Vítězslav Novák

An eminent Czech composer, Vitezslav Novák is known for his evocative music in which innovative harmonies and memorable tone colors are used to express a wide range of emotions, including inner turmoil, diffuse melancholy, and nostalgia, as well as a mystical recognition of the awesome power of nature. Like many of his compatriots, Novák incorporated elements of Czech folk music into his work; however, the folk motifs are highly stylized, constituting a significant but not dominant strand in the rich texture of his music. In the Tatra Mountains, which captures the many facets of the majestic landscape of the Tatras, has been favorably compared to the Alpine Symphony by Richard Strauss.