Page 119 - Weiss, Jernej, ur./ed. 2025. Glasbena interpretacija: med umetniškim in znanstvenim┊Music Interpretation: Between the Artistic and the Scientific. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 8

vittorio radeglia and his serenade aux etoiles ...
31
Radeglia’s comic opera Chabaan/Schaaban, called “the first Turkish opera,”
32
was premiered with a libretto by Celal Essad (mentioned in the newspa-
33
per as Djelal Essad Bei) translated into German by Dr R. Batka. The mu-
sic of this cheerful piece was marked as pleasing and melodious, with com-
pact forms and spoken dialogues (like a Singspiel). It bears the elements of
French Spieloper and operetta. Radeglia used some older oriental melodies
and dances which mark originality, but on the whole do not show much
quality. The performance was praised, especially the conducting of “anoth-
er Dalmatian” Pietro von Stermich, the meticulous director Mainau, the
opera’s main character the singer Mr [Heinrich] Pacher, and especially pri-
ma donna [Hedwiga] v. Debitzka (later to become Strmić’s wife). The re-
viewer presents the basic determinants of the composer’s and librettist’s
biographies, and compares the success of the opera with that of Leo Fall’s
operetta Die Rose von Stambul from 1916. On the whole, however, Radeg-
34
lia’s music did not achieve greater success.
In the introductory text of the sheet music edition that will be present-
ed here, which contains basic biographical information, it is stated that in
Constantinople Radeglia was a productive composer, but that his works did
not reach gain an audience. It is possible that this is precisely why he ap-
plied to the American international competition at the end of 1912.

Prize Competition Modern Composers’ Series

Serenade aux etoiles [Serenade to the Stars] was published in 1913 in the Pro-
gressive Series Compositions by the Art Publication Society, St Louis (USA)
with the indication that it was awarded first prize in the Modern Composers’
31 “…gestern stand man der deutschen Uraufführung der ersten türkischen Oper ge-
genüber” [yesterday we had the German premiere of the first Turkish opera], Sch—r,
“Theater, Kunst und Literatur. Volksoper,” 8.
32 Celăl Esad Arseven (1875–1971) was a versatile artist and writer, historian of art and
architecture, but also painter, essayist, musician, translator, photographer, writer,
editor and playwright, politician and filmmaker. He organized a series of exhibiti-
ons that will take place on the eve of World War I to present Turkey as a modern co-
untry. During the war, he was a member of the board of the City Theater in Constan-
tinople (Darülbedayi). At the end of the war, he wrote the comedy Şaban. “The music
of the work, based on Russian polyponic music and adorned with motifs from Turk-
ish composers like Dede Efendi and Itri, was composed by Viktor Radeglia, a master at
Darülbedayi.” Cf. Vaiou, “‘On Celăl Esad Arseven’,” 25–6, 41.
33 Richard Batka (1868–1922) was an Austrian musicologist, music critic and librettist.
34 Sch—r, “Theater, Kunst und Literatur. Volksoper,” 8. Reviews can be also found in
other newspapers.

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