Page 353 - 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. 353
the role and contribution of immigrant musicians to the music societies ...
certs of the Philharmonic Society.59 Nevertheless, until 1887 theatrical per-
formances were almost exclusively reserved for German-speaking traveling
theatre troupes, joined by the Slovenian Drama Society (Dramatično društ
vo) in 1892. The performers, especially the prima donna, tenor and first op-
eretta singer, and the rest of the theatre staff, were mostly seasonal workers
who left the city at the end of the season. The orchestra was thus often tak-
en over by a trained musician who worked in Ljubljana, first as orchestral
director, and later as theatre Kapellmeister and conductor. The theatre em-
ployed its own instrumentalists, but they were usually in short supply, so
the orchestra was usually accompanied by members of the military band as
well as the Philharmonic Society.60
The most important milestone in Slovenian musical theatre was in
1892, when a new theatre building, the Provincial Theatre (today’s Opera
House) was opened, ushering in a new era of theatrical activity.61 With the
arrival of Hilarion Beníšek (1863–1919), the performance of Slovenian pro-
vincial theatre greatly improved, especially in comparison with the previ-
ously qualitatively rather weak Drama Society. The newly established the-
atre hosted a number of Czech performers who far surpassed those who
worked at the so-called German provincial theatre. Due to the tense po-
litical relations between the German and Slovenian sides, several Czech
Kapellmeisters and performers worked in either the Slovenian or German
theatre. The singers and Kapellmeisters from Bohemia therefore signifi-
cantly contributed to the musical performances at the Estates Theatre, lat-
er the Provincial Theatre, as well as the Drama Society and later the Slo-
vene Provincial Theatre. They were active for several years in Ljubljana, and
as outstanding performers contributed significantly to the qualitative im-
provement of local musical and stage productions.62
59 Concert Program, “Viertes Concert der philharmonische Gesellschaft in Laibach,” 5
March 1882, Philharmonische Gesellschaft, Glasbena zbirka NUK, Ljubljana.
60 Špela Lah, “Glasbenogledališka poustvarjalnost v Ljubljani v 19. stoletju,” in Zgodovi
na glasbe na Slovenskem III, ed. Aleš Nagode and Nataša Cigoj Krstulović (Ljubljana:
Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete and Založba ZRC, 2021), 45–51, https://doi.
org/10.4312/9789610605270.
61 The Provincial Theatre was opened on 29 September 1892 and until 1911 the new
premises were used by the Slovenian Provincial Theatre with drama and opera and
the German Theatre. At that time the German theatregoers moved to a new building
(today’s SNG Drama) and the Provincial Theatre became entirely Slovenian.
62 Weiss, Češki glasbeniki, 369–70.
351
certs of the Philharmonic Society.59 Nevertheless, until 1887 theatrical per-
formances were almost exclusively reserved for German-speaking traveling
theatre troupes, joined by the Slovenian Drama Society (Dramatično društ
vo) in 1892. The performers, especially the prima donna, tenor and first op-
eretta singer, and the rest of the theatre staff, were mostly seasonal workers
who left the city at the end of the season. The orchestra was thus often tak-
en over by a trained musician who worked in Ljubljana, first as orchestral
director, and later as theatre Kapellmeister and conductor. The theatre em-
ployed its own instrumentalists, but they were usually in short supply, so
the orchestra was usually accompanied by members of the military band as
well as the Philharmonic Society.60
The most important milestone in Slovenian musical theatre was in
1892, when a new theatre building, the Provincial Theatre (today’s Opera
House) was opened, ushering in a new era of theatrical activity.61 With the
arrival of Hilarion Beníšek (1863–1919), the performance of Slovenian pro-
vincial theatre greatly improved, especially in comparison with the previ-
ously qualitatively rather weak Drama Society. The newly established the-
atre hosted a number of Czech performers who far surpassed those who
worked at the so-called German provincial theatre. Due to the tense po-
litical relations between the German and Slovenian sides, several Czech
Kapellmeisters and performers worked in either the Slovenian or German
theatre. The singers and Kapellmeisters from Bohemia therefore signifi-
cantly contributed to the musical performances at the Estates Theatre, lat-
er the Provincial Theatre, as well as the Drama Society and later the Slo-
vene Provincial Theatre. They were active for several years in Ljubljana, and
as outstanding performers contributed significantly to the qualitative im-
provement of local musical and stage productions.62
59 Concert Program, “Viertes Concert der philharmonische Gesellschaft in Laibach,” 5
March 1882, Philharmonische Gesellschaft, Glasbena zbirka NUK, Ljubljana.
60 Špela Lah, “Glasbenogledališka poustvarjalnost v Ljubljani v 19. stoletju,” in Zgodovi
na glasbe na Slovenskem III, ed. Aleš Nagode and Nataša Cigoj Krstulović (Ljubljana:
Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete and Založba ZRC, 2021), 45–51, https://doi.
org/10.4312/9789610605270.
61 The Provincial Theatre was opened on 29 September 1892 and until 1911 the new
premises were used by the Slovenian Provincial Theatre with drama and opera and
the German Theatre. At that time the German theatregoers moved to a new building
(today’s SNG Drama) and the Provincial Theatre became entirely Slovenian.
62 Weiss, Češki glasbeniki, 369–70.
351
