- ARTIST: František Báleš ansámbel
- TITLE: The Enchanted Maiden in the Váh and Odd Johnny
- RELEASE: June 2026
A quartet of prominent Slovak musicians, known for their creation of original compositions set to the texts of poems by significant personalities of Slovak literature, is releasing its third album. This time, they chose Štúrovská poetry and invited interesting guests to collab
Following the albums “Hviezdoslav – Sonety” (Musica Slovaca 2021, Radio Head Awards winner) and “Básne Müzické” (Hevhetia 2023, Esprit Jazz Awards audience prize), the František Báleš Ansámbel arrives with a new release that is a rarity in the musical environment.
The cult work of romantic poet Janko Kráľ from 1844, “Zakliata panna vo Váhu a divný Janko,” is being released in an English translaon by John Minahane titled “THE ENCHANTED MAIDEN IN THE VÁH AND ODD JOHNNY” by the Bebe Rebe publishinguse.
The dramaturgy of the album, which is genre-based on elements of jazz and classical music, consists of ten tracks performed by the core quartet of the ensemble – Matúš Uhliarik (vocals), František Báleš (piano and Fender Rhodes), Vladimír Máčaj (double bass), Juraj Šušaník (drums and percussion) – and guest artists: Jakub Kováč (reciter), Erik Rothenstein (bass clarinet), Ľuboš Brtáň (guitar), the string quartet Spectrum Quartett, and the vocal sextet WAF Band.
Publication of the translation: The work “Zakliata panna vo Váhu a divný Janko” (“The Enchanted Maiden in the Váh and Odd Johnny”) was published in 2022 by the Slovak Literary Centre within a collection titled I Was Not Born for Quiet.
Translator: The English translation was done by Irish poet John Minahane, who is also known for translating the poetry of Hviezdoslav and Rúfus.
Inspiration: The musical project was born from the friendship between John Minahane and František Báleš. Báleš was inspired to create a musical version of the ballad, utilizing a shortened version of Minahane’s English text.
Artist’s Perspective: Báleš notes that rediscovering this legendary ballad through the lens of adulthood was an enriching experience, and he believes the message of the work is particularly strong in today’s era. He emphasizes that the project reflects his conviction that Slovak culture should connect with artistic influences worldwide rather than remain in isolation.
According to “image_031a6c.png”, the album credits are as follows:
- Music: František Báleš.
- Arrangements: František Báleš and Matúš Uhliarik.
- Lyrics: Janko Kráľ / John Minahane – Zakliata panna vo Váhu a divný Janko / The Enchanted Maiden in the Váh and Odd Johnny (from the book Janko Kráľ, I was not Born for Quiet, Slovenské literárne centrum, 2022).
- František Báleš Ansámbel:
- Matúš Uhliarik (vocals).
- František Báleš (piano and Fender Rhodes).
- Vladimír Máčaj (double bass).
- Juraj Šušaník (drums and percussion).
- Guests:
- Jakub Kováč (narrator).
- Erik Rothenstein (bass clarinet).
- Ľuboš Brtáň (guitar).
- Vocal sextet WAF band: Kristína Gotthardtová (soprano), Jana Jakubíková (soprano), Adriana Čatlošová (alto), Ján Pallo (tenor), Matúš Uhliarik (baritone), Jakub Kováč (bass).
- String quartet Spectrum Quartett: Ján Kružliak (1st violin), Andrej Turčin (2nd violin), Peter Dvorský (viola), Branislav Bielik (cello).
- Production:
- Recording: Kovadlina Studios, Modra.
- Sound Engineering: Ján Mudroch.
- Mixing and Mastering: Ľuboš Brtáň, elBi studio, Liptovský Mikuláš.
- Cover art, illustrations, and graphic design: Jonáš Tobiáš Lipovský.
- Film and photography: Braňo Gotthardt.
- Copyright: © Bebe Rebe 2026.
Supported by Slovak Arts Council
