Page 312 - 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
1
and Zvonimir Ciglič. The numbers of published scores then increased rap-
idly, with the appearance of works by some of the younger composers such
as Primož Ramovš, Janez Matičič, Alojz Srebotnjak and Uroš Krek. Along-
side was the complementary series of nearly fifty scores published by the
Slovene Academy of Sciences and Arts (Slovenska akademija znanosti in
umetnosti), consisting extensively of works by Škerjanc, but also some by
Kozina, Matija Bravničar and others. 2
In the early 1970s a new secretary was to be appointed. To achieve the
challenging task that faced the society, a strong leader was essential. The
choice of Ivo Petrić (1931–2018) in 1972 was an inspired one: he had the nec-
essary skills and energy to make things happen and the determination to
see them through to a successful conclusion. He made such a contribution
to music in Slovenia in his long and fruitful life that it is difficult to know
where to start. He made it his business to communicate to the outside mu-
sical world that Slovenia’s music was significant. He was fluent in German
and English and communicated successfully with many foreign musicians
whose languages were not Slovene, German or English. Defining its role
was the job of the society’s president (Predsednik), but many of its activities
also developed naturally as the need arose. Petrić was not by any means the
first secretary of DSS, but his appointment came at a time that his multiple
musical and administrative abilities would be seen to best advantage and
create a situation that would transform DSS to the important position that
it holds today in the music of present-day Slovenia.
Ivo Petrić was responsible for the Association’s music library. He had
an important part in choosing the actual works to be published or, in the
case of larger mostly orchestral works, those for which the society would ar-
range the hire of scores and parts. The material was methodically organised
and catalogued. However, the published items were printed in very small
numbers (often as low as fifty), but multiple copies of orchestral scores were
kept.
Perhaps more important, though, is the fact that Petrić was a very
active practising musician, a capable oboist who played in the Academy
of Music, as a solo player, as a chamber music participant and orchestral
member. His experience of serious music occurred at all these levels. In an-
other sense he knew which music was effective and what was less so, being

1 Dušan Bavdek, ed., Katalog glasbenih del/Music Catalogue (Ljubljana: Edicije DSS,
2012), 302.
2 Ibid., 445.

312