Page 214 - 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. 214
nova glasba v »novi« evropi med obema svetovnima vojnama
The last of Osterc’s students to go on to study at the master’s level at
the State Conservatory in Prague was Demetrij Žebre. Interestingly, Žebre
arrived at his short-lived but surprisingly early and radical beginnings in a
distinctively expressionist style in 1928, a full year before he began study-
ing with Osterc. Where he found the inspiration for such a highly contem-
porary sound world characterised by harsh dissonance and extratonal ef-
fects, for example in early songs such as Tepežnica (Holy Innocents’ Day),
written in 1928, and Trije samospevi (Three Lieder), settings of texts by Žu-
pančič written a year later, remains an open question. Few of Žebre’s works,
however, are susceptible to easy stylistic definition, even if we know that
he studied with Slavko Osterc (1929–1934), Josef Suk (1934–1935)38 and Alois
Hába39, while also studying conducting with Václav Talich. Uniformity of
style may most easily be identified in his predominantly expressionistical-
ly conceived quarter-tone compositions, lieder and chamber works, and in
the clearly impressionistic Tri vizije za simfonični orkester (Three Visions
for symphony orchestra).
One of the two central branches of the Slovene avant-garde movement
between the wars was thus far from being clearly categorisable, either in
compositional terms or in terms of ideas. Lipovšek can certainly not be in-
cluded in it. Šturm and Pučnik, influenced by Hába’s most advanced ide-
as, later wished to liberate themselves from Osterc, the movement’s cen-
tral figure, to form an independently functioning group, although because
of Šturm’s reservations this did not actually happen.40 On the other hand
Marijan Lipovšek, Pavel Šivic, Franc Šturm and Demetrij Žebre all studied
with Osterc when the latter was still largely oriented towards the neo-ba-
roque, neoclassicism and new objectivity. This means that more decisive ar-
tistic and technical stimulations can only have come from their studies in
Prague, particularly with Hába, who, like Osterc, allowed his students a rel-
atively large degree of creative freedom.
It is worth emphasising here that the majority of compositions written
by Slovene students in Prague do not use the quarter-tone system, although
a gradual sharpening of musical language is nevertheless observable in
38 For his diploma, he submitted his Godalni kvartet (String Quartet) to Suk. Šebesta,
“Slowenische Studenten am Prager Konservatorium,” 171.
39 He is thought to have submitted one of his quarter-tone compositions to Hába for
his diploma examination. At the end of the year he was given the overall assessment
“highly capable”. Ibid., 172.
40 Klemenčič, Slovenski glasbeni ekspresionizem, 119, 141.
212
The last of Osterc’s students to go on to study at the master’s level at
the State Conservatory in Prague was Demetrij Žebre. Interestingly, Žebre
arrived at his short-lived but surprisingly early and radical beginnings in a
distinctively expressionist style in 1928, a full year before he began study-
ing with Osterc. Where he found the inspiration for such a highly contem-
porary sound world characterised by harsh dissonance and extratonal ef-
fects, for example in early songs such as Tepežnica (Holy Innocents’ Day),
written in 1928, and Trije samospevi (Three Lieder), settings of texts by Žu-
pančič written a year later, remains an open question. Few of Žebre’s works,
however, are susceptible to easy stylistic definition, even if we know that
he studied with Slavko Osterc (1929–1934), Josef Suk (1934–1935)38 and Alois
Hába39, while also studying conducting with Václav Talich. Uniformity of
style may most easily be identified in his predominantly expressionistical-
ly conceived quarter-tone compositions, lieder and chamber works, and in
the clearly impressionistic Tri vizije za simfonični orkester (Three Visions
for symphony orchestra).
One of the two central branches of the Slovene avant-garde movement
between the wars was thus far from being clearly categorisable, either in
compositional terms or in terms of ideas. Lipovšek can certainly not be in-
cluded in it. Šturm and Pučnik, influenced by Hába’s most advanced ide-
as, later wished to liberate themselves from Osterc, the movement’s cen-
tral figure, to form an independently functioning group, although because
of Šturm’s reservations this did not actually happen.40 On the other hand
Marijan Lipovšek, Pavel Šivic, Franc Šturm and Demetrij Žebre all studied
with Osterc when the latter was still largely oriented towards the neo-ba-
roque, neoclassicism and new objectivity. This means that more decisive ar-
tistic and technical stimulations can only have come from their studies in
Prague, particularly with Hába, who, like Osterc, allowed his students a rel-
atively large degree of creative freedom.
It is worth emphasising here that the majority of compositions written
by Slovene students in Prague do not use the quarter-tone system, although
a gradual sharpening of musical language is nevertheless observable in
38 For his diploma, he submitted his Godalni kvartet (String Quartet) to Suk. Šebesta,
“Slowenische Studenten am Prager Konservatorium,” 171.
39 He is thought to have submitted one of his quarter-tone compositions to Hába for
his diploma examination. At the end of the year he was given the overall assessment
“highly capable”. Ibid., 172.
40 Klemenčič, Slovenski glasbeni ekspresionizem, 119, 141.
212
