Page 157 - 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

an attempt at an analysis of the factors influencing a conductor’s interpretation ...
Although the convincing and unique interpretation of a musical work
is dependent on the conductor’s talent, technical skill and the influences of
the social environment, many other factors also come into play. Lovro von
Matačić is one of those conductors with the ability to convert a score into a
sound image in such a way as to be able to elicit from it even those elements
that the composer was unable to express. The conductor builds a work into
a sound image through his or her own unique mental and emotional world,
while at the same time drawing on the knowledge, abilities and energies of
the performers. Only in this way does a musical work come to life in fully
realised form. There is no such thing as a final or definitive interpretation.
Analysis of the writings of numerous authors who have studied Matačić’s
magnificent career allows us to affirm that a musical work is only “com-
pleted” when it is the subject of profound interpretation that takes into ac-
count the whole of the composer’s personality, the circumstances in which
the work was created and the structure of the piece, while also giving due
consideration to the composer’s idea, all musical elements and the archi-
tectural structure of the form. The process by which conductors immerse
themselves in a composer’s oeuvre, their character and the circumstances
surrounding the creation of a work is a lengthy one. It is therefore perfectly
natural that conductors should dedicate themselves to specific works their
entire lives, since only in this way can they deepen their contact with the
composer and achieve interpretations of the highest possible calibre. Con-
sideration must also be given to the conductor’s own personality, which is
the origin of their individual views of a musical work, their intuitive abili-
ties and the strength of their personal energy – all these factors combine to
shape the interpretation of the chosen work. Lovro von Matačić was an in-
dividual of tireless energy who breathed life into written music and, time
and again, impressed upon it his own unique and convincing stamp.

Bibliography
Literature

Antonicek, Th. “Schmidt, Franz.” Oesterreichisches Musiklexion Online.
https://www.biographien.ac.at/oebl/oebl_S/Schmid_Franz_1874_1939.xml.
Bergamo, Petar. “Interpretacija kao symbol.” In Matačić, edited by Eva Sedak,
191–203. Zagreb: Fond Lovro & Lilly Matačić, 1996.
Fastl, Christian. “Herbst, Ignaz.” Österreichisches Musiklexikon Online.
https://www.musiklexikon.ac.at/ml/musik_H/Herbst_Ignaz.xml.

157