Page 347 - 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
In the following season (1942/43), he first set on stage Traviata and wrote
some explanations for the staging. In Debevec’s observations of operas, we
follow, inter alia, his view of various stage performances, to which he was
mostly reserved, even sceptical because he was convinced that the direc-
tor should be as close as possible to the original.57 Directing The Barber
of Seville by Gioachino Rossini he believed that it must radiate “transpar-
ent lightness, glowing cheerfulness and murmuring effervescence.”58 He had
a completely different mindset for Massenet’s Thaís, where he took the op-
portunity to comment on the position of the director in the opera house
and made fun of all actors in a witty way.59 He argued that the opera stage
should not be
an exhibition place for voice-physical exercises, but primarily a
field for the singing-acting-artistic design of living human types
and characters, [...] where there is no space for flirting the player
with the audience.60
His “Operni zapiski” (Opera Notes), which have regularly been featured in
the respective Gledališki list since 1941 (Debevec became its editor), became
true essays about operas, their producers, singing roles, staging, and direct-
ing challenges, and represent the best overview of Debevec’s views on the
musical theatre. In writing them, he was often openly mad at critics that
had been judging his work too superficially and even incorrectly.61 Among
the critics, there were also some glowing reviews, who in Debevec’s direc-
tors recognized the exceptional sense of the main moves of each piece, the
appropriate allocation of singing roles, and the balance between singing
and dramatic expression.62
57 Prim. Ciril Debevec; »Režijske opombe k ‘novi Traviati’« / “Directional notes on the
‘new Traviatia’”, Gledališki list / Theatre Gazette, Opera, 1942/43, year 22, No. 1, 6–8.
58 Ciril Debevec, »Režijske opombe k ‘Seviljskemu brivcu’« / “Directional notes on the
‘The Barber of Seville’”, Gledališki list / Theatre Gazette, Opera, 1942/43, year 22, No.
2: 3–5.
59 Ciril Debevec, »Operni zapiski« / “Opera notes”, Gledališki list / Theatre Gazette, Op-
era, 1942/43, year 22, No. 6, 53.
60 Ciril Debevec, »Operni zapiski VII« / »Opera notes VII«, Gledališki list / Theatre Ga-
zette, Opera, 1942/43, year 22, No. 8, 69–70.
61 Prim. Ciril Debevec, »Režijski zapiski k letošnji ‘Madame Butterfly’« / “Direction-
al notes for this year’s ‘Madame Butterfly’”, Gledališki list / Theatre Gazette, Opera,
1942/43, year 22, No. 13, 113–117.
62 Prim. Darja Koter, »Ljubljanska Opera pod vodstvom Vilka Ukmarja« / “The Ljublja-
na Opera under the leadership of Vilko Ukmar”, 42.
345
In the following season (1942/43), he first set on stage Traviata and wrote
some explanations for the staging. In Debevec’s observations of operas, we
follow, inter alia, his view of various stage performances, to which he was
mostly reserved, even sceptical because he was convinced that the direc-
tor should be as close as possible to the original.57 Directing The Barber
of Seville by Gioachino Rossini he believed that it must radiate “transpar-
ent lightness, glowing cheerfulness and murmuring effervescence.”58 He had
a completely different mindset for Massenet’s Thaís, where he took the op-
portunity to comment on the position of the director in the opera house
and made fun of all actors in a witty way.59 He argued that the opera stage
should not be
an exhibition place for voice-physical exercises, but primarily a
field for the singing-acting-artistic design of living human types
and characters, [...] where there is no space for flirting the player
with the audience.60
His “Operni zapiski” (Opera Notes), which have regularly been featured in
the respective Gledališki list since 1941 (Debevec became its editor), became
true essays about operas, their producers, singing roles, staging, and direct-
ing challenges, and represent the best overview of Debevec’s views on the
musical theatre. In writing them, he was often openly mad at critics that
had been judging his work too superficially and even incorrectly.61 Among
the critics, there were also some glowing reviews, who in Debevec’s direc-
tors recognized the exceptional sense of the main moves of each piece, the
appropriate allocation of singing roles, and the balance between singing
and dramatic expression.62
57 Prim. Ciril Debevec; »Režijske opombe k ‘novi Traviati’« / “Directional notes on the
‘new Traviatia’”, Gledališki list / Theatre Gazette, Opera, 1942/43, year 22, No. 1, 6–8.
58 Ciril Debevec, »Režijske opombe k ‘Seviljskemu brivcu’« / “Directional notes on the
‘The Barber of Seville’”, Gledališki list / Theatre Gazette, Opera, 1942/43, year 22, No.
2: 3–5.
59 Ciril Debevec, »Operni zapiski« / “Opera notes”, Gledališki list / Theatre Gazette, Op-
era, 1942/43, year 22, No. 6, 53.
60 Ciril Debevec, »Operni zapiski VII« / »Opera notes VII«, Gledališki list / Theatre Ga-
zette, Opera, 1942/43, year 22, No. 8, 69–70.
61 Prim. Ciril Debevec, »Režijski zapiski k letošnji ‘Madame Butterfly’« / “Direction-
al notes for this year’s ‘Madame Butterfly’”, Gledališki list / Theatre Gazette, Opera,
1942/43, year 22, No. 13, 113–117.
62 Prim. Darja Koter, »Ljubljanska Opera pod vodstvom Vilka Ukmarja« / “The Ljublja-
na Opera under the leadership of Vilko Ukmar”, 42.
345
