Centenary of Eugen Sucho? Celebrated in Slovakia

Slovak cultural institutions and organizations have scheduled numerous events in the 2008-09 to honor the centenary of composer, theoretician, and pedagogue Eugen Sucho?, including concerts, theatre performances, conferences, and seminars, as well as the publication of new editions of Sucho?'s works.
These events have been featured in the UNESCO cultural calendar of anniversaries.

Eugen Sucho? (1908–1993) was one of the most significant representatives of Slovak music in the 20th century and his works—which combine Slovak national folklore with a strong awareness of European compositional trends—had a major impact on contemporary composers in Slovakia as well as on the perception of Slovakian culture abroad. In particular, his 1949 opera Katrena (Krút?ava)—which was performed not only in many European countries but also in the United States, during a period of volatile international relations—helped alleviate Slovakia's cultural isolation, and drew attention to Slovak music as a whole. Additionally, Sucho? was extremely important in organising the Slovak music scene as well as professional musical education.

Events scheduled as part of the 2008 Sucho? Centenary will promote Sucho?'s legacy in Slovakia as well as abroad. Concerts of Sucho?'s works took place in Paris on 15 and 16 September—the first in Hotel Les Invalides and the second in Theatre le Ranelagh—which also featured a special exhibition. The concerts featured performances by mezzo-soprano Terézia Kružliaková, bass Gustáv Belá?ek, and Bratislava's chamber orchestra Cappella Istropolitana. Included on the programmes were Sucho?'s Three Songs for Bass, Shepherd's Songs, and Nox et solitudo, which was performed in a new arrangement for string orchestra, created expressly for the Sucho? Centenary by Slovak composer Peter Zagar. The musicians will reprise this repertoire for two concerts in Marseille on the 29 and 30 November 2008.

In collaboration with the Polish institute in Slovakia and the Polish Music Information Centre, Music Centre Slovakia has also organized a Polish-Slovak concert featuring music by Sucho? on 19 October 2008 with two contemporary music groups—Orkiestra Muzyki Nowej and Melos Ethos Ensemble—c conducted by Szymon Bywalec. The concert, which took place on the 30th anniversary of the pontificate of Joannes Paulus II, also featured music by Berislav Šipuš, Jerzy Kornowicz, Arvo Pärt and Roman Berger.