Page 233 - 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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“a cr itique of cr iticism”: an attempt to outline “mor e appropr iate” ...
ing the composer Jože Gregorc, then head of the music department at Ra-
dio Maribor), announced a “mighty cantata”22 for choir, soloists, reciter and
piano “to mark the 10th anniversary of successful work by the Tone Tomšič
Academic Choir”.23 The work was said to have made a “rich contribution to
Slovenian choral literature,”24 and was among the composer’s “most impor-
tant creations.”25
With the exception of an encomium to Aškerc’s freethinking men-
tality, which had apparently led this conscious liberal to “courageously re-
nounce his vocation – the priesthood,”26 no ideological positions of any kind
can be detected in the writings of contemporary critics, who limited them-
selves to announcing a cultural event that in terms of the quality not only of
the performance, but also of the work itself, as an artistic creation, in many
respects transcended the provincial parameters of the Slovenian vocal-in-
strumental music of the period.
The “incident in the Union Hall”
The “countless rehearsals before the first performance,”27 as they are de-
scribed by Matjaž Kmecl, a member of the choir at the time, were followed
on 12 March 1956 by the premiere in the Union Hall (the concert hall of Lju-
bljana’s Grand Hotel Union). Like a number of party dignitaries,28 headed
22 J. P., “Pred jubilejnim koncertom,” Ljubljanski dnevnik 6, no. 58 (8 March 1956): 4.
23 Ibid.
24 Jože Gregorc, “Jubilejni koncert ob desetletnici Akademskega pevskega zbora,”
Ljubljanski dnevnik 6, no. 67 (1956): 4.
25 Bogdan Pogačnik, “Pred jubilejnim koncertom Akademskega pevskega zbora,” Te-
denska tribuna 4, no. 10 (8 March 1956): 9.
26 Due to disputes with the Bishop of Lavant, who allegedly accused Aškerc of inter-
preting Church matters in his own way, Aškerc asked for retirement in 1898 after se-
venteen years of priestly service. Aškerc, a staunch liberal, is said to have come under
fierce attack from the clerical camp. The daily newspapers claimed that some intel-
lectuals decided to study theology due to the poor financial situation the nation was
facing, which was said to have “destroyed the life goals of young, capable Slovenian in-
tellectuals and brought them to the seminary.” J. P., “Pred jubilejnim koncertom,” 4.
27 Matjaž Kmecl, “In memoriam Radovan Gobec (1. 6. 1909–14. 4. 1995),” Naši zbori 47,
no. 1–3 (1995): 1.
28 The most prominent representatives of social life present at the premiere of Tomc’s
cantata included: the Vice-Chairman of the Assembly of the People‘s Republic of
Slovenia, Ferdo Kozak; the Vice-Chairman of the Executive Council of the Republic
of Slovenia, Marijan Brecelj; Member of the Executive Council Boris Kocjančič; and
the Rector of the University of Ljubljana, Anton Kuhelj. Anon., “Jubilejni koncert
APZ,” Slovenski poročevalec 17, no. 61 (13 March 1956): 8, http://www.dlib.si/?UR-
N=URN:NBN:SI:DOC-75WMOAJR.
233
ing the composer Jože Gregorc, then head of the music department at Ra-
dio Maribor), announced a “mighty cantata”22 for choir, soloists, reciter and
piano “to mark the 10th anniversary of successful work by the Tone Tomšič
Academic Choir”.23 The work was said to have made a “rich contribution to
Slovenian choral literature,”24 and was among the composer’s “most impor-
tant creations.”25
With the exception of an encomium to Aškerc’s freethinking men-
tality, which had apparently led this conscious liberal to “courageously re-
nounce his vocation – the priesthood,”26 no ideological positions of any kind
can be detected in the writings of contemporary critics, who limited them-
selves to announcing a cultural event that in terms of the quality not only of
the performance, but also of the work itself, as an artistic creation, in many
respects transcended the provincial parameters of the Slovenian vocal-in-
strumental music of the period.
The “incident in the Union Hall”
The “countless rehearsals before the first performance,”27 as they are de-
scribed by Matjaž Kmecl, a member of the choir at the time, were followed
on 12 March 1956 by the premiere in the Union Hall (the concert hall of Lju-
bljana’s Grand Hotel Union). Like a number of party dignitaries,28 headed
22 J. P., “Pred jubilejnim koncertom,” Ljubljanski dnevnik 6, no. 58 (8 March 1956): 4.
23 Ibid.
24 Jože Gregorc, “Jubilejni koncert ob desetletnici Akademskega pevskega zbora,”
Ljubljanski dnevnik 6, no. 67 (1956): 4.
25 Bogdan Pogačnik, “Pred jubilejnim koncertom Akademskega pevskega zbora,” Te-
denska tribuna 4, no. 10 (8 March 1956): 9.
26 Due to disputes with the Bishop of Lavant, who allegedly accused Aškerc of inter-
preting Church matters in his own way, Aškerc asked for retirement in 1898 after se-
venteen years of priestly service. Aškerc, a staunch liberal, is said to have come under
fierce attack from the clerical camp. The daily newspapers claimed that some intel-
lectuals decided to study theology due to the poor financial situation the nation was
facing, which was said to have “destroyed the life goals of young, capable Slovenian in-
tellectuals and brought them to the seminary.” J. P., “Pred jubilejnim koncertom,” 4.
27 Matjaž Kmecl, “In memoriam Radovan Gobec (1. 6. 1909–14. 4. 1995),” Naši zbori 47,
no. 1–3 (1995): 1.
28 The most prominent representatives of social life present at the premiere of Tomc’s
cantata included: the Vice-Chairman of the Assembly of the People‘s Republic of
Slovenia, Ferdo Kozak; the Vice-Chairman of the Executive Council of the Republic
of Slovenia, Marijan Brecelj; Member of the Executive Council Boris Kocjančič; and
the Rector of the University of Ljubljana, Anton Kuhelj. Anon., “Jubilejni koncert
APZ,” Slovenski poročevalec 17, no. 61 (13 March 1956): 8, http://www.dlib.si/?UR-
N=URN:NBN:SI:DOC-75WMOAJR.
233
