Page 173 - Weiss, Jernej, ur./ed. 2026 Skladateljska društva nekoč in danes.../Composers’ Societies Past and Present...

Between Music and Politics: The Role of Composers in Musical Societies …
until 1841, when it was merged with the music school of the Music Insti-
tute in order to provide better conditions for musical education. From
1849 on, musical education for teachers was included in the newly estab-
lished Zagreb Teacher’s Training College (Preparandijalni zavod u Zagrebu).
An example of the first separate music school, founded in Karlovac in
1804 – based on newly recorded documents from the State Archives in Bu-
dapest – shows yet another aspiration: the first music teacher was employed
“as the organist of the monastic and parish church in Karlovac and at the
42
same time as a music teacher for the poorer urban youth.” The school’s ac-
tivities, as school reports confirm, soon surpassed the tasks foreseen in the
founding document, and children of wealthier citizens were also included
in the music education programme. 43
A somewhat different case is that of the Music Institute in Križevci, found-
ed in 1813. As early as 1812, the Križevci city council submitted a request to the
Lieutenancy Council “in accordance with the shared wishes of its citizens”, and a
44
“subscription from the residents of Križevci from their own funds” was planned
to cover the music teacher’s salary. However, in the request for approval of the
music teacher’s employment dated 13 January 1813, it is also stated:

There exists a need to appoint a music teacher at the school in Križev-
ci, who, in accordance with the school curriculum – currently imple-
mented only in national elementary schools – would contribute to the
establishment of a teacher training school. There is no impediment to
appointing such a teacher, in line with the wishes of the citizens, to in-
struct local children, with the understanding that the citizens them-
selves would provide his remuneration. Moreover, should it be nec-
essary for him to assist with musical duties in church service, such
engagement would depend upon who is holding the patronage over the
45
respective church. ,Therefore, in Križevci the initiative for the estab-
42 National Archive of Hungary, Budapest, HU-MNL-OL-A39, Fons 10, 8135, Docu-
ment 23426/1253, 26 July 1804. We would like to thank Mr Petar Ušković for the
translations of the documents from Latin.
43 Cf. Ljiljana Ščedrov, “Franz Zihak: ‘prvi zakonski učitelj glazbe ugovorom postavljen
u kraljevskom gradu Karlovcu’ [Franz Zihak: ‘the first legal music teacher appointed
by contract in the royal city of Karlovac’],” in Glazba, riječi i slike. Svečani zbornik za
Koraljku Kos / Music, Words, and Images. Essays in Honour of Koraljka Kos, ed. Vjera
Katalinić and Zdravko Blažeković (Zagreb: Croatian Musicological Society, 1999), 265.
44 National Archive of Hungary, Budapest, HU-MNL-OL-C69 Departamentum schol-
arum nationalium, Fons 8, Pos. 1, Document 24608, 15 December 1812.
45 National Archive of Hungary, Budapest, HU-MNL-OL-C69 Departamentum schol-
arum nationalium, Fons 8, Pos. 1, Document 709, 13 January 1813.

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