Peter Breiner

“Breiner's years of study of composition at the Conservatory in Košice and at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava were devoted to acquiring the basics of traditional composition craft (Symphony for Orchestra), an activity soon compensated by his own extra-curricular compositional work (Variations on a Theme by Alban Berg; Protivety / Counter Statements for Large Orchestra) which followed the ideas of the modern avant-garde. The diversity of Breiner's musical activities, however, soon caused a fascination with the idea of mutual penetration and crossing between different worlds of music, apparent in his Concertino for Viola and Strings (1976-77), which became the central creative principle of his work after studies and is associated with contemporary compositional efforts in multiple styles. Breiner's nonconformist nature caused using these crossings mainly as surprises and deductions, which could acquire the character of musical humor, while he was fascinated above all by “crossing” through “serious” and “nonserious” music culture. So Breiner's early compositional effort is representative of neoclassical confrontation (Concertino; Fractures; Hovoriace hodiny / Talking Clock; Niečo ako koncert pre klavír a orchester / Something Like a Concert for Piano and Orchestra; Suitička / The Little Suite), and as of late he has attempted to synthesize means of both polarized music (Ďalší koncert pre klavír a orchester / Another Concert for Piano and Orchestra; ...aby som ti posvietil na cestu / ...so I Can Light Your Way; Sonata Ostinata; Concerto for Orchestra and Orchestra), which brings his work to the world of L. Bernstein. So if the poetry of the 1980s generation stood in the sign of diversification (rock inspiration in compositions by M. Burlas, synthesis with historical music at work by V. Godár), Breiner's effort complemented it by a current dimension of jazz inspiration that allowed him to remain in the “nonserious” sphere of his beloved music humor and to build his own audience, but which also gave to his work attributes of “nonoriginality” or “eclecticism,” which leveled undesired hypertrophy of his musical talent and individuality. Breiners' efforts at the same time were directed to the area of popular music, where he became the author of dozens songs, hundreds of arrangements, and to the area of musicals (Čarovná čaša / Magic Bowl; Brzdy / Brakes;, Ukradnutý biely slon / Stolen White Elephant) and jazz compositions. The idea of hybridization was also behind Breiners' most commercially successful products – adaptations of songs of The Beatles and songs of E. Presley in the spirit of the Baroque concerto style (CD Beatles Seasons, 1985, Beatles Go Baroque, 1993, Elvis Goes Baroque, 1994). The “unserious” classification of Breiner's composition paradoxically also meant that his “serious” works are now becoming less and less seen in our concert life, as is his monumental passion The Story, which is actually the only original Slovak passion composition, still can't find its way into local dramatic plans.”

(GODÁR, Vladimír: Peter Breiner. In: 100 slovenských skladateľov. Ed. Marián Jurík, Peter Zagar. Bratislava : Národné hudobné centrum, 1998, p. 54 – 55.)