Croatian music

[eschiss1]

Re Lhotka, have heard the Symphonic Movements, I think, and also the string quartet in G minor (op.1? recorded, I see by the Lirski Quartet on a Croatia Records LP? guessing NLA?...) rebroadcast over BBC awhile back.  Good pieces.
Guessing that Pejacevic and others belong in this category too (which may already exist- apologies!) E.g. the prolific Ivan Zajc, conductor Pavle Despalj (also composer), Blagoje Bersa, etc. (incl. Sulek who has his own topic, true.)

[Christopher]

Hi Latvian - a small question - the Lhotka "Frescoes (THREE symphonic movements) which you have uploaded seems to be in FOUR movements - is that right?

[Latvian]

Hi Latvian - a small question - the Lhotka "Frescoes (THREE symphonic movements) which you have uploaded seems to be in FOUR movements - is that right?

Wow! I don't know how that one got past me -- I must have been asleep!

I'm not 100% positive, but if I remember correctly, for some reason either the second or third movement got split into two tracks somehow. But, I'm not sure just now which movement it would be. Let me research this a bit and see if I can provide a proper answer.

Thanks for bringing this to my attention!

[markniew]

Hello,

does anyone of you have had a recordings of the piano concertos by Boris Papandopulo? Dictionaries mention his 4 pf ctos. I do have excerpts of his cto no. taken off radio many many years ago from short waves with many distortions and in general of very poor quality. perhaps there is/are better registration of this piece or even other concertos. the one I have is quite interesting.

Marek

[eschiss1]

I don't think I've seen any recordings of them as yet.
As to Despalj's violin concerto, though I think only published in 2004, according to violinconcerto.de it dates from 1959 and has already been recorded commercially (to my surprise)... looking forward to hearing it, though. (Either that, or there are two Despalj violin concertos at least, distinguished as "Despalj violin concerto 1959" and "Despalj violin concerto 2004" - on YouTube anyway- which may be the case...)

[Christopher]

There's some information about Croatian composers here, with some MP3 files attached.

http://www.croatianhistory.net/etf/et12.html 

[markniew]

Few months ago I asked about the full version of the Piano Cto (no. unknown) by Papandopulo - see above.
No positive reply arrived so I uplod fragments of the concerto that I do have - see Downloads.

taken off radio in March-June 1982 on short waves. I was then temporarily in North Africa. I cheard accidentaly something new to me when tuning radio and started recording few minutes before the end of mov. 1. Last movement was interrupted by the broadcast itself. Thanksfully the speaker revealed the title and performers!

first recorded on mono cassette, then was transferred on reel-tape and ca. 10 years ago re-recorded on CDR. Sound is not excellent

[jowcol]

Music of Igor Kuljeric

1.  Homage to Lukacic (1972)   
For mixed chorus and percussion
RTZ Symphony Orchestra
Igor Kuljeric, Conductor
Source LP:  Jugoton LSY-61250

2-6 Marimba Concerto (2001) (with intro and outro)
(Also known as "Concerto for Ivana")
Ivana Kuljeric, Marimba (his daughter)
Zagreb Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra
Igor Kuljeric, Conductor
January 25, 2002
Radio Broadcast


From the collection of Karl Miller


WARNING:   The first work here is very modernist, experimental, etc, and I would not have posted this if I  wasn't  posting a more accessible work by the same composer at the same time.   Colin-- you may wish to delete the first track off your hard drive without listening to it...

These are two very different works.  The first reminds me of Penderecki's more dissonant choral works.
A best as I can determine, this is a transfer from this LP:



The concerto was evidently written for his daughter-- I've found a later performance on Youtube with her performing after Kuljeric's death. 

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnHkHLn3Bag
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obF0FCc0neA&feature=relmfu
• 

Wikipedia Bio:
Igor Kuljerić (February 1, 1938 in Šibenik – April 20, 2006) was an important Croatian composer. His large opus has followed the stylistic changes and evolutions of 20th and 21st century music.

Biography
Born in the coastal city of Šibenik on the Adriatic Sea, Kuljerić graduated in composition from Zagreb Academy of Music and received a grant from the Italian government to study opera repertoire at La Scala in Milan, Italy. Attracted by the new movements in contemporary music, he participated in the experiments held in the Studio di fonologia musicale (Studio for musical phonology) at RAI with Luigi Nono and in Monte Carlo with Igor Markevitch. From 1960 to 1967 he served as the rehearsal and assistant conductor of the Opera of Croatian National Theater in Zagreb and later became a member of the famed I Solisti di Zagreb ensemble as harpsichordist and assistant to the director Antonio Janigro. His conducting debut in 1967 during the Zagreb soloists' tour in the United States, followed by positive reviews in the New York and Boston press led to his permanent appointment as conductor at Croatian Radiotelevision. From 1968 till the early '80s he served as the conductor of Croatian Radio Television Chorus and the Croatian Radio Television Symphony Orchestra. Kuljerić has held many important positions in Croatian cultural institutions, including music directorships of Dubrovnik Summer Festival, Croatian National Theatre, Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall Series and Music Biennale Zagreb festival of contemporary music. Kuljerić was also active giving performances abroad in such countries as the United States, the former USSR, Spain, Italy, and Austria.

He established himself early as one of the most frequently performed Croatian composers, his pieces becoming part of the repertoire of many orchestras, chamber ensembles, and soloists.

His student works, Symphonic Variations, Concert Ouverture, Concerto for French Horn and Orchestra, and Two Ballet Suites... owe much to academic influences while speaking of the young composer's particular talents and inventiveness.

After graduation Kuljerić felt intrigued by the new expressive and experimental musical tools that had become available. At that time Zagreb Biennale Music Festival of Contemporary Music was at the forefront of international avant garde movement hosting all of the important composers, musical writers, and performers. Some of the works from that period include Figurazioni Con Tromba for trumpets and orchestra, Solo-Tutti for piano and orchestra, Impulsi II for string quartet, Ballads of Petrica Kerempuh for orchestra and choirs, Folk-Art tape music (performed as contemporary dance music), Les Echos I for chamber orchestra, and Les Echos II for jazz band and symphony orchestra.

Kuljerić felt definitive limitations of the avant-garde movement in the beginning of the '80s with its aesthetics not allowing him further development of his musical ideas. He investigated the deeper layers of his musical heritage with many references—direct and indirect—to Croatian folk music and tradition, trying to incorporate the positive experiences of musical avant-garde. Since then his output demonstrated a desire to write in a more direct and communicative style, reflecting the questioning of modernist theories and practice.

Many of these features can be found in his Risuono Di Gavotta and Chorale Ouverture for symphony orchestra, Alleluia and Pater Noster for piano trio, the Waltz for chamber ensemble, Concertpiece for Flutes and Orchestra, Chopin Op. 7 No. 4 for vibes and flute, Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra, Barocchiana for marimba and strings, Riky Levi, a ballet that premiered in 1991 in Sarajevo, with a later orchestra suite version, Five Movements from the Ballet Riky Levi).

A special part of Kuljerić's opus references national musical roots and religious practice, Croatian glagolitic heritage, and historical artistic practice (Renaissance poetry and Baroque music) and can be found in Quam Pulchra Es (Ommaggio A Kukacic), Sea (More) for a girls choir, Song for string quartet, Cross Give Us Mercy (Krizu daj nam to milosti) for men's choir, Kanconijer for voices and instruments, and Croatian Glagolitic Requiem a monolithic work for soloists, choir, and orchestra written on an ancient Croatian glagolitic text of the Catholic mass (the live in concert recording CD published by Cantus – four nominations for PORIN – the most important Croatian discographic award) and Croatian Mass.

Kuljerić composed a great deal of film and incidental music, arrangements and crossover projects with famous Croatian pop and rock stars, music for sport events, and television jingles and commercials. He insisted on the freedom to explore various musical styles and forms, searching for a fusion that would reach the contemporary audience and communicate the present human situation. Thus he was attracted to stage drama and authored three operas:
•   The Power of Virtue (Moc vrline) premiered in 1977 at the Croatian National Theater in Zagreb. Written in avant-garde style, the work speaks about evil times in which witch hunts occur, when collective hysteria becomes the source of individual suffering. The opera was awarded an INA award.
•   Richard III, based on Shakespeare's drama, premiered in 1987 at Zagreb's Croatian National Theater. The mechanism of the crimes that rule over human history and govern human destinies are the crucial themes of this opera.
•   The Animal Farm opera fable based on George Orwell's novel. It premiered at the 2003 Music Biennale Zagreb in the Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall as a joint commission by Music Biennale Zagreb, Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall, and Croatian Radiotelevision. The music combines traditional elements of opera and the modern music hall, using the technique of "persiflage" on the melodic-harmonic-rhythmic patterns of the music of consumer society (S. Reich's reference to "street music") and integrating them into an individual musical language. It is a familiar process to composers throughout the history of Western music.

Kuljerić's most recent works include Pop Concert for trumpet and orchestra, Folk Art for marimba and string quartet, and Milonga Para Victor Borges for cello ensemble.

Kuljerić was the recipient of UNESCO Award and many important Croatian awards. In 2004 he was admitted in the Croatian Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Death
Kuljerić died in April 2006, only three weeks following the completion and premiere of his Hrvatska Misa (Croatian Mass), a monumental composition scored for soloists, chorus, and orchestra. The work on his new opera, Catherine of Zrin (Katarina Zrinska) featuring the heroine in a historical drama on love and politics, is unfinished.


   

[jowcol]

Symphony 3 by Krsto Odak (Op. 73, 1961)



Croatian Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra
Niksa Baneza, Cond.
original LP release: CROATIAN COMPOSERS' SOCIETY 0101 24


From the collection of Karl Miller

A couple snippets about Odak:

KRSTO ODAK
(1888-1965, CROATIAN)
Born in Siverič, near Drniš. After some private music lessons, he joined the Franciscan Order. He then went to Munich to study theology but also studied composition and organ with Pater Hartmann. Having left the Order, he went to Prague to study there at the Conservatory with Vitězslav Novák. He composed prolifically, producing over 200 works in various genres from opera to chamber works. His other Symphonies are: Nos. 1, Op. 36 "Simfonija Jadrana" (Adriatic) (1940), Symphony No. 2, Op. 52 "Sinfonia Brevis" (1951) and 4 (1965).

The following is a machine translation to English form a Wikipedia page.



Krsto Odak ( Siverić , March 20 1888 . - Zagreb , November 4 1965 .), Croatian composer and music educator .


Education
Days of his schooling conducted in Sinj , Sibenik and Makarska revealing his knack for music to work with John Ocvirk and Matthias Melchiarom . Then they went out of theological studies in Munich , at the same time he studied with the respected German musician Father Hartmann. After returning home 1913th years as a priest working in Sinj and nearby islands. In 1919. leaving their previous occupation and went on to study music in Prague in the class of distinguished Czech composer V. Novak.

Since then, entirely dedicated to music and his first artistic success already achieved in the Automotive Expert concert when his "Sonata for Violin and Piano" wins first prize. Upon his return to Zagreb became a professor at the Music Academy in which it operates to retirement 1961st year. He died on 04th November 1965. g at 78 age and is buried at the cemetery Mirogoj .

Artistic Legacy
Odakova artistic legacy includes more than 80 numbered and unnumbered works . His musical style Odak has already hinted in his early works. They can easily notice a tendency polyphonic shaping and emphasizing folk characteristics which is clearly visible in his later works. However, accepting the positive contemporary compositional techniques, the composer was gradually enriched its expressive resources, especially harmony, which are outlined in the expansion of most of its old foundations modalities. However, the main means of expression Odakovo was and still is ringing. In all forms of music which has touched, from which he created valuable artistic works that are, without doubt, greatly enriched the Croatian musical culture.
Sacred Music in Latin and Croatian

The choral compositions of spiritual substantiality are also the origins of general compositional K. Odak. His earliest compositions were therefore sacred compositions and from 1911. Mr. (published in the journal "St. Cecilia"), for example, "Veni dulcis Jesu" (female choir) and "celebrate. Heart" (for mixed choir and also only in Croatian). The 1912th Mr. prominent male choirs to "Ave Maria" and "Christus Factus Est" and "Laudate Dominum" and "The Sacre Convivum". Also at that time produced greater work in the Latin Mass in B flat major (1914). Here are listed only important piece, however, this first opus number 32 original songs of spiritual content and 9 harmonization of church chants. The sacred music of Slavic texts. However, this second, later Odakovo creativity, ie composing spiritual songs in the Old Slavonic text belongs to its culmination not only of spiritual but do opus.

The high level of musical direction Odak just great songs in this musical direction elevates the level of singing Slavic, Greek Catholic liturgy and Glagolitic our singing and our tradition of Cyril and Methodius, which draws its inspiration and historical and musical themes and motifs. Therefore the second part of his total spiritual works more valuable and important. He is completely sovereign odakovski, original and valuable. But these songs goes on in our history, he reminds us that we are the only people that the Catholic Church was able to hold nearly a thousand years of the liturgy in the vernacular (and the entire Catholic Church used Latin until 1965. G). Especially for the so-called merit. Clergymen acting in some dioceses of the Adriatic Sea and by retaining the tradition of the liturgy in the vernacular language of St. uninterrupted. Cyril and Methodius and the moment when the holy brothers, the Slavic Pope Hadrian II. in the 9th c approved in Rome in the Basilica of St. Mary Major liturgy which they are translated into the vernacular. Where did that come to life through musical expression and the text part of our past, about which we know quite a bit. So, without diminishing the value of a single world-famous composers (whose works are in our church choir (too) often performed), it should ponder over the liturgy and concert programs of our church choirs that should be the promoters of the popular word for which we through the history of so many fought. Therefore, greater effort and more performances of local composers (like Odakovih works) would certainly contribute to that goal.

[jowcol]

Samba de Camera for Strings by Ivo Josipovic

Croatian RTV
Mladen Tarbuk, Cond

(original LP release: CROATIAN COMPOSERS' SOCIETY 0101 24)

From the collection of Karl Miller

If you can handle Bartok's "night music", you should be able to enjoy this work.  SOme very interesting use of strings and rhythm-- dissonant in parts, but not "random", IMO.

This work is interesting for a couple reasons.  One is that, if you are so motivated, you can download the score here:
http://www.ivojosipovic.com/partiture/Samba%20da%20camera%20Score.pdf

The other is that Josipovic is currently the President of the Croatian Republic!   Here is a wikipeidia entry, but I've trimmed some of the political info.

Ivo Josipović (Croatian pronunciation: [ǐːv̞ɔ jɔsǐːpɔv̞it͡ɕ] (  listen); born 28 August 1957) is a Croatian politician, the third and current President of Croatia, having taken office in 2010.[2][3][4] Josipović entered politics as a member of the League of Communists of Croatia (SKH), and played a key role in the democratic transformation of this party as the author of the first statute of the SDP that replaced the SKH-SKJ. He left politics in 1994, but returned in 2003 as an independent Member of Parliament. In addition to politics, Josipović has also worked as a university professor, legal expert, musician and composer.

Music
After graduating from a secondary music school he enrolled at the Composition Department of the Zagreb Music Academy under the tutelage of renowned scholar Stanko Horvat. He graduated in 1983 majoring in composition.[7] Between 1987 and 2004 Josipović was also a lecturer at the Zagreb Music Academy.[11]

Josipović composed some 50 chamber music pieces for various instruments, chamber orchestra and symphony orchestra. In 1985 he won an award from the European Broadcasting Union for his composition "Samba da Camera" and in 1999 he was awarded the Porin Award for the same composition,[12] which was followed by another Porin Award in 2000 for his piece titled "Tisuću lotosa" ("A Thousand Lotuses").[13] His most successful pieces also include "Igra staklenih perli" (The Glass Bead Game) and "Tuba Ludens".[8] These pieces are performed by numerous musicians in Croatia and abroad.[8] Since 1991 Josipović also served as director of the Music Biennale Zagreb (MBZ), an international festival of contemporary classical music.[14]

During the 2010 election campaign Josipović announced that as president he will compose an opera based on the murder of John Lennon.[15]