Marián Varga (29 January 1947 – 9 August 2017) was a Slovak musician, composer and
organist
An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists. In addition, an organist may accompany congregational ...
.
Biography
He played the piano from the age of six. He studied piano and composition at the conservatory in Bratislava. He left the conservatory after three years to become a member of the group
Prúdy
Prúdy is a Slovak rock band formed in the former Czechoslovakia in 1962.
The original lineup of the band consisted of Marián Varga on organ and piano, Pavol Hammel on guitar and vocals, Vlado Mallý on drums, Peter Saller on guitar and Fe ...
, and contributed to the legendary album ''
Zvoňte zvonky''. He left Prúdy as suddenly as he had left conservatory only to establish the first Czechoslovak
art rock
Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that generally reflects a challenging or avant-garde approach to rock, or which makes use of modernist, experimental, or unconventional elements. Art rock aspires to elevate rock from entertainment to an ...
band
Collegium Musicum
The Collegium Musicum was one of several types of musical societies that arose in German and German-Swiss cities and towns during the Reformation and thrived into the mid-18th century.
Generally, while societies such as the (chorale) cultivated ...
.
The repertoire of Collegium Musicum, comprising mostly instrumental pieces, included reinterpretations of the themes of classics such as
Joseph Haydn
Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions to musical form have le ...
,
Béla Bartók
Béla Viktor János Bartók (; ; 25 March 1881 – 26 September 1945) was a Hungarian composer, pianist, and ethnomusicologist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century; he and Franz Liszt are regarded as Hu ...
and
Igor Stravinsky
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (6 April 1971) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor, later of French (from 1934) and American (from 1945) citizenship. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential 20th-century clas ...
, complemented by original compositions. Already at this stage his work bore signs of postmodernism (Eufónia of the album Konvergencie), which later became the basic principle of his work.
When Collegium Musicum disbanded in 1979, Varga started a solo career. Among other achievements, he became a pioneer of absolute improvisation (real-time composition) in Slovakia. In the meantime he continued to contribute to popular music. His ongoing collaboration with
Pavol Hammel
Pavol Hammel (born 7 December 1948, in Bratislava) is a Slovak musician, singer and producer.
Pavol Hammel was born to a family of musicians. His father played violin in the Slovak National Theatre, and influenced Pavol to become a promising vi ...
led to five successful albums and to the first rock musical in Slovakia.
Discography
with Prúdy
*1968: ''
Zvoňte, zvonky''
Collegium Musicum
*1970: "
Hommage à J.S.Bach / Ulica plná plášťov do dažďa" (SP)
*1971: ''Collegium Musicum''
*1971: ''
Konvergencie''
*1973: ''Collegium Musicum Live''
*1975: ''Marián Varga & Collegium Musicum''
*1978: ''Continuo''
*1979: ''
On a Ona''
*1981: ''Divergencie''
*1997: ''Collegium Musicum '97'' (Live)
with Pavol Hammel
*1972: ''Zelená pošta''
*1976: ''Na II. programe sna'' (along with
Radim Hladik)
*1978: ''Cyrano z predmestia''
*1989: ''Všetko je inak''
*1993: ''Labutie piesne''
with Vladimír Merta
*1992: ''Cestou k ... Stabil - Instabil''
Solo albums
*1984: ''Stále tie dni''
*2003: ''Solo in Concert'' (Live)
*2006: ''Marián Varga & Moyzesovo kvarteto''
Anthology
*2006: ''Hommage à Marián Varga''
Awards
*
Hall of Fame ZAI Award – Grand Prix
*
Aurel Award – Lifetime Achievement
*
Pribina Cross – 2nd Class
See also
*
The 100 Greatest Slovak Albums of All Time
The 100 Greatest Slovak Albums of All Time is a list of the best album releases issued by Slovak recording artists. As the first such list presented in Slovakia, it was published by '' Nový čas'' daily on 22 September 2007.
The list is entirely ...
*2003: ''
Zostane to medzi nami''
References
External links
www.marianvarga.sk
{{DEFAULTSORT:Varga, Marian
1947 births
2017 deaths
People from Skalica
Slovak musicians
Czechoslovak Big Beat groups and musicians
Recipients of the Pribina Cross