Cikker, Jan
Cikker, Jan
Cikker, Jan, eminent Slovak composer and pedagogue; b. Banská Bystrica, July 29, 1911; d. Bratislava, Dec. 21, 1989. He was a student of Kricka (composition), Dëdecek (conducting), and Wiedermann (organ) at the Prague Cons. (1930–35), where he then attended Novak’s master class in composition (1935–36). He concurrently studied musicology at the Univ. of Prague, and then pursued conducting studies with Weingartner in Vienna (1936–37). After settling in Bratislava, he was prof, of theory at the Cons. (1938–51) and prof, of composition at the Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (1951–81). In 1955, 1963, and 1975 he was awarded state prizes. In 1966 he was named a National Artist by his homeland, and that same year was awarded the Herder Prize of the Univ. of Vienna. In 1979 he received the UNESCO Prize. In a number of his works, Cikker utilized Slovak melodies. In others, he moved toward expressionism and eventually embraced serial procedures. His works for the stage were particularly notable.
Works
DRAMATIC: Opera: Juro Jánoeík (1953; Bratislava, Nov. 10, 1954; rev. version, Bratislava, May 7, 1956); Beg Bajazid (Bajazet Bey; 1956; Bratislava, Feb. 16, 1957); Mr. Scrooge, after Dickens (1957–59; 1st perf. as Evening, Night, and Morning, Kassel, Oct. 5, 1963); Vzkriesenie (Resurrection), after Tolstoy (1961; Prague, May 18, 1962); Hra o láske a smrti (A Play of Love and Death), after Romain Rolland (1968; Munich, Aug. 1, 1969); Coriolanus (1971; Prague, April 4, 1974); Rozsudok: Zetnetrasenie v Chile (The Sentence: Earthquake in Chile; 1978; Bratislava, Oct. 8, 1979); Obliehanie Bystrice (The Siege of Bystrica; 1981; Bratislava, Oct. 8, 1983); Zo zivota hmyzu (From the Life of Insects; 1986; Bratislava, Feb. 21, 1987). orch.: 3 syms.: No. 1 (1930; arranged from the Piano Sonata, 1927), No. Jama symfónia (Spring Sym., 1937), and No. 3, Symfónia 1945 (1974; Bratislava, May 22, 1975); Epitaf, symphonic poem (1931; rev. 1973); Prologue symphonique (1934); Capriccio (1936); Sympho–nietta (1939; arranged from the Piano Sonatine, 1933); O zivote (About Life), cycle of 3 symphonic poems: Leto (Summer; 1941), Vojak a matka: Boj (Soldier and Mother: Battle; 1943), and Rano (Morning; 1944–46); Piano Concertino (1942); Slovenská suita (1943); Spomienky (Recollections) for 5 Winds and Strings (1947); Dmmatická fantázia (1957); Meditácie na tému Heinricha Schütza (Meditations on a Theme of Heinrich Schütz; 1964); Orchestrane stúdie k ëinohre (Orchestral Studies on a Drama; 1965); Hommage à Beethoven (1970); Variácie na slovenskú l’udovú pieseñ (Variations on a Slovak Folk Song; 1970); Paleta (Palette; 1980). chamber: 1 unnumbered string quartet (1928); 2 numbered string quartets (1935, 1935); Suite for Violin and Viola (1935); Do-movina (Homeland) for String Quartet (1986). keyboard: piano: Sonata (1927); Sonatine (1933); Variácie (Variations; 1935); V samóte (Dance of Solitude; 1939); Tatranské potoky (The Tatra Streams), 3 études (1954); Co mi deti rozprávali (What Children Told Me), 15 aquarelles (1957); Variácie (Variations), on a Slovak folk song (1973). vocal:Vianotná Untata (Christmas Cantata) for Chorus and Piano (1930); Vel’konoíná kantata (Easter Cantata) for Chorus and Orch. (1931); Cantus filiorum, cantata for Bass, Chorus, and Orch. (1939); O marnile (About Mother), song cycle for Voice and Piano (1940); Oda na radost’ (Ode to Joy), oratorio for Soloists, Reciter, Chorus, and Orch. (1982).
Bibliography
J. Samko, J. C. (Bratislava, 1955).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire