Godár: Mater

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To say that Vladímir Godár is a typical ECM discovery is certainly not to diminish either him or ECM. This Slovak composer uses a vocabulary in the works recorded here that will inevitably recall... — Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010 More…

Release Date: 23rd Oct 2006
Catalogue No: 4765689
Label: ECM
Series: New Series
Length: 55 minutes

Gramophone Magazine

May 2007

Editor's Choice

Godár: Maykomashmalon

Work length3:44

$1.10

$1.50

Iva Bittová (voice), Miloš Valent (viola), Juraj Kovác (cello)
Recorded: 2005-09-03
Recording Venue: St. George Church, Svätý Jur

Godár: Magnificat

Work length9:35

$1.10

$1.50

Iva Bittová (voice), Peter Sesták (viola), Miloš Valent (violin), Juraj Kovác (cello), Mária Trevor Dúhová (harp), Peter Spissky (violin), Dusan Bill (chorus conductor)
Solamente Naturali, Bratislava Conservatory Choir
Dusan Bill, Marek Stryncl
Recorded: 2005-09-03
Recording Venue: St. George Church, Svätý Jur

Godár: Uspávanky

Work length8:09

$1.10

$1.50

Iva Bittová (voice), Miloš Valent (violin), Peter Spissky (violin), Peter Sesták (violin), Peter Vrbincik (viola), Juraj Kovác (cello)
Recorded: 2005-09-03
Recording Venue: St. George Church, Svätý Jur

Godár: Ecce puer

Work length6:12

$1.10

$1.50

Iva Bittová (voice), Miloš Valent (viola), Peter Spissky (violin), L'uboslav Nedorost (violin), Tibor Nagy (double bass), Mária Trevor Dúhová (harp), Premysl Vacek (chitarrone), Peter Gul'as (harpsichord)
Marek Stryncl
Recorded: 2005-09-03
Recording Venue: St. George Church, Svätý Jur

Godár: Stálá Matka

Work length19:24

$1.10

$1.50

Iva Bittová (voice), Miloš Valent (viola), Mária Trevor Dúhová (harp), Premysl Vacek (chitarrone), Peter Gul'as (harpsichord)
Solamente Naturali
Marek Stryncl
Recorded: 2005-09-03
Recording Venue: St. George Church, Svätý Jur

Godár: Regina coeli

Work length5:02

$1.10

$1.50

Iva Bittová (voice), Miloš Valent (violin), Premysl Vacek (chitarrone), Peter Gul'as (harpsichord), Dusan Bill (chorus conductor)
Bratislava Conservatory Choir, Solamente Naturali
Marek Stryncl, Dusan Bill
Recorded: 2005-09-03
Recording Venue: St. George Church, Svätý Jur

Godár: Maykomashmalon

Work length3:36

$1.10

$1.50

Iva Bittová (voice), Miloš Valent (viola), Juraj Kovác (cello)
Recorded: 2005-09-03
Recording Venue: St. George Church, Svätý Jur

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Remarkable Czech singer Iva Bittová is the warm, tender and expressive soloist in an unforgettable hour-long suite on the subject of motherhood composed for female voice, mixed choir and Baroque string orchestra by Slovak composer, Vladimír Godár. A traditional Yiddish folksong, a dramatic setting of the Magnificat, a collection of Slovak lullabies, a cheerful Regina Coeli and James Joyce’s Ecce puer are all set to music of stunning beauty.

Reviews

2010

To say that Vladímir Godár is a typical ECM discovery is certainly not to diminish either him or ECM. This Slovak composer uses a vocabulary in the works recorded here that will inevitably recall Górecki, and also at times Pärt and Tavener, though the music's emotional intensity, the particular way in which repetition is used and the use of certain sonorities and chords, relate much more to the Polish composer than the other two, very noticeably in the Stabat mater; aficionados of these composers will certainly enjoy what is recorded here. But though the music may recall them, it does not sound like any of them for any length of time: Godár has his own way of saying what he wants to say, which is, for him, intimately connected with what he calls 'musical archaeology', specifically Slovak culture, musical, literary and religious.
Thus there are works that draw upon Slovak translations of the Magnificat and Stabat mater, traditional lullabies, a Latin Regina coeli and, rather oddly, a single poem by James Joyce.
The Magnificat is based very simply on the immediately recognisable first tone, for solo voice and dark string underpinning, but is interrupted by massive choral interjections of the word 'Magnificat' at its climax – a simple but effective device. There are conscious references to the Baroque at various points but folk monody – the archetypal lullaby of the mother – is what really holds all this material together.
Godár's transparent but strong style is greatly helped in this by the powerfully raw voice of the amazing Iva Bittová, but also by the precision of Solamente Naturali and the Bratislava choir.

BBC Radio 3

It’s as if Janácek, Górecki and Monteverdi have settled on a universal language. A wonderful listen

Godár: Mater

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