Page 213 - 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
P. 213
lucijan marija škerjanc: critic of the jutro newspaper from 1927 to 1942
responsibility to audience and performers alike. Every one of his articles on
a musical event represents an important document of the social and cul-
tural life of the urban environment in which he lived. His writings demon-
strate his solid grounding in his subject, something that gave his reflections
a particular depth, while his reviews also reveal his personal views of the
programme being presented and of the artistic potential of the performers.
Criticism is, in fact, also a reflection of the critic’s personality, of the criteria
they have formed and of their authority in a given environment. Regarding
the personal note as an essential element of every review, Škerjanc wrote:
In the end every public work is subject to public judgement – a judge-
ment which, unfortunately, can and must be exercised by one person
alone. And that one is always – thank God – subjective.8
Another important element when it comes to evaluating Škerjanc’s
writings or responses to musical events is continuity – the confirmation
that their author was a regular follower of musical life in Ljubljana in var-
ious venues with a clear sense of what was happening on the Slovene, Yu-
goslav and international concert scenes. He followed solo, chamber and
orchestral concerts, the concert programme of Radio Ljubljana, operatic
performances and, last but not least, music publishing, which enabled him,
as a critic, to give a judgement that was as real and impartial as possible. We
see that he was capable of giving due consideration to the numerous fac-
tors that influence the concert life of a given social milieu. When evaluat-
ing the quality of events, he took into account the opportunities for musical
education in the Slovene context, the general cultural level of Slovene soci-
ety, the artistic level of concert performances, the international compara-
bility of performers and concert programmes, and the expectations of the
audience – both experts and the general public. He was well aware that it
is the critic’s duty to draw attention to an event, to introduce the perform-
er, the programme and the composers concerned, and to say something
about the artistic level of the event, but he also knew that the critic must
be consistent and sincere. As one of the most active critics of the twenti-
eth century in Slovenia, he helped to spread awareness that musical events
are open to public judgement, although this should be the judgement of in-
dividuals with the necessary competence. Although with few exceptions
Škerjanc’s reviews do not consist of extensive analyses of concerts, he was
capable of conveying in a concise manner all the essential elements expect-
8 L. M. Š. [Lucijan Marija Škerjanc], “Nova muzika št. 3,” Jutro 9, no. 170 (22 July 1928):
10, http://www.dlib.si/?URN=URN:NBN:SI:DOC-KI2ADXYF.
213
responsibility to audience and performers alike. Every one of his articles on
a musical event represents an important document of the social and cul-
tural life of the urban environment in which he lived. His writings demon-
strate his solid grounding in his subject, something that gave his reflections
a particular depth, while his reviews also reveal his personal views of the
programme being presented and of the artistic potential of the performers.
Criticism is, in fact, also a reflection of the critic’s personality, of the criteria
they have formed and of their authority in a given environment. Regarding
the personal note as an essential element of every review, Škerjanc wrote:
In the end every public work is subject to public judgement – a judge-
ment which, unfortunately, can and must be exercised by one person
alone. And that one is always – thank God – subjective.8
Another important element when it comes to evaluating Škerjanc’s
writings or responses to musical events is continuity – the confirmation
that their author was a regular follower of musical life in Ljubljana in var-
ious venues with a clear sense of what was happening on the Slovene, Yu-
goslav and international concert scenes. He followed solo, chamber and
orchestral concerts, the concert programme of Radio Ljubljana, operatic
performances and, last but not least, music publishing, which enabled him,
as a critic, to give a judgement that was as real and impartial as possible. We
see that he was capable of giving due consideration to the numerous fac-
tors that influence the concert life of a given social milieu. When evaluat-
ing the quality of events, he took into account the opportunities for musical
education in the Slovene context, the general cultural level of Slovene soci-
ety, the artistic level of concert performances, the international compara-
bility of performers and concert programmes, and the expectations of the
audience – both experts and the general public. He was well aware that it
is the critic’s duty to draw attention to an event, to introduce the perform-
er, the programme and the composers concerned, and to say something
about the artistic level of the event, but he also knew that the critic must
be consistent and sincere. As one of the most active critics of the twenti-
eth century in Slovenia, he helped to spread awareness that musical events
are open to public judgement, although this should be the judgement of in-
dividuals with the necessary competence. Although with few exceptions
Škerjanc’s reviews do not consist of extensive analyses of concerts, he was
capable of conveying in a concise manner all the essential elements expect-
8 L. M. Š. [Lucijan Marija Škerjanc], “Nova muzika št. 3,” Jutro 9, no. 170 (22 July 1928):
10, http://www.dlib.si/?URN=URN:NBN:SI:DOC-KI2ADXYF.
213
