Page 299 - Weiss, Jernej, ur. 2019. Vloga nacionalnih opernih gledališč v 20. in 21. stoletju - The Role of National Opera Houses in the 20th and 21st Centuries. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 3
P. 299
václav talich at the slovene provincial theatr e in ljubljana
with Verdi’s Il Trovatore, in which he “demonstrated his conspicuous talent
for tragic opera.”20
Talich’s objections to “popular concerts” soon led to friction betwe-
en the Glasbena matica, headed by Matej Hubad, and Talich, and resulted
in a significant reduction in financial support for the orchestra. Althou-
gh the Slovenian Philharmonic was organised as an independent institu-
tion (funded by the city government, the theatre and its members), it was
nevertheless always indirectly dependent on the Glasbena matica, which
had previously paid the orchestra 400 crowns per performance (twice as
much as it received at the theatre). Following the dispute, it reduced its con-
tribution to 300 crowns and no longer covered certain other costs (premi-
ses, scores, heating, etc.) either.21 It is important to remember that the di-
rector of music at the Glasbena matica, Matej Hubad, was deputy chairman
of the board of the Slovenian Philharmonic and therefore unquestionably
had a considerable influence on the orchestra’s activity. The essence of the
disagreement between the two men appears to have derived from the fact
that, since the founding of the Slovenian Philharmonic, the Glasbena ma-
tica had persisted exclusively with concerts with a mixed (vocal and in-
strumental) programme, which Talich, well acquainted with comparable
symphonic production in other countries, strongly opposed.
So it was that after a series of the intrigues typical of Ljubljana’s cultu-
ral milieu, at the end of the 1909/10 season in which the Slovenian Philhar-
monic racked up an incredible 267 performances,22 the disappointed Ta-
lich left Ljubljana and set off to study at the Conservatory in Leipzig for a
year and a half. Before this Talich had received a number of threatening le-
tters in which the anonymous writer advised him to abandon conducting
and leave Ljubljana as quickly as possible. Not only that, but even the fe-
male singers of the Glasbena matica were heard shouting in the corridors:
“We won’t let that bloody Bohemian bring us down!”23 In Leipzig Talich
attended Max Reger’s lectures on counterpoint and Hans Sitt’s lectures on
conducting. At the same time he attended rehearsals with Arthur Nikisch,
then the principal conductor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra, and occasio-
20 Lah, “Opera v Deželnem gledališču med letoma 1861 in 1914,” 136.
21 Nataša Cigoj Krstulović, Zgodovina, spomin, dediščina: Ljubljanska Glasbena mati-
ca do konca druge svetovne vojne (Ljubljana: Muzikološki inštitut ZRC SAZU, 2015),
116–17.
22 Milan Kuna, Václav Talich (1883–1961): Št’astný i hořký úděl dirigenta (Prague: Na-
kladatelství Academia, 2009), 86.
23 Weiss, Češki glasbeniki v 19. in na začetku 20. stoletja na Slovenskem, 239.
297
with Verdi’s Il Trovatore, in which he “demonstrated his conspicuous talent
for tragic opera.”20
Talich’s objections to “popular concerts” soon led to friction betwe-
en the Glasbena matica, headed by Matej Hubad, and Talich, and resulted
in a significant reduction in financial support for the orchestra. Althou-
gh the Slovenian Philharmonic was organised as an independent institu-
tion (funded by the city government, the theatre and its members), it was
nevertheless always indirectly dependent on the Glasbena matica, which
had previously paid the orchestra 400 crowns per performance (twice as
much as it received at the theatre). Following the dispute, it reduced its con-
tribution to 300 crowns and no longer covered certain other costs (premi-
ses, scores, heating, etc.) either.21 It is important to remember that the di-
rector of music at the Glasbena matica, Matej Hubad, was deputy chairman
of the board of the Slovenian Philharmonic and therefore unquestionably
had a considerable influence on the orchestra’s activity. The essence of the
disagreement between the two men appears to have derived from the fact
that, since the founding of the Slovenian Philharmonic, the Glasbena ma-
tica had persisted exclusively with concerts with a mixed (vocal and in-
strumental) programme, which Talich, well acquainted with comparable
symphonic production in other countries, strongly opposed.
So it was that after a series of the intrigues typical of Ljubljana’s cultu-
ral milieu, at the end of the 1909/10 season in which the Slovenian Philhar-
monic racked up an incredible 267 performances,22 the disappointed Ta-
lich left Ljubljana and set off to study at the Conservatory in Leipzig for a
year and a half. Before this Talich had received a number of threatening le-
tters in which the anonymous writer advised him to abandon conducting
and leave Ljubljana as quickly as possible. Not only that, but even the fe-
male singers of the Glasbena matica were heard shouting in the corridors:
“We won’t let that bloody Bohemian bring us down!”23 In Leipzig Talich
attended Max Reger’s lectures on counterpoint and Hans Sitt’s lectures on
conducting. At the same time he attended rehearsals with Arthur Nikisch,
then the principal conductor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra, and occasio-
20 Lah, “Opera v Deželnem gledališču med letoma 1861 in 1914,” 136.
21 Nataša Cigoj Krstulović, Zgodovina, spomin, dediščina: Ljubljanska Glasbena mati-
ca do konca druge svetovne vojne (Ljubljana: Muzikološki inštitut ZRC SAZU, 2015),
116–17.
22 Milan Kuna, Václav Talich (1883–1961): Št’astný i hořký úděl dirigenta (Prague: Na-
kladatelství Academia, 2009), 86.
23 Weiss, Češki glasbeniki v 19. in na začetku 20. stoletja na Slovenskem, 239.
297
