Page 149 - Weiss, Jernej, ur./ed. 2023. Glasbena društva v dolgem 19. stoletju: med ljubiteljsko in profesionalno kulturo ▪︎ Music societies in the long 19th century: Between amateur and professional culture. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 6
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visits of vienna choral societies to sarajevo – an occasion for redefining ...
the authorities supported and offered as a model only the associations fo-
cused on nourishing socializing and entertainment, without any tinges of
political or national intentions. The described decisions made the musi-
cal sociaties one of the most acceptable forms of association, though un-
der the condition that they should be deprived of national and political
connotations. Moreover, these societies soon became a core around which
the entire networks of cultural-educational and support associations were
formed. In the other hand, authorities recognized culture and music as
tools for assimilating Bosnia and Herzegovina into the political, social and
cultural values tailor-made by the Empire. A lot of effort was invested into
the establishment of international choral societies, with the hope that they
would smooth things out and divert attention from actual socio-political
problems.11
About the first Sarajevo international choral society:
“Männergesangverein”
“Männergesangverein” was the first society, and generally a musical socie-
ty established in Sarajevo during the Austro-Hungarian occupation. Dur-
ing the 31 years of its existence, this society was one of the most serious
and the most professional musical associations active on the musical stage
of Sarajevo of the time. Formed as a typical offshoot of the culture trans-
ferred from European centers to Bosnia and Herzegovina, it nourished cho-
ral singing after the model of the musical culture of Europe of the 19th and
early 20th century, from its very beginnings.12
The story of “Männergesangvereinu” began in 1886, when a group of
public servants from the ranks of soldiers, officers, architects, printers, rail-
way workers, doctors, professors and lawyers decided to establish a cho-
ral society aimed at socializing and nourishing nice singing. In doing so,
they strove to avoid national divisions by including German, Serbo-Croa-
tian and Slav songs in their repertoire.13 Guided by these thoughts and ide-
11 Paćuka, “Muzički život u Sarajevu u periodu Austro-Ugarske uprave (1878–1918),”
93–6.
12 Lana Paćuka, “Josip Vancaš – arhitekt koji je gradio muzički život Sarajeva s kraja
19. i početka 20. stoljeća,” in Zbornik radova u čast 120 godina rođenja prvog bosans
kohercegovačkog etnomuzikologa fra dr. Branka Marića, ed. Jasmina Talam and Ta-
mara Karača Beljak (Sarajevo-Mostar: Institut za muzikologiju, Muzička akademija
Univerziteta u Sarajevu, Hercegovačko-franjevačka provincija, 2016), 44–5.
13 Anon., “Pjevačko društvo (Mali vjesnik),” Sarajevski list, no. 20 (20 February 1887):
2.
147
the authorities supported and offered as a model only the associations fo-
cused on nourishing socializing and entertainment, without any tinges of
political or national intentions. The described decisions made the musi-
cal sociaties one of the most acceptable forms of association, though un-
der the condition that they should be deprived of national and political
connotations. Moreover, these societies soon became a core around which
the entire networks of cultural-educational and support associations were
formed. In the other hand, authorities recognized culture and music as
tools for assimilating Bosnia and Herzegovina into the political, social and
cultural values tailor-made by the Empire. A lot of effort was invested into
the establishment of international choral societies, with the hope that they
would smooth things out and divert attention from actual socio-political
problems.11
About the first Sarajevo international choral society:
“Männergesangverein”
“Männergesangverein” was the first society, and generally a musical socie-
ty established in Sarajevo during the Austro-Hungarian occupation. Dur-
ing the 31 years of its existence, this society was one of the most serious
and the most professional musical associations active on the musical stage
of Sarajevo of the time. Formed as a typical offshoot of the culture trans-
ferred from European centers to Bosnia and Herzegovina, it nourished cho-
ral singing after the model of the musical culture of Europe of the 19th and
early 20th century, from its very beginnings.12
The story of “Männergesangvereinu” began in 1886, when a group of
public servants from the ranks of soldiers, officers, architects, printers, rail-
way workers, doctors, professors and lawyers decided to establish a cho-
ral society aimed at socializing and nourishing nice singing. In doing so,
they strove to avoid national divisions by including German, Serbo-Croa-
tian and Slav songs in their repertoire.13 Guided by these thoughts and ide-
11 Paćuka, “Muzički život u Sarajevu u periodu Austro-Ugarske uprave (1878–1918),”
93–6.
12 Lana Paćuka, “Josip Vancaš – arhitekt koji je gradio muzički život Sarajeva s kraja
19. i početka 20. stoljeća,” in Zbornik radova u čast 120 godina rođenja prvog bosans
kohercegovačkog etnomuzikologa fra dr. Branka Marića, ed. Jasmina Talam and Ta-
mara Karača Beljak (Sarajevo-Mostar: Institut za muzikologiju, Muzička akademija
Univerziteta u Sarajevu, Hercegovačko-franjevačka provincija, 2016), 44–5.
13 Anon., “Pjevačko društvo (Mali vjesnik),” Sarajevski list, no. 20 (20 February 1887):
2.
147
