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Vítězslav Novák
Person · male · Czechoslovakia · Kamenice nad Lipou · born 1870 · died 1949 · recording since 1961
Czech composer and pedagogue (1870-1949)
Also known as Vitezslav Novak · 维捷斯拉夫·诺瓦克
Timeline
28 events▣ Album 23✦ Award 2◦ Birth 1† Death 1★ Debut release 1
1870s
1920s
1940s
1960s
· Debut release
Debut release: Epilog z Jihočeské suity
First documented Single in the MusicBrainz discography.
source: musicbrainz
1990s
· Album
Album: Classic Masters: Novák: Abertura "Marysa" / Suite eslovaca / Dvořák: Suite em lá maior
Album
source: musicbrainz
2000s
· Album
Album: BBC Music, Volume 11, Number 11: Dvořák: Symphony No. 6 / Novák: Eternal Longing
Album
source: musicbrainz
2010s
· Album
Album: In the Tatra Mountains / Lady Godiva Overture / Eternal Longing
Album
source: musicbrainz
· Album
Album: Dvořák: Čtyři sbory, op. 29 / V přírodě / Novák: Dvanáct ukolébavek
Album
source: musicbrainz
2020s
· Album
Album: Novák: In the Tatra Mountains - Slavický: Moravian Dance Fantasies, Rhapsodic Variations
Album
source: musicbrainz
Biography
English biography1,857 words · 10 sectionssource: wikipedia-en · licence CC BY-SA 4.0 · revision 1311556964
Biography
Vítězslav Augustín Rudolf Novák (5 December 1870 – 18 July 1949) was a Czech composer and academic teacher at the Prague Conservatory. Stylistically, he was part of the neo-romantic tradition, and his music is considered an important example of Czech modernism. He worked towards a strong Czech identity in culture after the country became independent in 1918. His compositions include operas and orchestral works.
Early years
Novák (baptized Viktor Novák) was born in Kamenice nad Lipou, a small town in Southern Bohemia. In 1872 the family moved to Počátky, where Novák first studied the violin with Antonín Šilhan and the piano with Marie Krejčová. After the death of his father in 1882, the family moved to Jindřichův Hradec, where Novák continued his studies at grammar school (Schnierer and Tyrrell 2001). An elementary school in the town is named after Novák today. In his late teens, he moved to Prague to study at the Prague Conservatory, changing his name to Vítězslav to identify more closely with his Czech identity, as many of those of his generation had already done. At the conservatory, he studied piano and attended Antonín Dvořák's masterclasses in composition where his fellow students included Josef Suk, Oskar Nedbal, and Rudolf Karel. When Dvořák departed for his three-year stay in America (1892–1895), Novák continued his studies with the ultra-conservative Karel Stecker. However, just before and after 1900, shortly after his graduation, Novák wrote a series of compositions that put distance between himself and the teachings of both Stecker and Dvořák, edging his style toward the fledgling modernist movement.
Beginning in the late 1890s, Novák began to explore influences beyond the prevailing Wagner/Brahms aesthetic of his contemporaries in Prague. Among these were folk influences from Moravia and Slovakia, which at that time were considered culturally backward in the cosmopolitan Czech capital. He also developed an interest in what would come to be called musical Impressionism, although in later life he denied any exposure to the music of Debussy at this time, claiming instead to have arrived at similar techniques on his own. These included forays into bitonality and non-functional, parallel harmony. Finally, after the Prague premiere of Salome in 1906, Novák formed an attachment to the music of Richard Strauss that would remain for the rest of his career.
Musicology and feud
Shortly after the turn of the century, Novák began teaching composition privately in Prague. From 1909 to 1920, he taught at the Prague Conservatory himself, and this occasionally occupied him to a greater degree than composing. Among his students were Alois Hába, Iša Krejčí, Vítězslava Kaprálová, Ladislav Vycpálek, Otakar Jeremiáš and Stefania Turkewich. During the same period, several events affected Novák's outlook on musical expression and artistic freedom. From 1901 to 1917, his apartment hosted a discussion group known as the Podskalská filharmonie. While most of its members were musicians, including Suk, Karel, and the conductor Václav Talich, performances were confined to readings of new modernist works from abroad and the group's goals were primarily intellectual; the Filharmonie served, however, as an important place for this group of Czech modernists to share their ideas. By regulation, its only female member was Marie Prášková, whom Novák married in 1912. That same year, Novák became embroiled in a series of culturo-political battles in Prague between his Conservatory-based faction and that of Zdeněk Nejedlý, a critic and musicologist at Prague University. When Novák signed a protest against Nejedlý's anti-Dvořák propaganda, Nejedlý engaged in fierce criticism of Novák's music. The impact of this criticism on Novák was long-lasting and ushered in a crisis in his creative life.
Political affairs
Upon the independence of Czechoslovakia in 1918, Novák turned his focus toward the administration of culture in the new democratic regime. In this capacity, he led the push toward de-Germanification and nationalization of the Conservatory, during which process his German-Bohemian colleagues, including Alexander Zemlinsky and Paul Nettl, were forced out to form a segregated institution. Novák became the new administrative head of the Czech-only institution and held various titles, alternating with Suk and others, until his retirement. During this period he continued to teach composition in the form of masterclasses, thereby influencing a new interwar generation of musicians, despite the increasing conservatism of his compositions in the 1920s.
Renewal and death
In the 1930s, Novák went through a period of artistic renewal with the premieres of some large-scale compositions. After the collapse of democracy and the subsequent Nazi protectorate in 1939, Novák, then retired, gained credibility among his younger Czech contemporaries through the performance of several patriotic and morale-boosting works, meant as a musical form of resistance. After the Second World War, he wrote a lengthy memoir, entitled O sobě a jiných (Of Myself and Others, publ. 1970), in which he aired many of his long-standing grudges, especially toward his main rival, Otakar Ostrčil, but also even his close friend Josef Suk. He died in Skuteč in Eastern Bohemia, where he had spent much of his last years.
Compositional career
Novák's music retained at least some elements of the late-Romantic style until his death. His earliest work to receive an opus number was a piano trio in G minor, but it was preceded, in order of composition, by several works including an unpublished serenade in B minor for piano dating from 1886 to 1887; all of these bear the influences of Schumann and Grieg. In his earliest years after graduating from Prague Conservatory, his work began to show some influence from Moravian and Slovak folk music, which he began to collect and study in the late 1890s. Within the decade he had assimilated the basic intervallic and rhythmic characteristics of these folksongs into a very personal compositional style. The first works to reveal this change are the Second String Quartet, op. 35 (1905), and the path-breaking solo piano work, Sonata Eroica, op. 24 (1900).
The next influence was that of French impressionism, which first appears in the song cycle Melancholie, op. 25, composed in 1901, and is most apparent in the tone poem O věčné touze (Of the Eternal Longing, op. 33, completed 1905). Meanwhile, the more monumental aspects of his style, evident in the Slovak-inspired tone poem V Tatrách (In the Tatras, op. 26, 1902) and the song cycle Údolí nového království (Valley of the New Kingdom, op. 31, 1903) combined with his discovery of the music of Strauss: the result was the tone poem, Toman a lesní Panna (Toman and the Wood Nymph, op. 40, completed 1907).
The height of his compositional career was considered, including in the criticism of the day, to consist of two principal achievements, both completed in 1910: Pan, the five-movement tone poem for piano solo (totalling some sixty pages of music, op. 43), and Bouře (The Tempest, op. 42, to a text by Svatopluk Čech). The latter was a grandiose symphonic cantata for soloists, chorus, and orchestra, running to just under an hour of unbroken music; its attention to musico-dramatic detail was evidence of Novák's increasing interest in opera, a style in which he had not written at that point.
His conflict with Nejedlý brought about a sharp change in Novák's attitude to composition, wherein fear of rejection became more important than artistic exploration. The negative response from the public to the orchestrated version of Pan (1912) and the next cantata, Svatební košile ("The Wedding Shirt", 1913), based on the same Erben text as Dvořák's more famous work) caused severe self-doubt and depression. Novák attempted to turn the situation around with two operas about Czech historical subjects, a transparently nationalist move during wartime. Zvíkovský rarášek (The Zvíkov Imp, 1915, a comedy based on Stroupežnický) and Karlštejn (Karlštejn castle, 1916, a more serious work based on Vrchlický) both met with mixed reviews, although the latter became a fixture in the repertoire of Czech opera houses through the mid-century. These works exemplified Novák's tendency toward bitonality, latent in the early folksong work.
Czechoslovak independence in 1918 sparked several patriotic compositions, dedicated to the "President-Liberator" Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk and the Czechoslovak Legion. These democratic impulses led to a stylistic conservatism, such that the artistic experimentation of 1900–1916 all but disappeared. The two remaining operas, Lucerna (The Lantern, 1923, based on Jirásek), and Dědův odkaz (The grandfather's legacy, 1926, based on Heyduk) met with predominantly negative criticism, and Novák developed extreme bitterness toward the cultural forces that opposed him, leading him toward reactionism.
With two ballet-pantomimes completed in 1928–29, Signorina Gioventù and Nikotina, Novák regained some of the respect he had lost among his colleagues; the layering of orchestral effects (including mixed meters and even references to tango) won him the approval of some younger composers, such as Iša Krejčí and Alois Hába. In the 1930s he returned to chamber music, but also large forms such as the epic choral/orchestral work, Podzimní symfonie (Autumn Symphony, op. 62, premiered 1934).
During the Nazi occupation, Novák rose again in the estimation of his compatriots as a result of his patriotic works: the symphonic poems with organ, De Profundis (op. 67, 1941) and Svatováclavský triptych (Saint Wenceslas Triptych, op. 70, 1942) and the Májová symfonie (May Symphony, op. 73, dedicated to Stalin as liberator of the Czechs and premiered after the war in 1945) demonstrate these sentiments. In his remaining years he was primarily engaged with choral works based on South-Bohemian folksong.
Dramatic works
Zvíkovský rarášek, Op. 49, comic opera, 1913–14
Karlštejn, Op. 50, opera, 1914–15
Lucerna, Op. 56, musical fairytale, 1919–22
Dedův odkaz (Grandfather's legacy), Op. 57, opera, 1922–25
Signorina Gioventu, Op. 68, ballet pantomime, 1926–28
Nikotina, Op. 59, ballet pantomime, 1929
Žižka, Op.78, incidental music, 1948
Symphonies
Podzimní symfonie, Op. 62 (Autumn Symphony), for choirs and large orchestra, 1931–1934;
Allegro appassionato
Bacchanale
Adagio
Májová symfonie, Op. 73 (May Symphony), for soloists, choir, and orchestra, 1943;
Andante sostenuto
Andante
Alla marcia funebre
Orchestral works
Korzár (The Corsair), overture after Byron, 1892
Serenade, Op. 9, for small orchestra, 1894-1895, revised 1949
Piano Concerto in E minor, 1895
Allegro energico
Andante con sentimento
Allegro giusto
Maryša, Op. 18, dramatic overture, 1898
V Tatrách (In the Tatra mountains), Op. 26, symphonic poem, 1902
Slovácká svita, Op. 32 (Slovak Suite), for small orchestra,1903
O večné touze, Op. 33 (Eternal Longing), after Hans Christian Andersen, 1903-05
2 Valašské tance, Op. 34, 1904
Serenade, Op. 36, for small orchestra, 1905
Toman a lesní panna, Op. 40 (Toman and the Wood Nymph), symphonic poem, 1906-07
Lady Godiva, Op. 41, overture after the tragedy by Vrchlicky, 1907
Pan, Op. 43, symphonic poem, 1910
Jihočeská svita (South Bohemian Suite), Op. 64, 1936-37
De Profundis, Op. 67, symphonic poem‚ 1941
Svatováclavský triptych, Op. 70 (St. Wenceslas triptych), for organ and orchestra, 1941
Voice and orchestra
Melancholické písně o lásce (Melancholic songs about love), Op. 38, for soprano and orchestra, 1906
Bouře, Op. 42 (de storm), voor solisten, koor en orkest, 1908-10
Svatební košile, Op. 48, after Erben, for soloists, choir and orchestra, 1912-13
3 české zpěvy, Op. 53 (3 Czech songs), for male choir and orchestra, 1918
2 romances, Op. 63 (on a text by Jan Neruda), 1934
In memoriam, Op. 65, 4 songs for mezzo-soprano, string orchestra, harp, and tamtam, 1936-37
2 legendy na slova lidové‚ poesie moravské (2 legends on Moravian folk poetry), Op. 76, for mezzo-soprano and orchestra, 1944
Hvězdy, for female choir and orchestra, 1949
Discography & profile
Normalised profile
Percentiles are computed over every artist in the database, so a tier-3 artist can still sit in the 95th percentile on a single axis.
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 31 | 91th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 27 | 89.5th |
| Studio albums | 23 | 97.2th |
| Awards recorded | 3 | 95.4th |
| Timeline events | 28 | 96.4th |
| Recording span (years) | -12 | 8.6th |
| Genres | 6 | 91th |
Percentiles are computed at render time; missing values mean the artist has no data on that axis.
Discography (27 release groups · 23 studio albums)
Albums · 23
1991 · studio album
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Tracklist · 5 tracks · 54:16
1Pan, op. 43: I. Prolog7:572Pan, op. 43: II. Hory9:163Pan, op. 43: III. Moře10:124Pan, op. 43: IV. Les11:305Pan, op. 43: V. Žena15:21Eternal Longing / In the Tatras / Moravian-Slovak Suite
1992 · studio album
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Tracklist · 7 tracks · 1:04:57
1Of the Eternal Longing, op. 3320:532In the Tatras, op. 2616:453Moravian Slovak Suite for Small Orchestra, op. 32: I. In the Church. Andante7:174Moravian Slovak Suite for Small Orchestra, op. 32: II. Among Children. Vivace giocoso3:365Moravian Slovak Suite for Small Orchestra, op. 32: III. The Lovers. Andante quasi allegretto4:116Moravian Slovak Suite for Small Orchestra, op. 32: IV. The Country Musicians. Allegro strepitoso4:437Moravian Slovak Suite for Small Orchestra, op. 32: V. At Night. Andante7:321996 · studio album
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Tracklist · 15 tracks · 1:16:06
1The Storm, op. 42: Tempestoso, ma non troppo allegro3:452The Storm, op. 42: Prayer of the Maid in front of the Chapel on Shore - Andante rubato, com molta passione4:073The Storm, op. 42: Più mosso1:474The Storm, op. 42: Seaman's Song about the Ship Dwarf - con moto, energico3:105The Storm, op. 42: Song of the Swain at the Masthead - Animato3:526The Storm, op. 42: [8 bars after 32]4:527The Storm, op. 42: The Youth Under the Mast - Andante6:408The Storm, op. 42: Andante rubato8:359The Storm, op. 42: Con fuoco, ben accentuato4:5210The Storm, op. 42: The Maid and the Negro in the Cabin - Moderato10:5911The Storm, op. 42: Animato2:0912The Storm, op. 42: The Ship's Schullion, Skipper & Crew on Board in the Storm - Rapido3:0713The Storm, op. 42: Tempestoso, ma non troppo presto4:1114The Storm, op. 42: A Fair of Coastal Robbers - Moderato7:0615The Storm, op. 42: Fishermen crowding in front of the Chapel - Moderato6:54Nikotina / Toman and the Wood Nymph
1996 · studio album
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Tracklist · 2 tracks · 1:16:46
1Nikotina, op. 5952:392Toman and the Wood Nymph, op. 4024:07Piano Quintet / Songs of a Winter Night / 13 Slovak Songs
1996 · studio album
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Tracklist · 20 tracks · 1:06:31
1Piano Quintet in A, op. 12: Allegro molto moderato9:302Piano Quintet in A, op. 12: Andante10:463Piano Quintet in A, op. 12: Allegro risoluto6:124Slovak Songs: Nevydávaj sa ty1:355Slovak Songs: Prelecel sokol2:326Slovak Songs: Už viac panenkou nebudem1:547Slovak Songs: Týnom, tánom0:558Slovak Songs: Dolina, dolina0:549Slovak Songs: Chodzila Maryška3:1110Slovak Songs: Keď už uderila, dvanácta hodina2:1311Slovak Songs: Limbora, limbora2:2912Slovak Songs: Maryška, Maryška1:0513Slovak Songs: Svic, mila, maš komu1:3614Slovak Songs: Ej, duby, duby1:2615Slovak Songs: Sedla mucha1:4716Slovak Songs: Tancovala, a neznala1:0217Songs for a Winter Night, op. 30: Píseň měsíční noci. Andante amoroso4:3718Songs for a Winter Night, op. 30: Píseň bouřlivé noci. Allegro temestuoso2:2519Songs for a Winter Night, op. 30: Píseň vánoční noci. Andante misterioso6:1420Songs for a Winter Night, op. 30: Píseň noci karnevalové. Allegro burlesco, rubato4:08Classic Masters: Novák: Abertura "Marysa" / Suite eslovaca / Dvořák: Suite em lá maior
1997 · studio album
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Tracklist · 11 tracks · 59:15
1Abertura "Marysa", op. 18 (do drama de Alois e Wilhelm Mrstik)11:452Suite eslovaca, op. 32: I. V kostele6:473Suite eslovaca, op. 32: II. Mezi detmi3:494Suite eslovaca, op. 32: III. Zamilovani4:285Suite eslovaca, op. 32: IV. U muziky4:456Suite eslovaca, op. 32: V. V noci7:027Suite em lá menor, op. 98b: I. Andante con moto3:588Suite em lá menor, op. 98b: II. Allegro5:439Suite em lá menor, op. 98b: III. Moderato (alla pollacca)4:0910Suite em lá menor, op. 98b: IV. Andante3:2111Suite em lá menor, op. 98b: V. Allegro3:28Slovak Suite / In the Tatra Mountains / Eternal Longing
1997 · studio album
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Tracklist · 7 tracks · 1:07:47
1In the Tatra Mountains, op. 2616:142Eternal Longing, op. 3319:563Slovak Suite, op. 32: I. At Church9:094Slovak Suite, op. 32: II. Children's Scene3:435Slovak Suite, op. 32: III. The Lovers4:386Slovak Suite, op. 32: IV. The Ball4:307Slovak Suite, op. 32: V. The Night9:37Pan Tone Poem & Songs of a Winter Night
1997 · studio album
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Tracklist · 9 tracks · 1:13:15
1Písně zimních nocí (Songs of a Winter Night), Op. 30: I. Song of a Moonlit Night4:432Písně zimních nocí (Songs of a Winter Night), Op. 30: II. Song of a Stormy Night2:173Písně zimních nocí (Songs of a Winter Night), Op. 30: III. Song of a Christmas Night6:254Písně zimních nocí (Songs of a Winter Night), Op. 30: IV. Song of a Carnival Night4:055Pan, Op. 43: I. Prologue8:346Pan, Op. 43: II. Mountains9:137Pan, Op. 43: III. The Sea9:228Pan, Op. 43: IV. The Forest12:339Pan, Op. 43: V. Woman16:03Songs on Winter Nights / Reminiscences / Youth
1998 · studio album
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Tracklist · 28 tracks · 1:05:02
1Písně zimních nocí, op. 30: I. Píseň měsíční noci3:562Písně zimních nocí, op. 30: II. Píseň bouřlivé noci1:543Písně zimních nocí, op. 30: III. Píseň vánoční noci6:544Písně zimních nocí, op. 30: IV. Píseň noci karnevalové3:355Vzpomínky, op. 6: I. Triste. Andante sostenuto3:126Vzpomínky, op. 6: II. Inquieto. Allegro agitato5:247Vzpomínky, op. 6: III. Amoroso. Lento con tenerezza6:178Mládí, op. 55: I. Dětský popěvek0:589Mládí, op. 55: II. V dobré náladě0:3810Mládí, op. 55: III. Rozhovor1:3211Mládí, op. 55: IV. Velký žal1:2312Mládí, op. 55: V. Tanec1:3613Mládí, op. 55: VI. Touha2:4614Mládí, op. 55: VII. Pochod1:3015Mládí, op. 55: VIII. Ukolébavka1:5816Mládí, op. 55: IX. On0:5817Mládí, op. 55: X. Ona1:3318Mládí, op. 55: XI. Měsíčná noc2:5319Mládí, op. 55: XII. Ovčáček2:0020Mládí, op. 55: XIII. Píseň Jara1:1921Mládí, op. 55: XIV. Hra1:2222Mládí, op. 55: XV. Na výletě3:5923Mládí, op. 55: XVI. Rozmarná příhoda1:0424Mládí, op. 55: XVII. Skřivánek1:1525Mládí, op. 55: XVIII. Dudák1:2226Mládí, op. 55: XIX. Sousedská1:5027Mládí, op. 55: XX. Furiant1:5428Mládí, op. 55: XXI. Čertovská polkaSlovak Suite / Melancholy Songs About Love / Serenade In F
1998 · studio album
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Tracklist · 13 tracks · 1:15:39
1Slovak Suite for Small Orchestra, op. 32: In the Church. Andante6:552Slovak Suite for Small Orchestra, op. 32: Among Children. Vivace, giocoso3:413Slovak Suite for Small Orchestra, op. 32: The Amorous Couple. Andante quasi allegretto4:144Slovak Suite for Small Orchestra, op. 32: The Country Musicians. Allegro strepitoso4:245Slovak Suite for Small Orchestra, op. 32: At Night. Andante8:086Melancholic Songs of Love, op. 38: Love Came into the World. Andante teneramente4:357Melancholic Songs of Love, op. 38: Love Is Like a Star. Lento doloroso1:598Melancholic Songs of Love, op. 38: When Flies Love Hither? Andante con moto, lusigando2:369Melancholic Songs of Love, op. 38: O, Bottomless Sea of Love. Largo affettuoso3:2110Serenade in F major for Small Orchestra: Allegro non troppo11:0911Serenade in F major for Small Orchestra: Allegretto6:1712Serenade in F major for Small Orchestra: Andante tranquillo9:1213Serenade in F major for Small Orchestra: Lento. Allegro vivace9:08Lady Godiva / De profundis / Toman and the Wood Nymph
2000 · studio album
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Tracklist · 7 tracks · 1:06:20
1Lady Godiva, op. 41: Overture17:182Toman and the Wood Nymph, op. 40: Allegro fantastico - Allegro appassionato -4:263Toman and the Wood Nymph, op. 40: Tempo del principio - Allegro appassionato - Agitato -8:014Toman and the Wood Nymph, op. 40: Tempo del principio - Molto appassionato, ma non troppo allegro13:155De profundis, op. 67: Largo lugubre - Appassionato doloroso - Tempo del principio -16:386De profundis, op. 67: Meno [largo], molto tranquillo -4:137De profundis, op. 67: Grandioso2:292003 · studio album
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Tracklist · 48 tracks · 3:17:01
Disc 11Sonatina for Piano in C major, op. 54 no. 1 "Spring": Allegro molto moderato (The Nightingale Darted Skyward and Rejoices)3:162Sonatina for Piano in C major, op. 54 no. 1 "Spring": Andante (The Forest´s Greetings)2:393Sonatina for Piano in C major, op. 54 no. 1 "Spring": Allegro giocoso (Merry Company)2:484Sonatina for Piano in A minor, op. 54 no. 2 "From Children´s Lives": Allegro agitato (Ailing Child)3:355Sonatina for Piano in A minor, op. 54 no. 2 "From Children´s Lives": Andante con tenerezza (Lullaby)3:566Sonatina for Piano in A minor, op. 54 no. 2 "From Children´s Lives": Alla marcia (First Adventure)3:517Sonatina for Piano in F major, op. 54 no. 3 "Holiday Time": Vivace (Early in the Morning)3:338Sonatina for Piano in F major, op. 54 no. 3 "Holiday Time": Andante cantabile (A Well in the Wood)3:089Sonatina for Piano in F major, op. 54 no. 3 "Holiday Time": Allegro moderato (Amongst Children)3:1710Sonatina for Piano in E minor, op. 54 no. 4 "Fairy-Tale": Andante triste (Princess in Distress)3:4911Sonatina for Piano in E minor, op. 54 no. 4 "Fairy-Tale": Grave (Dragon)2:3912Sonatina for Piano in E minor, op. 54 no. 4 "Fairy-Tale": Allegretto energico (Rescue by Prince Charming)4:2713Sonatina for Piano in D minor, op. 54 no. 5 "Brigand": Con moto, deciso (Jánošík)4:2514Sonatina for Piano in D minor, op. 54 no. 5 "Brigand": Cantabile (Starlit Night)4:2715Sonatina for Piano in D minor, op. 54 no. 5 "Brigand": Feroce (Brigands Revelry)3:3916Sonatina for Piano in G major, op. 54 no. 6 "Christmas": Quasi allegretto (Pastorale)4:5617Sonatina for Piano in G major, op. 54 no. 6 "Christmas": Andante (Advent Matins chant from the Time of Hus)5:11Disc 21Sonata eroica, op. 24: I. Allegro patetico12:042Sonata eroica, op. 24: II. Andante mesto - Allegro energico10:173Pan (A Poem in Tones), op. 43: Prolog7:414Pan (A Poem in Tones), op. 43: The Mountains8:025Pan (A Poem in Tones), op. 43: The Sea9:266Pan (A Poem in Tones), op. 43: The Forest11:437Pan (A Poem in Tones), op. 43: Woman17:05Disc 31Bagatelles, op. 5: Reminiscence (Andante con sentimento)2:142Bagatelles, op. 5: Scherzino (Vivace)1:513Bagatelles, op. 5: Ditty (Allegretto comodo)1:264Bagatelles, op. 5: Serenata (Allegretto capriccioso)1:365My May (Four Piano Pieces), op. 20: Andante semplice2:016My May (Four Piano Pieces), op. 20: Molto tranquillo2:327My May (Four Piano Pieces), op. 20: Andante spianato3:348My May (Four Piano Pieces), op. 20: Allegro vigoroso (in Slovácko Style)2:019Songs on Winter Nights, op. 30: Song on Moonlit Night. Andante amoroso4:5310Songs on Winter Nights, op. 30: Song on Stormy Night. Allegro tempestoso2:1711Songs on Winter Nights, op. 30: Song on Christmas Night. Andante misterioso6:2212Songs on Winter Nights, op. 30: Song on Carnival Night. Allegro burlesco, rubato3:4813Youth, op. 55: Children´s Tune. Allegretto semplice0:5114Youth, op. 55: In Good Humour. Andante quasi allegretto0:3815Youth, op. 55: Great Woe. Andante piangendo1:2016Youth, op. 55: Longing. Lento con sentimento2:3617Youth, op. 55: March. Con moto moderato, ben ritmico1:4018Youth, op. 55: Lullaby. Lento con sentimo1:5719Youth, op. 55: Moonlight Night. Andante cantando2:3020Youth, op. 55: Little Shepherd-Boy. Allegretto pastorale1:5121Youth, op. 55: A Game. Vivace1:3322Youth, op. 55: Two Czech Dances: 1. Neighbour´s Dance. Tempo comodo2:2523Youth, op. 55: Two Czech Dances: 2. Furiant. Con fuoco2:0324Youth, op. 55: Devil´s Polka. Andante con motto, grottesco3:08BBC Music, Volume 11, Number 11: Dvořák: Symphony No. 6 / Novák: Eternal Longing
2003 · studio album
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Tracklist · 5 tracks · 1:03:00
1Symphony no. 6 in D: I. Allegro non tanto13:052Symphony no. 6 in D: II. Adagio11:063Symphony no. 6 in D: III. Scherzo (furiant): Presto7:484Symphony no. 6 in D: IV. Finale: Allegro con spirito10:345Eternal Longing20:27In the Tatra Mountains / Lady Godiva Overture / Eternal Longing
2017 · studio album
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Tracklist · 3 tracks · 52:47
1V Tatrách — Symphonic Poem, op. 2616:302Lady Godiva — Overture, op. 4115:403O věčné touze, op. 3320:37Dvořák: Čtyři sbory, op. 29 / V přírodě / Novák: Dvanáct ukolébavek
2018 · studio album
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Tracklist · 21 tracks · 48:09
1Four Choruses, op. 29: Místo klekání2:062Four Choruses, op. 29: Ukolébavka2:413Four Choruses, op. 29: Nepovím2:044Four Choruses, op. 29: Opuštěný2:425In Nature's Realm, op. 63: Song Came to Me2:486In Nature's Realm, op. 63: Bells Untied in an Evening Wood4:247In Nature's Realm, op. 63: Rye Field1:478In Nature's Realm, op. 63: White Birch Sprang Up1:459In Nature's Realm, op. 63: Come Dance and Sing Today2:531012 Lullabies on Moravian Folk Texts for Female Chorus, op. 61: Pastorální1:521112 Lullabies on Moravian Folk Texts for Female Chorus, op. 61: Za soumraku1:541212 Lullabies on Moravian Folk Texts for Female Chorus, op. 61: Na Slovensku1:431312 Lullabies on Moravian Folk Texts for Female Chorus, op. 61: Při měsíčku1:551412 Lullabies on Moravian Folk Texts for Female Chorus, op. 61: Na moravských lukách1:251512 Lullabies on Moravian Folk Texts for Female Chorus, op. 61: Ukolébavka t.č. nejšťastnější maminky na světě1:451612 Lullabies on Moravian Folk Texts for Female Chorus, op. 61: Ukolébavka poněkud nepokojná2:591712 Lullabies on Moravian Folk Texts for Female Chorus, op. 61: V těžké chvíli2:031812 Lullabies on Moravian Folk Texts for Female Chorus, op. 61: Z Bezručova kraje1:441912 Lullabies on Moravian Folk Texts for Female Chorus, op. 61: Ukolébavka děcku, které se už neprobudí2:092012 Lullabies on Moravian Folk Texts for Female Chorus, op. 61: Dětská (Jak si ji děvčátka při hře zpívají)2:272112 Lullabies on Moravian Folk Texts for Female Chorus, op. 61: Rajská3:032019 · studio album
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Tracklist · 5 tracks · 49:39
1Toman and the Wood Nymph (Symphonic Poem), op. 4025:172Ballads on Moravian Folk Verse for Mixed Chorus and Symphony Orchestra: Ranoša4:543Ballads on Moravian Folk Verse for Mixed Chorus and Symphony Orchestra: The Accursed Daughter4:334Ballads on Moravian Folk Verse for Mixed Chorus and Symphony Orchestra: The Murderous Lover6:535Ballads on Moravian Folk Verse for Mixed Chorus and Symphony Orchestra: The Unhappy War8:02Piano Concerto / Toman and the Wood Nymph
2020 · studio album
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Tracklist · 8 tracks · 1:02:18
1Concerto in E minor for Piano and Orchestra: I. Allegro energico10:332Concerto in E minor for Piano and Orchestra: II. Andante con sentimento7:313Concerto in E minor for Piano and Orchestra: III. Allegro giusto8:564At Dusk, op. 13: I. Andante rubato1:305At Dusk, op. 13: II. Alla ballata4:166At Dusk, op. 13: III. Serenade no. 1. Andante con moto2:027At Dusk, op. 13: IV. Serenade no. 2. Andante grazioso2:298Toman and the Wood Nymph, op. 4025:012020 · studio album
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Tracklist · 5 tracks · 56:06
1South Bohemian Suite, op. 64: I. Pastoral. Horizon10:522South Bohemian Suite, op. 64: II. Reverie. Forests & Ponds8:583South Bohemian Suite, op. 64: III. Once upon a Time. March of the Hussites8:004South Bohemian Suite, op. 64: IV. Epilogue. To My Homeland1:345Toman & the Wood Nymph, op. 4026:422021 · studio album
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Tracklist · 5 tracks · 55:56
1Pan, op. 43: I. Prologue7:592Pan, op. 43: II. Mountains8:103Pan, op. 43: III. Sea9:524Pan, op. 43: IV. Forest12:205Pan, op. 43: V. Woman17:352021 · studio album
2023 · studio album
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Tracklist · 8 tracks · 1:01:54
1Moravian-Slovak Suite, Op. 32 (version for orchestra): I. In Church7:082Moravian-Slovak Suite, Op. 32 (version for orchestra): II. Among the Children3:463Moravian-Slovak Suite, Op. 32 (version for orchestra): III. The Lovers4:304Moravian-Slovak Suite, Op. 32 (version for orchestra): IV. The Ball4:515Moravian-Slovak Suite, Op. 32 (version for orchestra): V. At Night7:1662 Wallachian Dances, Op. 34 (version for orchestra): No. 1, Troják4:5072 Wallachian Dances, Op. 34 (version for orchestra): No. 2, Dymák7:358De profundis, Op. 6721:58Novák: In the Tatra Mountains - Slavický: Moravian Dance Fantasies, Rhapsodic Variations
2023 · studio album
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Tracklist · 5 tracks · 1:07:20
1In the Tatra Mountains, op. 2616:552Moravian Dance Fantasies: I. Molto vivo7:173Moravian Dance Fantasies: II. Grave10:454Moravian Dance Fantasies: III. Vivo6:155Rhapsodic Variations for Orchestra26:082025 · studio album
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Tracklist · 7 tracks · 1:21:21
1String Quartet No. 1 in G major, Op. 22: I. Allegro moderato12:202String Quartet No. 1 in G major, Op. 22: II. Scherzo. Allegro comodo5:373String Quartet No. 1 in G major, Op. 22:: III. Andante mesto - Allegro ben ritmico10:594String Quartet No. 2 in D major, Op. 35: String Quartet No. 2 in D major, Op. 35: I. Fuga. Largo misterioso11:325String Quartet No. 2 in D major, Op. 35: String Quartet No. 2 in D major, Op. 35:II. Fantasia. Allegro passionato, ma non troppo, presto – Quasi scherzo. Allegretto moderato, ben ritmico15:406String Quartet No. 3 in G major, Op. 66: I. Allegro risoluto10:337String Quartet No. 3 in G major, Op. 66: II. Lento doloroso14:40
Single · 1
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | Epilog z Jihočeské suitySearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 1 trackAEpilog z Jihočeské suity | 1961 |
Album · 2
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Signorina Gioventú / Eternal LongingSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracks · 1:10:381Signorina Gioventú (baletní pantomima o 7 obrazech)51:32 2O věčné touze (symfonická báseň)19:06 | Compilation | 1995 | |
| 1995 | Dvořák: The Spectre’s Bride / Novák: The StormSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 34 tracks · 2:34:38Disc 1 1The Spectre’s Bride: Introduzione4:33 2The Spectre’s Bride: 1. Coro5:54 3The Spectre’s Bride: 2. Soprano solo8:20 4The Spectre’s Bride: 3. Basso e tenore solo e coro1:39 5The Spectre’s Bride: 4. Duetto. Tenore e soprano solo4:32 6The Spectre’s Bride: 5. Basso solo e coro1:14 7The Spectre’s Bride: 6. Basso solo e coro2:56 8The Spectre’s Bride: 7. Duetto. Tenore e soprano solo4:44 9The Spectre’s Bride: 8. Basso solo e coro1:43 10The Spectre’s Bride: 9. Basso solo e coro3:14 11The Spectre’s Bride: 10. Duetto. Tenore e soprano solo (basso solo e coro)5:09 12The Spectre’s Bride: 11. Basso solo e coro5:11 13The Spectre’s Bride: 12. Duetto. Tenore e soprano solo5:33 14The Spectre’s Bride: 13. Basso solo e coro1:31 15The Spectre’s Bride: 14. Recitativo. Tenore e soprano solo e coro4:34 16The Spectre’s Bride: 15. Basso solo e coro5:37 17The Spectre’s Bride: 16. Basso solo e coro5:09 18The Spectre’s Bride: 17. Soprano solo5:08 Disc 21The Spectre’s Bride: 18. Basso solo e coro7:17 2The Storm: Tempestoso, ma non troppo allegro3:47 3The Storm: Andante rubato, con molto passione (8 bars after [7])4:08 4The Storm: [14] Più mosso1:48 5The Storm: [19] Con moto, energico3:13 6The Storm: Animato (6 bars before [27])3:33 7The Storm: [33]3:59 8The Storm: [41] Andante6:20 9The Storm: [50] Andante rubato7:56 10The Storm: [63] (Con fuoco, ma non presto, ben accentuato)3:34 11The Storm: [73] Moderato (2 bars before)9:59 12The Storm: [93] Animato1:56 13The Storm: [98] (Rapido)3:30 14The Storm: [106] (Tempestoso, ma non troppo presto)3:11 15The Storm: [113] Moderato6:38 16The Storm: [121] Moderato7:08 | Compilation | 30 January 1995 |
Other · 1
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Serenade in F major / Serenade in D major, op. 36Search SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 8 tracks · 1:06:471Serenade in F major for Small Orchestra: I. Allegro non troppo13:52 2Serenade in F major for Small Orchestra: II. Allegretto6:20 3Serenade in F major for Small Orchestra: III. Andante tranquillo – Allegretto grazioso – Tempo I10:13 4Serenade in F major for Small Orchestra: IV. Lento – Allegro vivace – Tempo del Allegro – Allegro vivace – Molto tranquillo10:10 5Serenade in D major for Small Orchestra, op. 36: I. Praeludium. Andante tranquillo6:31 6Serenade in D major for Small Orchestra, op. 36: II. Serenata. Allegro giusto4:03 7Serenade in D major for Small Orchestra, op. 36: III. Notturno: Lento amoroso6:30 8Serenade in D major for Small Orchestra, op. 36: IV. Finale. Allegro capriccioso9:08 | 28 June 1995 |
Stats & PK
Percentile within all 23,672 published artists.Put Vítězslav Novák head-to-head →
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 31 | 91th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 27 | 89.5th |
| Studio albums | 23 | 97.2th |
| Awards recorded | 3 | 95.4th |
| Timeline events | 28 | 96.4th |
| Recording span (years) | -12 | 8.6th |
| Genres | 6 | 91th |
Awards & honours
| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1928 | honorary doctor of Comenius University | won | |
| 1945 | Národní umělec | won | |
| — | Honorary Member of the International Society for Contemporary Music | won |
Where this record comes from
portrait—Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:V%C3%ADt%C4%9Bzslav_Nov%C3%A1k_N%C3%A1rodn%C3%AD_album_1899.jpgaliases/urls—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/0679773f-f61d-47b1-92ce-2ee1d8974e9fdiscography—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/0679773f-f61d-47b1-92ce-2ee1d8974e9fcore—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q347611genre—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q347611seed-list—wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%ADt%C4%9Bzslav_Nov%C3%A1kbiography—wikipedia-en · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%ADt%C4%9Bzslav_Nov%C3%A1k
Why this artist is in the database
- List of composers by name
Tier rule: historic figure (31 language versions, career ended)
Image: Unknown author Unknown author · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Wikidata: Q347611 · MusicBrainz: 0679773f-f61d-47b1-92ce-2ee1d8974e9f
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