PT Journal
AU Pechacek, S
TI Folk inspirations in Zdenek Sestak's choir music
SO Musicologica Olomucensia
PY 2014
BP 85
EP 102
VL 19
IS 1
DI 10.5507/mo.2014.006
DE Zdenek Sestak; folk music; choir singing; choir music
AB In his paper, the author deals with the choral pieces of Zdenek Sestak (1925) which are inspired by folk songs and folk poetry. He makes a survey of both Sestak's choral arrangements of folk songs and his own compositions on folk verses. The detailed analysis of the 1st movement of cantata Vitej, slunko libezne results in a generalized characteristics of Sestak's style and approach to folk inspiration. There are few features which connect his music with folk songs - the construction of melody in which the composer uses elements from instrumental melodies and also vocal melodies which are often similar to the melody of rhymes. On the other hand, there are many more features which are different from folk songs: variety of metre, complicated rhythm, incessant change of tonal centres; the music is organized in church and folk modality but the extended tonality prevails. Concerning the form, it is typical that composer mostly avoids the principle of reprise. In general, it is possible to mark these features as the continuity of the style called "Neoclassicism", represented in Czech music e.g. by Bohuslav Martinu or Isa Krejci.
ER