Page 173 - 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
For brass instruments one can point to the recent achievements and
examples of three players: the trumpeter Franc Kosem, the horn play-
er Boštjan Lipovšek and the trombonist Vinko Globokar. In addition to
the standard trumpet repertory, Kosem has been responsible for the first
performances of numerous works of Slovene composers such as Dušan
Bavdek’s Teman spomin (‘Dark Memory’), Pavel Mihelčič’s Škorpion and
Nina Šenk’s Odsevi (‘Reflections’). Lipovšek has been associated with the
performances and recording of numerous difficult and advanced pieces
by Lojze Lebič (In voce cornus), Vito Žuraj (Want to practise) and Larisa
Vrhunc (Nekoč podnevi, ko se je znočilo ...). Globokar’s contribution has re-
lied less in recent years on his incredible trombone technique, but as an in-
terpreter-conductor of his own music.
The pianist Nina Prešiček has a phenomenal technique that is dis-
15
played in her recording entitled A Breath of Time, in which older pieces
by Lebič, Matičič and Štuhec are placed beside works by Mauricio Kagel
and John Cage. Her technique was shown to great advantage in a recital in
the Mini teater in Ljubljana on 16 April 2018 in first performances by Slo-
vene composers who were responding to her abilities. In the same way as
in the recording she included new works by Slovene composers Gregor Pirš
(Suite-Tissue), Nina Šenk (Circles) and Larisa Vrhunc (Za Nino) significant-
ly alongside works by Karlheinz Stockhausen (Klavierstück IX) and Luigi
Nono (... sofferte onde serena ...), as well as the 50-year-old Sonata 74 by Igor
Štuhec which did not sound out of place. 16
A very important development for solo performers was the increase in
opportunities for performance. The concerts arranged as part of the Slove-
nian Music Days events in the late 20 century were excellent. The continu-
th
ation of the ‘Night of Slovenian Music’ greatly expanded the scope of small
scale music, especially in the years 2000–2004. During these years some 90
pieces were performed, with 200 solo performers and a number of cham-
ber ensembles. The range and scope of these concerts at the Slovenian Mu-
sic Days was enormous, with opportunities for the interpreters to gain val-
uable experience in a wide variety of musical styles and techniques. They
were of course also a showcase for the very varied talent of Slovene com-
posers. This included notable works by Nenad Firšt, Dušan Bavdek, Marko
Mihevc, Pavel Mihelčič, Tomaž Svete, Tomaž Habe, Bor Turel, Lojze Lebič,
15 Nina Prešiček (piano), Vdih časa / A Breath of Time, RTVSLO, 111297, 2009, compa-
ct disc.
16 Živa Steiner et al, Slovenski glasbeni dnevi 33 let Glasbe – Slovenian Music Days 33
years of Music (Ljubljana: Festival, 2018), 26–8.

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