Page 211 - Weiss, Jernej, ur./ed. 2024. Glasbena kritika – nekoč in danes ▪︎ Music Criticism – Yesterday and Today. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 7
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lucijan marija škerjanc: critic of the jutro newspaper from 1927 to 1942
Škerjanc developed an interest in journalism and criticism in his sec-
ondary school days and was already publishing in as early as 1917 (when he
was just sixteen). Initially in the magazines Cerkveni glasbenik (“The church
musician”), Dom in svet (“Home and world”) and Ljubljanski zvon (“The
Ljubljana bell”), then in the daily newspaper Jutro (“Morning”). He also
published occasionally in Zbori (“Choirs”), Slovenski narod (“The Slovene
nation”) and Odmevi (“Echoes”). The last of these was a literary and cul-
tural magazine that appeared quarterly between 1929 and 1933 and consist-
ed of short pieces, essays, and poems by literary figures, some well-known
and others more obscure, and contributions on culture from other writers.
Other publications in which Škerjanc published articles and reflections in-
cluded a supplement to the Jutro newspaper called Življenje in svet (“Life
and the world”) that was dedicated to scientific and, occasionally, musical
topics. In 1934 he also appeared as a critic in Naš val (“Our wave”), a week-
ly magazine dedicated to radio, theatre and cinema that was published be-
tween 1934 and 1940. It consisted of commentary on programmes and per-
formances on Radio Ljubljana and on theatrical and cinema presentations.
Škerjanc’s legacy of critical writings is dominated by reviews of concerts by
local and foreign performers, while he also wrote reviews of published mu-
sic, obituaries and other pieces on current developments in musical crea-
tion and performance in Slovenia.
During the Second World War, when concerts were rare, with the ex-
ception of public productions by the students of the Academy of Music,
he did not publish at all. He resumed his work as a music writer after the
war, although in somewhat different contexts from before. Between 1946
and 1948 he contributed programme notes for operas in Gledališki list Op-
era SNG Ljubljana (“Theatrical gazette of the SNT [Slovene National Thea-
tre] Opera Ljubljana”). In subsequent years his journalistic work was more
diverse. He wrote reviews of concerts, for the most part in Ljudska pravi-
ca (“The people’s justice”), but also in Slovenski poročevalec (“The Slovene
reporter”), Ljubljanski dnevnik (“The Ljubljana daily”) and Naša sodobnost
(“Our modern age”). Beginning in 1962, he wrote about current events in
Naši razgledi (“Our views”). In 1965 he started writing for Delo (“Labour”).
He also published reviews of music publications, pieces introducing Slo-
vene and foreign composers past and present, reflections on music criticism
and its constructiveness, comments on concert seasons, and so on. From
1951 to 1972 he mainly dedicated himself to writing accompanying texts for
the programmes of concerts by the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, of
211
Škerjanc developed an interest in journalism and criticism in his sec-
ondary school days and was already publishing in as early as 1917 (when he
was just sixteen). Initially in the magazines Cerkveni glasbenik (“The church
musician”), Dom in svet (“Home and world”) and Ljubljanski zvon (“The
Ljubljana bell”), then in the daily newspaper Jutro (“Morning”). He also
published occasionally in Zbori (“Choirs”), Slovenski narod (“The Slovene
nation”) and Odmevi (“Echoes”). The last of these was a literary and cul-
tural magazine that appeared quarterly between 1929 and 1933 and consist-
ed of short pieces, essays, and poems by literary figures, some well-known
and others more obscure, and contributions on culture from other writers.
Other publications in which Škerjanc published articles and reflections in-
cluded a supplement to the Jutro newspaper called Življenje in svet (“Life
and the world”) that was dedicated to scientific and, occasionally, musical
topics. In 1934 he also appeared as a critic in Naš val (“Our wave”), a week-
ly magazine dedicated to radio, theatre and cinema that was published be-
tween 1934 and 1940. It consisted of commentary on programmes and per-
formances on Radio Ljubljana and on theatrical and cinema presentations.
Škerjanc’s legacy of critical writings is dominated by reviews of concerts by
local and foreign performers, while he also wrote reviews of published mu-
sic, obituaries and other pieces on current developments in musical crea-
tion and performance in Slovenia.
During the Second World War, when concerts were rare, with the ex-
ception of public productions by the students of the Academy of Music,
he did not publish at all. He resumed his work as a music writer after the
war, although in somewhat different contexts from before. Between 1946
and 1948 he contributed programme notes for operas in Gledališki list Op-
era SNG Ljubljana (“Theatrical gazette of the SNT [Slovene National Thea-
tre] Opera Ljubljana”). In subsequent years his journalistic work was more
diverse. He wrote reviews of concerts, for the most part in Ljudska pravi-
ca (“The people’s justice”), but also in Slovenski poročevalec (“The Slovene
reporter”), Ljubljanski dnevnik (“The Ljubljana daily”) and Naša sodobnost
(“Our modern age”). Beginning in 1962, he wrote about current events in
Naši razgledi (“Our views”). In 1965 he started writing for Delo (“Labour”).
He also published reviews of music publications, pieces introducing Slo-
vene and foreign composers past and present, reflections on music criticism
and its constructiveness, comments on concert seasons, and so on. From
1951 to 1972 he mainly dedicated himself to writing accompanying texts for
the programmes of concerts by the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, of
211
