Page 167 - 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
P. 167
similarities and differences: comparison of the ljubljana glasbena matica ...
and the published editions of Slovenian music. After 1945, the destiny of
the Glasbena matica was different from the two previously mentioned mu-
sic societies: in 1946 the Yugoslav government nationalized the property of
the Glasbena matica, but allowed a part of its former activity, namely, the
choir. After the disintegration of Yugoslavia in 1991, the Glasbena matica
was revived after 1998. The Society managed to take advantage of the ben-
efits arising in the new political circumstances in the Republic of Slovenia:
the Glasbena matica has reacquired its buildings, as a financial basis for the
future of the Society.
Foundation
In the nineteenth century, both Zagreb and Ljubljana were small provincial
towns of the Habsburg Monarchy. In 1827 Zagreb had some 10.000 inhabit-
ants; it was a town which had neither music school nor an opera house – to
mention some basic elements of the musical life. By the time Croatian Sing-
ing Society “Kolo” was founded (1862), Zagreb almost doubled its popula-
tion (18,000 inhabitants), and there was a music school. The Zagreb Opera
House was soon to be founded (1870). Ten years later, at the time the Glas-
bena matica was founded (1872), Ljubljana had 23,000 inhabitants and there
was a music school of the Philharmonic Society (established in 1820).
CMI – The appearance of the Croatian Music Institute in 1827 was a
segment of an overall trend of music societies’ foundation in this part of
Europe. The first one, the Philharmonische Gesellschaft (the Philharmonic
Society), had already been founded in Ljubljana at the end of the 18th centu-
ry (in 1794), well before the emergence of similar societies in Vienna (1812)
and Graz (1815). As for music societies in Croatia, they started up in the first
half of the nineteenth century in the continental part of Croatia. The oldest
one was the Musikverein in Križevci (a little town situated north-east from
Zagreb), founded in 1813, fourteen years earlier than the one in Zagreb. In
that time, the following was the political situation: within the Habsburg
Monarchy, Croatia and Slovenia, in the sense we know them today, did not
exist as sovereign states. They were just parts of the Habsburg Monarchy.
The Croatian lands were fragmented, and were named Croatia, Slavonia,
and Dalmatia. The unification of Croatia will not become a political topic
until the national revival of the 1840s.
It is interesting that the first rules of the Croatian Music Institute in
1827 were written by an honorary member of the Philharmonic Society,
Georg Kar Wisner von Morgenstern (1783–1855), a German, who was at that
165
and the published editions of Slovenian music. After 1945, the destiny of
the Glasbena matica was different from the two previously mentioned mu-
sic societies: in 1946 the Yugoslav government nationalized the property of
the Glasbena matica, but allowed a part of its former activity, namely, the
choir. After the disintegration of Yugoslavia in 1991, the Glasbena matica
was revived after 1998. The Society managed to take advantage of the ben-
efits arising in the new political circumstances in the Republic of Slovenia:
the Glasbena matica has reacquired its buildings, as a financial basis for the
future of the Society.
Foundation
In the nineteenth century, both Zagreb and Ljubljana were small provincial
towns of the Habsburg Monarchy. In 1827 Zagreb had some 10.000 inhabit-
ants; it was a town which had neither music school nor an opera house – to
mention some basic elements of the musical life. By the time Croatian Sing-
ing Society “Kolo” was founded (1862), Zagreb almost doubled its popula-
tion (18,000 inhabitants), and there was a music school. The Zagreb Opera
House was soon to be founded (1870). Ten years later, at the time the Glas-
bena matica was founded (1872), Ljubljana had 23,000 inhabitants and there
was a music school of the Philharmonic Society (established in 1820).
CMI – The appearance of the Croatian Music Institute in 1827 was a
segment of an overall trend of music societies’ foundation in this part of
Europe. The first one, the Philharmonische Gesellschaft (the Philharmonic
Society), had already been founded in Ljubljana at the end of the 18th centu-
ry (in 1794), well before the emergence of similar societies in Vienna (1812)
and Graz (1815). As for music societies in Croatia, they started up in the first
half of the nineteenth century in the continental part of Croatia. The oldest
one was the Musikverein in Križevci (a little town situated north-east from
Zagreb), founded in 1813, fourteen years earlier than the one in Zagreb. In
that time, the following was the political situation: within the Habsburg
Monarchy, Croatia and Slovenia, in the sense we know them today, did not
exist as sovereign states. They were just parts of the Habsburg Monarchy.
The Croatian lands were fragmented, and were named Croatia, Slavonia,
and Dalmatia. The unification of Croatia will not become a political topic
until the national revival of the 1840s.
It is interesting that the first rules of the Croatian Music Institute in
1827 were written by an honorary member of the Philharmonic Society,
Georg Kar Wisner von Morgenstern (1783–1855), a German, who was at that
165
