Suchoň Eugen, *25 September 1908 Pezinok, †5 August 1993 Bratislava, Slovak composer and teacher. He received the beginnings of his musical education in his family home. From 1920, he studied piano (with F. Kafenda, E. Križan and L. Adamcová-Svobodová) at the music school in Bratislava. In 1927–31, he studied composition under F. Kafenda and conducting under J. Vincourek at the same school, which was transformed into a music academy. In 1931–33, he deepened his composition studies in the master class of V. Novák at the Prague Conservatory. From 1933, he taught at the music academy (renamed the state conservatory in 1941) in Bratislava, and in 1938–41, he served as dean. In 1947, he became a professor at the Faculty of Education, subsequently merged with the Faculty of Philosophy of the Comenius University in Bratislava, where he worked in 1959–74. From 1975, he was a member of the Akademie der Künste in East Berlin. He received, among others, the title of National Artist (1958), an honorary doctorate from Comenius University (1969) and the Herder Prize (1981). In 1988, on the 80th anniversary of Suchoň’s birth, the Social and Cultural Association “Pojezierze” in Olsztyn organised his jubilee concert. Posthumously awarded the Order of Ľudovít Štúr, first class.
Suchoň is the creator of the national style in Slovak music. His work also marked a breakthrough between traditional and contemporary music, a transition from late-Romantic chromaticism to modality, which emerged by reaching for the roots of ancient Slovak folk songs. Creating its contemporary idiom (characteristic double use of tritone) in a refined and crystallised form and a form with dramatic development is one of Suchoň’s greatest technical achievements (Žalm zeme Podkarpatskej). The progressive style is expressed by the use of dodecaphonic procedures and a transition from linear thinking to vertical structures. The quintessence of his style is represented by the opera Krutniava, considered the first Slovak national opera.
Literature: Skladatel a teoretik E. Suchoň – katalóg diel, Bratislava 1987; E. Zavarský E. Suchoň – profil skladatela, Bratislava 1955; J. Kresánek Národný umelec E. Suchoň, Bratislava 1961; J. Kresánek, I. Vajda Národný umelec E. Suchoň, Bratislava 1979; D. Suchoňová Podmanený svet. Mladé letá, Bratislava 1981; W. Jegorowa E. Suchoň, Moscow 1987; Z. Martináková E. Suchoň, Munich 1993, Tvorivý odkaz Eugena Suchoňa v kontexte miesta, doby, vývoja a diela vrstovníkov. Zborník z muzikologickej konferencie s medzinárodnou účast’ou konanej v rámci festivalu Bratilavské hudobné slávnosti 2008, ed. L. Chalupka, Bratislava 2009.
Compositions
Instrumental:
for orchestra:
Noc čarodejníc 1927, revised 1977
Symfonietta in D 1927, revised 1977
Baladická suita 1936
Metamorfozy 1951–53
Symfonietta rustica 1956
Horalská suita 1967
Malá suita s passacagliou 1967
Prelom 1977
***
Partita rapsodica for piano and orchestra, 1965
Symfonická fantázia na BACH for organ, strings and percussion, 1972
Concertino for clarinet and orchestra, 1978
Elegia i toccata for piano, strings and percussion, 1980
chamber:
String Quartet 1931, revised 1939
Piano Quartet 1933
Serenáda for wind quintet, 1933, 2nd version for string orchestra, 1933
***
Sonata in A-flat major for violin and piano, 1930
Sonatina for violin and piano, 1937
Poème macabre for violin and piano, 1963
for piano:
Introduction 1924
Romanca in C minor 1925
Intermezzo capriccioso 1926
Suite No. 1 1926
Nocturno in D-flat major 1926
Pierrot a Colombína 1927
Adagio in G minor 1928
Baladická suitá, transcription of a pieces for orchestra, 1934–36
Metamorfózy 1952
Kaleidoskop 1966
Toccata 1973
Elégia 1978
Uspávanka 1984
Vocal and vocal-instrumental:
O človeku, cycle for mixed choir, words by J. Smrek, 1962
Slovenská pieseň for mixed choir, words by J. Smrek, 1972
Slovenská omša for voice solo, 1984
Bačovské piesne for baritone and piano, 1929, revised 1985
Kontemplácie for reciter and piano, words by L. Novomenský, 1964
Aká si mi krásna for baritone, bass and piano, words by P Bella-Horal, 1985
Dve piesne for tenor and orchestra, 1928
Nox et solitudo, cycle for mezzo-soprano and chamber orchestra, words by I. Krasko, 1933, also version for mezzo-soprano and piano
Piesne z hôr for soprano, tenor and orchestra, 1937–47
Ad astra, cycle for soprano and chamber orchestra, words by Š. Žáry, 1961, also version for soprano and piano
Pohl’ad do neznáma, 3 songs for voice, strings and percussion, words by P. Štilicha, 1978
Tri piesne for baritone and orchestra, words by M. Válek, P. Štilicha, J. Smrek, 1985
Žalm zeme Podkarpatskej for tenor, choir and orchestra, words by J. Zatloukal, 1938
Scenic:
Krútňava, opera, 6 scenes, libretto by composer and Š. Hoza, 1941–47, staged in Bratislava 1949
Svätopluk, opera in 3 acts, libretto by composer and I. Stodoła, 1950–59, staged in Bratislava 1960
Angelika, ballet, in 2 acts, 1926
***
pieces for children, including piano cycle Obrázky zo Slovenska 1954–56
film and theatre music
folk music arrangements
Works:
Všeobecná náuka o hudbe, Bratislava 1955, 3rd ed. 1977
Stručná náuka o hudbe, with M. Filip, Bratislava 1955, 6th ed. 1987
Teória kontrapunktu, Bratislava 1957
Náuka o harmónii, with M. Filip, 2 volumes, Bratislava 1959, 2nd ed. 1992
Akordika od trojzvuku po dvanást’zvuk, Bratislava 1979
Oksamihy a vyznania, “Život” Bratislava 1990 No. 34–41
