Page 246 - Weiss, Jernej, ur./ed. 2026 Skladateljska društva nekoč in danes.../Composers’ Societies Past and Present...

Skladateljska društva nekoč in danes | Composers’ Societies Past and Present
The very rich ten-year period in Sarajevo, during which a number
of significant compositions in Škerl’s opus were created, can be consid-
12
ered his second creative phase. Moreover, Škerl stated that it was only
in Sarajevo that his wish to have enough time for composing was ful-
13
filled. In short, Škerl is one of a number of important composers who
came to Bosnia and Herzegovina from other Yugoslav republics dur-
ing the founding of fundamental musical institutions such as the Opera
and Ballet of the National Theatre in Sarajevo, the Sarajevo Philharmon-
14
ic and the Music Academy. Although they were only active in Bosnia
and Herzegovina for a short time, they left a significant mark on the de-
velopment of musical culture in the first decades after the Second World
War.
15
Škerl composed 21 works (see Appendix 1) during his Sarajevo peri-
od, among which are some of his most significant pieces, such as Kon-
16
trasti [Contrasts] for Symphony Orchestra (1961), Concerto for Clarinet
and Orchestra (1963) and the ballet Grozdanin kikot [Grozdana’s Laugh-
17
18
ter] (1969). Škerl’s works were included in the repertoire of the most
12 Ballata, “Radoživ simfonik dodelanih oblik,” 112.
13 Škerl himself listed the compositions that were created in Sarajevo (Pet skladb for
Clarinet and Strings, Kontrasti for Symphony Orchestra, Piano Concerto, and the
Symphony No. 2 which he finalised in Sarajevo), and also announced new works: a
ballet, and concert music for harp, piano, percussion, and orchestra (Borko, “Saraje-
vsko srečanje s slovenskim skladateljem”).
14 These include Boris Papandopulo (1906–1991), Ivan Brkanović (1906–1987), Božidar
Trudić (1911–1989), Dane Škerl, and Anton Lavrin (1908–1965). Ivan Čavlović, His-
torija muzike u Bosni i Hercegovini (Sarajevo: Muzička akademija, Institut za muz-
ikologiju, 2011), 222.
15 Moreover, composers and musicians from other Yugoslav republics were considered
domestic composers. For example, at the concert of chamber works by Bosnian au-
thors, of the nine composers whose works were on the programme, only two (Vlado
Milošević and Avdo Smailović) were born in Bosnia and Herzegovina, while all the
others came from other Yugoslav republics (Cvjetko Rihtman, Milan Prebanda, Vo-
jin Komadina, Mladen Pozajić, Mladen. Stahuljak, Dane Škerl (Z. K., “Raznovrsnost
stilskog izraza,” Oslobođenje, April 28, 1965, 8). The concert by the Radio Saraje-
vo Orchestra, which performed the works of Miroslav Špiler, Dane Škerl, Božidar
Trudić and Ruben Radica, was announced as a concert “dedicated to the works of
contemporary Bosnian-Herzegovinian composers,” although they all originated from
other Yugoslav republics (Zija Kučukalić, “Kompozitori – interpretatori,” Oslo-
bođenje, April 27, 1963, in Press Archive – Activities of the Academy of Music, II, Li-
brary of the Academy of Music in Sarajevo).
16 Čavlović, Historija muzike u Bosni i Hercegovini, 224.
17 Slovene title for the ballet Grozdanin kikot is Opojno poletje (Ravishing Summer).
18 Sojar Voglar, Skladateljske sledi po letu 1900, 257.

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