Page 171 - 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

recent slovene music and its interpreters
Osterc’s operas were virtually unknown in the period after the Second
10
World War. Those by Kozina (Ekvinokcij) and Danilo Švara (Cleopatra,
Slovo od mladosti, Ocean) were less demanding technically, with the vo-
cal techniques required not being especially advanced. The only exception
11
to these composers was Pavel Šivic whose Cortesova vrnitev of 1971 made
some challenging moves for the performers, but performances were rare
partly because of the lack of skilled vocal performers. This situation was go-
st
ing to change dramatically as Slovenia moved into the 21 century.

2000–2024
As we move into the 21 century the question that had to be asked at the
st
time was whether the outstanding achievements of the previous fifty years
would be maintained. It is heartening to say that the political continuity
that was apparent in Slovenia was mirrored in the musical sphere. Not only
that but there has been such a torrent of good new music that it is almost
impossible to keep track of everything. For someone who lives outside this
environment it is doubly difficult, but at the same time one can more eas-
ily take a wider perspective on the achievements of Slovene musicians. As
examples of this process, a personal selection of typical interpreters will be
made, solo instrumentalists or singers, with or without accompaniment,
chamber ensembles, orchestras, conductors, choirs, those working on
operas and other theatrical works. In many cases these performers have in-
spired the composers to write pieces especially for them, and it is the com-
posers who then produce the music. This process is really important for
composers using the most advanced techniques and methods. They could
now almost take for granted the necessary performing skills.
Interpreters who are most closely involved with composers tend to be
individual instrumentalists and singers, often associated with a keyboard
player (mostly a pianist). Because as in earlier years it would be impossible
to give details of every relationship involved, a careful selection has been
made to indicate the trend. Taking solo string instrumentalists, it is clear
that the violinists Dejan Bravničar (1937–2018), Tomaž Lorenz (1944–2016)
and Janez Podlesek (b1981) were or are all important in stimulating and
10 Marjan Kozina, Ekvinokcij, score (Ljubljana: Društvo slovenskih skladateljev, Ed.
DSS 738, Act 1: 1998, Act 2: 2006).
11 Pavel Šivic, “Cortesova vrnitev,” track 1 on CD 1 and 2 on Pavel Šivic, Choir and or-
chestra of the SNG Ljubljana, conductor Ciril Cvetko, recorded 1976, Ars SlovenicA,
Društvo slovenskih skladateljev, Ed. DSS 999020, 1999, compact disc.

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