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The collections of the SNM – Music Museum include over 120,000 registered items documenting the past and present musical life and culture in our territory. The collections feature archive materials and musical instruments. The archive materials (manuscripts and prints) are segmented into units according to content (locations, personalities, institutions, type of material, etc.) and contain old documents from various historical periods (the oldest is from the 14th century). Collections of sheet music, in particular from the 18th century from choirs of parishes and monastery churches throughout Slovakia (Bratislava, Trenčín, Ilava, Pruské, Dubnica nad Váhom, Kežmarok, Spišské Podhradie, Švedlár, Modra, etc.) The collections related to 19th century personalities include documents on the life and work of composer and piano player Ľudmila Zamoyská (1829 – 1889) and music publisher and printer Gustáv Heckenast (1811 – 1878). Sources concerning the activities of singing groups and choirs in Slovakia are also noteworthy.
The most recent history of Slovak music is represented by collections of Slovak composers, interpreters, theoreticians and organizers of musical life such as Ján Levoslav Bella (1843 – 1936), Eugen Suchoň (1908 – 1993), Alexander Moyzes (1906 – 1984), Alexander (1885 – 1958) and Ján (1919 – 1996) Albrecht, Štefan Németh-Šamorínsky (1896 – 1975), Frico Kafenda (1883 – 1963), Tibor Gašparek (1913 – 1991), Klára Havlíková, Mária Kišonová-Hubová, Bohdan Warchal and many others.
The museum also owns documents, programmes and posters from the collections of various institutions, music festivals and events which map the development of musical life in Slovakia in the 20th century.
The collection of musical instruments includes a thorough and unique collection of Central European string instruments traditionally used in Slovakia, as well as instruments from other parts of Europe and beyond.
The collections are complemented by audio mediums – from phonograph cylinders, though shellac and vinyl records, up to compact discs and various objects of artistic nature with musical motifs and relations.
