discography
-
Marián Kittner — Stabat Mater
The oratorio Stabat Mater is based on one of the most significant Marian sequences, whose text contemplates the sorrow of the Virgin Mary standing at the foot of the cross. In the historical tradition it stands as a symbol of universal suffering, of loss, and of spiritual compassion with the Passion of Christ.
In this composition I deliberately move away from a purely tragic reading — the musical language turns towards hope, redemption and spiritual reconciliation. The work is a synthesis of traditional and modern compositional approaches within contemporary sacred music, drawing on Renaissance polyphony, Baroque expressivity, Classical formal balance and the symphonic monumentality of Romanticism.
The work comprises fifteen movements for soloists, mixed choir and large symphony orchestra. Its dramaturgy follows an arc from chromatic tension towards tonal stability, with the rich orchestration serving a symbolic and spiritual function as well as a musical one. Stabat Mater is a work of sonic depth and spiritual contemplation, opening space for stillness, hope and reconciliation.
-
Marián Kittner — Komorná hudba (Chamber Music)
Štyri ročné obdobia (The Four Seasons), Sonata No. 1
for violin, clarinet and piano
- Jar
- Leto
- Jeseň
- Zima
Štyri impresie (Four Impressions)
for clarinet, violin, viola, cello and piano
- Faun
- Les Cheveux
- Arabesque
- Rigaudon
Obrázky z výstavy (Pictures at an Exhibition)
suite for oboe, clarinet and bassoon
- Vstup a promenáda I
- Meluzína
- Promenáda II
- Pytačky
- Promenáda III
- Cesta
- Dva svety
- Panské huncútstvo
- Promenáda IV
- Malichernosť
- Finále. Znovuzrodenie
-
Slovenská omša vianočná (Slovak Christmas Mass), carols
“Slovenská omša vianočná” sets Slovak folk material into a vocal-instrumental composition, drawing on folk melodies from across Slovakia. One movement quotes the melody Páslo dievča pávy, also known from Eugen Suchoň’s opera Krútňava. The work was written in 2018 to mark the 110th anniversary of Suchoň’s birth.
The recording features the Mucha Quartet with guests from the Slovak National Theatre and the Slovak Philharmonic, together with the M@gnificat church choir, which in 2018 took the overall first prize at an international choral competition in the Czech Republic.
-
Biblické piesne (Biblical Songs)
The central subject of the Bible is God and his relationship to humanity — and at its heart stand the psalms: songs of praise that hold the reader through their plainness, humility and sincerity.
Dvořák’s setting of Old Testament psalms as a cycle of ten songs for voice and piano stands among the peaks of his output. The Biblical Songs of the Slovak composer Marián Kittner, for soprano, baritone and string quartet, can be heard both as a portrait of contemporary Slovak composition and as a creative encounter with Dvořák’s celebrated work.
-
Requiem
Requiem is a vocal-instrumental work whose monumentality and intimacy alike raise the hairs on the neck — not only through the beauty of the music, but through the inward turn it invites towards one’s own life. Performed by leading Slovak soloists, the Žilina State Chamber Orchestra, the Lúčnica Chorus and the internationally known conductor Rastislav Štúr.
The release was supported using public funds by the Slovak Arts Council, principal partner of the project. Partners: the Mayor of Žilina Foundation and the Žilina Self-Governing Region.