Biography
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Born
29 January 1947
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Born In
Skalica, Trnavský kraj, Slovakia
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Died
8 August 2017 (aged 70)
Marián Varga (Skalica, Czechoslovakia, January 29, 1947 - August 9, 2017) was a Slovak musician, composer and organ player.
He has played piano since 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, 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 band Collegium Musicum.
The repertoire of Collegium Musicum, comprising mostly instrumental pieces, included reinterpretations of the themes of classics such as Joseph Haydn, Béla Bartók and Igor Stravinsky, 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 collaboration with Pavol Hammel 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
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