National Artist and Music Composer Milan Novák and Folklore Motifs in His Compositions (Selected Works)

Abstract

This paper aims to give an insight into the life of Milan Novák, the last living composer to have received the title of National Artist. A representative of Slovak Musical Modernism, Novák has received numerous awards, too. His compositional works are both copious and inventive, covering a whole range of genres from minor instructive compositions and folk song covers, through scenic and choral songs, music and dance scenes, to major scenic and dramatic forms. This paper focuses on Novák’s works inspired by folklore in particular.