Slovak Folk Ballads

This publication presents the most extensive representative selection of this distinctive song genre, offering readers the pleasure of discovery and scholars material for comparative study. The subject of the ballad is extraordinary, mostly tragic stories that are shaped by philosophical outlook or lived experience. They represent what is known as short-form song epic poetry, characteristic of the Western Slavs. Alongside the epic and lyric principle, a defining feature of the ballads is their dramatic quality, expressed not only through subject matter but also through dialogue between vivid characters. The volume contains 277 ballads in musical notation, with illustrations by František Lipták and an introductory essay by the author.