Page 153 - 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 ...
pended on visits by foreign musicians. When visiting the Bosnia and Her-
zegovina capital, the musicians brought a whiff of contemporary musical
trends, thus allowing the local audience to get familiar with the repertoire
which adorned European concert stages. Although Sarajevo was visited by
opera troupes from Milan, Brno, Zagreb, Osijek, Ljubljana, as well as by
well-known violinists such as Ondriček brothers or Fritz Kreisler,28 the seg-
ment related to the visits by choral societies was at the periphery in terms of
quantity. Except for the visits by the Croatian singing society “Kolo” (1904),
Dubrovnik singing society “Gundulić” (1909), Belgrade singing society
(1910) and Academic singing society “Obilić” (1911), no visits to the Bosnia
and Herzegovina capital of a similar nature were noted.29 Explanations for
this claim can be sought in the authorities’ restrictive attitude toward any
forms of public association. Visits of this type were reserved only for the
“chosen” societies of ascertained artistic reputration, which, at least appar-
ently, were not subject to national political connotations.
The rank of the “chosen” primarily included choral societies that ar-
rived from the Austrian part of the Dual Monarchy. The administration
presented their work as the ideal model for activity on association, while lo-
cal choral societies – particularly the international ones – considered them
as na opportunity for personal growth and development. Besides, settlers
found in them an opportunity for nourishing and deepening ties with their
homeland, as well as the possibility to connect with the culture and cus-
toms nourished in their home communities. The administration recog-
nized that such form of networking could strengthen the settlers’ influence
on the development of musical life and fully approved of this type of visits.
The first choral society whose visit was approved by Austro-Hun-
garian administration was “Gesangverein Österreichischer Eisenbahn-
beamter” which visited Sarajevo in 1892. The data related to this visit were
also noted by the newspaper Deutsche Kunst - und Musikzeitung, which re-
ported that the society intended to visit Sarajevo, Mostar, Metković, Split
and Pula in the period from 11 to 22 June 1892. A total of 150 singers and 70
support members were registered for the trip, and it was also indicated that
their arrival attracted interest by high-ranking Austro-Hungarian officials
and Bosnian and Herzegovinian administrative institutions: baron Benja-
28 Anon., “Umjetnik Ondřiček u sarajevu (Mali vjesnik),” Sarajevski list, no. 30 (15
March 1893): 2; Anon., “Koncert (Mali vjesnik),” Sarajevski list, no. 113 (24 Septem-
ber 1893): 2.
29 Paćuka, “Muzički život u Sarajevu za vrijeme Austro-Ugarske uprave kroz napise o
muzici u Sarajevskom listu,” 70–2.
151
pended on visits by foreign musicians. When visiting the Bosnia and Her-
zegovina capital, the musicians brought a whiff of contemporary musical
trends, thus allowing the local audience to get familiar with the repertoire
which adorned European concert stages. Although Sarajevo was visited by
opera troupes from Milan, Brno, Zagreb, Osijek, Ljubljana, as well as by
well-known violinists such as Ondriček brothers or Fritz Kreisler,28 the seg-
ment related to the visits by choral societies was at the periphery in terms of
quantity. Except for the visits by the Croatian singing society “Kolo” (1904),
Dubrovnik singing society “Gundulić” (1909), Belgrade singing society
(1910) and Academic singing society “Obilić” (1911), no visits to the Bosnia
and Herzegovina capital of a similar nature were noted.29 Explanations for
this claim can be sought in the authorities’ restrictive attitude toward any
forms of public association. Visits of this type were reserved only for the
“chosen” societies of ascertained artistic reputration, which, at least appar-
ently, were not subject to national political connotations.
The rank of the “chosen” primarily included choral societies that ar-
rived from the Austrian part of the Dual Monarchy. The administration
presented their work as the ideal model for activity on association, while lo-
cal choral societies – particularly the international ones – considered them
as na opportunity for personal growth and development. Besides, settlers
found in them an opportunity for nourishing and deepening ties with their
homeland, as well as the possibility to connect with the culture and cus-
toms nourished in their home communities. The administration recog-
nized that such form of networking could strengthen the settlers’ influence
on the development of musical life and fully approved of this type of visits.
The first choral society whose visit was approved by Austro-Hun-
garian administration was “Gesangverein Österreichischer Eisenbahn-
beamter” which visited Sarajevo in 1892. The data related to this visit were
also noted by the newspaper Deutsche Kunst - und Musikzeitung, which re-
ported that the society intended to visit Sarajevo, Mostar, Metković, Split
and Pula in the period from 11 to 22 June 1892. A total of 150 singers and 70
support members were registered for the trip, and it was also indicated that
their arrival attracted interest by high-ranking Austro-Hungarian officials
and Bosnian and Herzegovinian administrative institutions: baron Benja-
28 Anon., “Umjetnik Ondřiček u sarajevu (Mali vjesnik),” Sarajevski list, no. 30 (15
March 1893): 2; Anon., “Koncert (Mali vjesnik),” Sarajevski list, no. 113 (24 Septem-
ber 1893): 2.
29 Paćuka, “Muzički život u Sarajevu za vrijeme Austro-Ugarske uprave kroz napise o
muzici u Sarajevskom listu,” 70–2.
151
