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
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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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