Mikuláš Schneider-Trnavský KSG (24 May 1881,

Trnava Trnava (, german: Tyrnau; hu, Nagyszombat, also known by other alternative names) is a city in western Slovakia, to the northeast of Bratislava, on the Trnávka river. It is the capital of a ''kraj'' (Trnava Region) and of an '' okres'' (Trna ...

– 28 May 1958,

Bratislava Bratislava (, also ; ; german: Preßburg/Pressburg ; hu, Pozsony) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Slovakia. Officially, the population of the city is about 475,000; however, it is estimated to be more than 660,000 — approxim ...

) was a Slovak composer, conductor and pedagogue. He was popular mostly because of his songs, some becoming traditional.

Life

In 1900, he passed his

maturita or its translated terms (''Mature'', ''Matur'', , , , , , ) is a Latin name for the secondary school exit exam or "maturity diploma" in various European countries, including Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech ...

exam in Trnava. From 1900 to 1901, he studied composition at the Budapestian conservatory with

Hans von Koessler Hans von Koessler (1 January 1853 – 23 May 1926) was a German composer, conductor and music teacher. In Hungary, where he worked for 26 years, he was known as János Koessler. Biography Koessler, a cousin of Max Reger, was born in Waldeck, Fich ...

. From 1901 to 1903, he studied at the conservatory in Vienna with

Hermann Graedener Hermann Graedener or Grädener (8 May 1844 – 15 September 1929) was a German composer, conductor and teacher. Biography He was born in Kiel in the Duchy of Holstein. He was educated by his father, composer Karl Graedener. He then studied a ...

. Finally, from 1903 to 1905, he studied organ playing in Prague with

Josef Klička Josef Klička (15 December 1855, Klatovy, Kingdom of Bohemia – 28 March 1937, Klatovy) was a Czechs, Czech Organ (music), organist, violinist, composer, Conducting, conductor and pedagogue. He produced several large Organ (music), organ composit ...

and composition with Carl Stecker. After his studies, he became regenschori in

Zrenjanin Zrenjanin ( sr-Cyrl, Зрењанин, ; hu, Nagybecskerek; ro, Becicherecu Mare; sk, Zreňanin; german: Großbetschkerek) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the Central Banat District in the autonomous pro ...

, Serbia. In 1908, he performed together with Czech barytonist Bohumír Nepomucký on the concert tour through Europe. After returning to Trnava, in 1909, he became regenschori at the Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Trnava and remained at this post until his death.

Works

His most known achievement is a compilation of catholic songs '' Jednotný katolícky spevník'' (Standard Catholic hymnbook) created on demand by ''Spolok svätého Vojtecha'' (St. Vojtech Society). It was published in 1937 after about fifteen years of work and contains over 500 songs, nearly half of them auctorial. Some of the songs were taken from the first Slovak Catholic hymnbook '' Cantus catholici'' (1651 or 1655). Since its publication, this hymnbook has been used as the main source of the church songs by all Slovak Catholics. For this work, he was named the Knight of the

Order of St. Gregory the Great The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great ( la, Ordo Sancti Gregorii Magni; it, Ordine di San Gregorio Magno) was established on 1 September 1831, by Pope Gregory XVI, seven months after his election as Pope. The order is one of ...

Pope Pius XI Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in February 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City fro ...

in 1933.

Recordings

Štefan Margita Štefan Margita (born 3 August 1956) is a Slovak opera singer who has had an active international career since 1981. He began his career singing mostly roles from the lyric tenor repertoire but in recent years he has tackled a number of dramatic ...

''Smiles and Tears''; Mikuláš Schneider-Trnavský Slzy a úsmevy, Op.25 (Smiles and Tears) song cycle. *

Gabriela Beňačková Gabriela Beňačková also Gabriela Beňačková-Čápová (born 25 March 1947) is a Slovak lyric soprano. Life and career Beňačková was born in Bratislava. Her father Antonín was a lawyer, and her mother Elena was a housewife. She is the ...

''From the Heart'': Mikuláš Schneider-Trnavský Songs about Mother: If Only They Knew; Mother; If I Knew; Little Flower: Far and Wide; The Nightingale; A Lovely Dream; Student Period Songs: The Settler; The Bowed Rose; Your Shy Eyes; The Girl Is Being Married; From My Heart: The Withering Tree; The Cuckoo; Roses.

Sources

Biography at osobnosti.sk

50 years ago Mikuláš Schneider-Trnavský died

External links

List of works
1881 births 1958 deaths Musicians from Trnava Slovak composers Male composers Slovak conductors (music) Male conductors (music) 20th-century conductors (music) 20th-century male musicians Slovak male musicians {{Slovakia-composer-stub