Page 210 - Weiss, Jernej, ur. 2018. Nova glasba v “novi” Evropi med obema svetovnima vojnama ?? New Music in the “New” Europe Between the Two World Wars. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 2
P. 210
nova glasba v »novi« evropi med obema svetovnima vojnama
considerable body of theoretical writings based on his studies in Prague.
Among other things this includes notes on dodecaphonic composition un-
der the significant title Skrivnost dvanajstih tonov (The secret of the twelve
notes),22 which demonstrates Koporc’s familiarity with the most modern
foreign music theory literature of the day. In these notes Koporc even cites
Hába’s Neue Harmonielehre, despite having been quite critical of it in his
earlier Cerkveni glasbenik article, published immediately after completing
his studies in Prague, in which he describes Hába’s theory as “primitive”23.
Though he provides no argument at all to support this label, Koporc’s rich
legacy of writings on music theory is evidence that – thanks to his studies
in Prague – he was among the more broad-minded Slovene authors work-
ing in the field of music theory in the period between the wars.
Marijan Kozina studied at the conservatory in Prague in almost the
same period as Koporc, although unlike the composers mentioned earli-
er, he did not attend Hába’s course. Predominantly bound to the Romantic
tradition, Kozina studied composition with Josef Suk from 1930 to 1932.24
Alongside Hába, Suk was the biggest influence on Slovene students of com-
position in Prague. All Osterc’s later students studied with Suk, who – un-
like Osterc – put the artistic value of a work ahead of everything else. This,
of course, contrasted with Osterc’s avant-garde endeavours advocating the
radically new in the composition without logical connection and coher-
ence. Suk’s teaching and theoretical work deserve more attention if we are
to obtain a more complete picture of the influences of the “Prague School”
in terms of ideas and compositional techniques.
One of the first students to attend Hába’s course in quarter-tone com-
position at the State Conservatory in Prague was the pianist and compos-
er Marijan Lipovšek, who enrolled in the master’s course at the conservato-
ry in 1932, studying composition with Josef Suk and piano with Vilém Kurz
(as a private student), at the same time as attending Hába’s lessons on quar-
ter-tone composition and reporting on them periodically to Osterc. It is
worth emphasising that Lipovšek, after completing his single year of stud-
ies in Prague, did not adopt the ideological views of the “Hába School” as
22 Srečko Koporc, Skrivnost dvanajstih tonov (Ljubljana: ms., 1957), NUK, Glasbena
zbirka [National and University Library, Music Collection].
23 Koporc, “Alois Hába in njegova četrttonska teorija”, 111.
24 For the diploma examination, he submitted his Suita za veliki orkester (Suite for lar-
ge orchestra). He did not, however, officially complete his training at the conser-
vatory and too many absences meant that he had to leave. Šebesta, “Slowenische
Studenten am Prager Konservatorium,” 176.
208
considerable body of theoretical writings based on his studies in Prague.
Among other things this includes notes on dodecaphonic composition un-
der the significant title Skrivnost dvanajstih tonov (The secret of the twelve
notes),22 which demonstrates Koporc’s familiarity with the most modern
foreign music theory literature of the day. In these notes Koporc even cites
Hába’s Neue Harmonielehre, despite having been quite critical of it in his
earlier Cerkveni glasbenik article, published immediately after completing
his studies in Prague, in which he describes Hába’s theory as “primitive”23.
Though he provides no argument at all to support this label, Koporc’s rich
legacy of writings on music theory is evidence that – thanks to his studies
in Prague – he was among the more broad-minded Slovene authors work-
ing in the field of music theory in the period between the wars.
Marijan Kozina studied at the conservatory in Prague in almost the
same period as Koporc, although unlike the composers mentioned earli-
er, he did not attend Hába’s course. Predominantly bound to the Romantic
tradition, Kozina studied composition with Josef Suk from 1930 to 1932.24
Alongside Hába, Suk was the biggest influence on Slovene students of com-
position in Prague. All Osterc’s later students studied with Suk, who – un-
like Osterc – put the artistic value of a work ahead of everything else. This,
of course, contrasted with Osterc’s avant-garde endeavours advocating the
radically new in the composition without logical connection and coher-
ence. Suk’s teaching and theoretical work deserve more attention if we are
to obtain a more complete picture of the influences of the “Prague School”
in terms of ideas and compositional techniques.
One of the first students to attend Hába’s course in quarter-tone com-
position at the State Conservatory in Prague was the pianist and compos-
er Marijan Lipovšek, who enrolled in the master’s course at the conservato-
ry in 1932, studying composition with Josef Suk and piano with Vilém Kurz
(as a private student), at the same time as attending Hába’s lessons on quar-
ter-tone composition and reporting on them periodically to Osterc. It is
worth emphasising that Lipovšek, after completing his single year of stud-
ies in Prague, did not adopt the ideological views of the “Hába School” as
22 Srečko Koporc, Skrivnost dvanajstih tonov (Ljubljana: ms., 1957), NUK, Glasbena
zbirka [National and University Library, Music Collection].
23 Koporc, “Alois Hába in njegova četrttonska teorija”, 111.
24 For the diploma examination, he submitted his Suita za veliki orkester (Suite for lar-
ge orchestra). He did not, however, officially complete his training at the conser-
vatory and too many absences meant that he had to leave. Šebesta, “Slowenische
Studenten am Prager Konservatorium,” 176.
208
