Page 339 - 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
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ciril debevec – the first professional opera director in slovenia
informed readers about the great minds of expressionism.13 He was also
occupied by questions about Slovenian directors and their competences.
He cautiously advised that the Opera ought to have its own professionally
trained director.14 Despite his writings lamenting the direction of the the-
atre, Rado Kregar, the then administrator of the institution, recruited him
as an administrator and archivist in 1927, though soon he was given the op-
portunity to act as a director Osip Šest was convinced that the leadership
cleverly silenced him in this way.15 With the 1928/29 season, Debevec’s suc-
cessful career as a director of Ljubljana Drama began. He breathed an in-
tense stage intimacy into his plays, which amazed, and he experienced tri-
umphal successes. He convinced the audience with original interpretations
of the most recent book works, the depth of dialogues, and the emphasis
on mental content while avoiding a hollow stage attraction. He became a
spiritus agens for the art streams of the Ljubljana Drama.16 In the middle of
the 30’s, when more contemporary directions of younger colleagues Brat-
ko Kreft and Bojan Stupica and experienced Branko Gavelle made it to the
stage, he lost his leadership at the Drama and professionally dedicated his
time and effort to directing at the Opera in 1939. He was invited to collab-
orate by Vilko Ukmar, who took over the managerial position of the Op-
era in the autumn of the same year.17 Ukmar’s invitation was certainly not
a coincidence since Debevec had been involved with the Opera since 1930
when he directed Matija Bravničar’s opera Pohujšanje v dolini šentflorjan-
ski / Scandal in the St. Florian Valley, which he drew attention to Debevec’s
ability to understand musical and theatrical works. As wide-ranging and
well-educated in music, he became an indispensable member of opera per-
formances, where he introduced essential novelties and contemporary ap-
proaches to performing. He especially emphasized the power of words and
acting talent and significantly increased the level of opera, for which he also
served as a teacher of opera singers at the State Conservatory of Ljubljana
and then at the Ljubljana Academy of Music. His opera and operetta direc-
13 Dušan Moravec, Slovenski režiserski kvartet (z gostom) / Slovenian directing quartet
(with guest), 73–79.
14 Ibid., 80–84.
15 Ibid., 85.
16 Ibid., 89–108.
17 Darja Koter, »Ljubljanska Opera pod vodstvom Vilka Ukmarja (1939–1945)« / “The
Ljubljana Opera under the leadership of Vilko Ukmar (1939–1945)”, Vilko Ukmar
1905–1991, tematska publikacija Glasbenopedagoškega zbornika Akademije za glas-
bo v Ljubljani / publication by the Academy of Music Ljubljana, edited by D. Koter
(Ljubljana: Akademija za glasbo, 2006), 39.
337
informed readers about the great minds of expressionism.13 He was also
occupied by questions about Slovenian directors and their competences.
He cautiously advised that the Opera ought to have its own professionally
trained director.14 Despite his writings lamenting the direction of the the-
atre, Rado Kregar, the then administrator of the institution, recruited him
as an administrator and archivist in 1927, though soon he was given the op-
portunity to act as a director Osip Šest was convinced that the leadership
cleverly silenced him in this way.15 With the 1928/29 season, Debevec’s suc-
cessful career as a director of Ljubljana Drama began. He breathed an in-
tense stage intimacy into his plays, which amazed, and he experienced tri-
umphal successes. He convinced the audience with original interpretations
of the most recent book works, the depth of dialogues, and the emphasis
on mental content while avoiding a hollow stage attraction. He became a
spiritus agens for the art streams of the Ljubljana Drama.16 In the middle of
the 30’s, when more contemporary directions of younger colleagues Brat-
ko Kreft and Bojan Stupica and experienced Branko Gavelle made it to the
stage, he lost his leadership at the Drama and professionally dedicated his
time and effort to directing at the Opera in 1939. He was invited to collab-
orate by Vilko Ukmar, who took over the managerial position of the Op-
era in the autumn of the same year.17 Ukmar’s invitation was certainly not
a coincidence since Debevec had been involved with the Opera since 1930
when he directed Matija Bravničar’s opera Pohujšanje v dolini šentflorjan-
ski / Scandal in the St. Florian Valley, which he drew attention to Debevec’s
ability to understand musical and theatrical works. As wide-ranging and
well-educated in music, he became an indispensable member of opera per-
formances, where he introduced essential novelties and contemporary ap-
proaches to performing. He especially emphasized the power of words and
acting talent and significantly increased the level of opera, for which he also
served as a teacher of opera singers at the State Conservatory of Ljubljana
and then at the Ljubljana Academy of Music. His opera and operetta direc-
13 Dušan Moravec, Slovenski režiserski kvartet (z gostom) / Slovenian directing quartet
(with guest), 73–79.
14 Ibid., 80–84.
15 Ibid., 85.
16 Ibid., 89–108.
17 Darja Koter, »Ljubljanska Opera pod vodstvom Vilka Ukmarja (1939–1945)« / “The
Ljubljana Opera under the leadership of Vilko Ukmar (1939–1945)”, Vilko Ukmar
1905–1991, tematska publikacija Glasbenopedagoškega zbornika Akademije za glas-
bo v Ljubljani / publication by the Academy of Music Ljubljana, edited by D. Koter
(Ljubljana: Akademija za glasbo, 2006), 39.
337
