Page 250 - 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
Moreover, some musicologists of the time pointed out that Škerl wrote
in a “pleasing neoclassical style, occasionally resorting in expressionism”,
31
describing Škerl’s music stylistically as “a cheerful and healthy coexistence
of various more or less neoclassical foundations”. 32
Pet skladb, composed at the very beginning of Škerl’s Sarajevo crea-
tive period, is five character pieces connected in a cycle by the contrast of
tempo, tonality and character (Table 1). Their form is simple, construct-
ed of two or three parts shaped by the development procedures of a the-
matic work with two or three-bar motifs recognisable by its uncomplicated
melodic and rhythmic structure (Examples 1–5). There is a certain degree
of unity ensured by the interval of the perfect fourth, which introduces
the idea of the monothematic principle Škerl was interested in. The tex-
ture is homophonic with centralised tonality, mainly using late romantic
chord structures as a basic characteristic of harmonic language. Still, Šk-
erl occasionally uses impressionistic harmony which blurs the tonality and
complements it with chromatic melodies accompanied by free dissonance
treatment. Škerl stays safely within Neoclassicism style, but given the con-
siderable amount of emotional tension, we understand it as being closer to
T1, Neoromanticism.
EX 1-5
Table 1: Pet skladb. Global form.

Mvmnt Allegretto Adagio molto Allegro Lento Allegro ma
espressivo energico non troppo
Key B: h: f: Es: C:
Character Scherzo- Uncertainty, Nervously Contemplative, Pastoral,
humorous unrealized motionaly emotional playful
anticipation dinamic
Form aba a a1 coda a a1 a2 a b a coda a b a

Example 1: Pet skladb.
Allegretto (b. 1–4).

31 Rijavec, Twentieth Century Slovene Composers, 83.
32 Anon., “Škerl, Dane,” 411.

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