were a number of composers who identified with Slovak culture. After the fall of communism in 1989-90 the country also began to develop its own popular music scene in Western style.
Amongst the most significant contemporary orchestral ensembles are the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra of Bratislava, the State Philharmonic Orchestra of Kosice, the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Slovak Chamber Orchestra (known as the Warchalovci after their founder Bohdan Warchal), and the chamber orchestra Capella Istropolitana. There are opera companies in Bratislava, Kosice and Banská Bystrica. Music festivals include the annual 'Levocske babie leto' ('Indian Summer in Levoca) Festival and the 'Piestansky festival' (Festival of Piestany), one of longest established festivals, dating from 1955.
Literature
Literature is the art of written works. Literally translated, the word means "acquaintance with letters" (from Latin littera letter), and therefore the academic study of literature is known as Letters (as in the phrase "Arts and Letters"). In Western culture the most basic written literary types include fiction and nonfiction.
People may perceive a difference between "literature" and some popular forms of written work. The terms "literary fiction" and "literary merit" often serve to distinguish between individual works. Critics may exclude works from the classification "literature," for example, on the grounds of a poor standard of grammar and syntax, of an unbelievable or disjointed story-line, or of inconsistent or unconvincing characters. Genre fiction (for example: romance, crime, or science fiction) may also become excluded from consideration as "literature."
Folk Culture
A valaška is a light axe with a long and straight wooden shaft, often with a metal butt. The length of the shaft is usually slightly more than 1 metre. The shafts were usually engraved as their owners had plenty of time for crafting.
A small metal head-piece is sharp on one side while the other side is flat and can be used as a hammer. The head-piece is formed to fit comfortably into the hand so the valaška could be used as a walking stick.
Today's valaškas are mostly decorative, some having golden or silver head-pieces. Many are considered works of art.
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