ostinato for double bass and piano (1998), Musique triste for violin, viola and cello (1996 – 1998), Musica stricta for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano (1999), Aria of Margarethe (2001), Divertimento, op. 72 (2001).