Page 348 - 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. 348
vloga nacionalnih opernih gledališč v 20. in 21. stoletju
With the German occupation of Ljubljana in the autumn of 1943, new
uncertainties and personnel changes came to the Opera. Ciril Debevec was
appointed Director of the Drama in October of the same year, which meant
that his regular acting as opera director ceased. Robert Primožič, a sing-
er, was appointed as the leader of direction, a position which he had tried
to elevate himself to repeatedly until that time, but soon after he died in an
accident.63 In the first issue of the 1943/44 Gledališki list of the new 1943/44
season, Debevec, still an editor at that time, made a significant point that
the situation did not allow anything other than the implementation of mil-
itary commands.64 It is not known whether or not he already knew that he
would be transferred to the Drama, but it is entirely possible. The official
news about his relocation was published in the drama theatre paper on No-
vember 21st, 1943. Moravec writes that Debevec, as the new headmaster of
the Drama, in his introductory speech stressed that this appointment was
unexpected, but he comments that he always wanted to be in that place.65
In spite of his new tasks, he did not completely abandon cooperating with
the opera house and was occasionally a guest there. In 1944, he participated
in two opera performances (J. Massenet Manon66 and L. Janáček Jenufa67).
After a short wartime functioning in the Ljubljana Drama, he spent
10 years after the war devoted to the Drama at The Maribor Slovene Na-
tional Theatre (SNG Maribor) and every season produced some opera per-
formances, mostly in Ljubljana.68 Since 1965, he once again worked only in
Ljubljana and continued to realize his vision, with which he consistently
enforced the dramatic element in performances and expected a psycholog-
ically deep play from the singer and achieved great successes. His last per-
formance was Nabucco in 1972 at the Opera in Ljubljana. During the 30th
anniversary of his professional career in the 1956/57 season, conductor and
composer Danilo Švara wrote that before the era of Ciril Debevec,
opera direction meant more of an arrangement of scenery and cos-
tumes, departures and arrivals, arranging of groups and taking
care of the outer image of the performance. Opera direction in the
63 Ibid., 45.
64 Ciril Debevec, »Na mesta« / “On places”, Gledališki list / Theatre Gazette, Opera
1943/44, year 23, No.1: 1–3.
65 Dušan Moravec, Slovenski režiserski kvartet (z gostom)/ Slovenian directing quartet
(with guest), 136.
66 Gledališki list / Theatre Gazette, Opera, 1943/44, year 23, No. 11.
67 Gledališki list / Theatre Gazette, Opera, 1944/45, year 24, No. 1.
68 Ciril Debevec, sigledal.org/geslo/Ciril_Debevec, approach 15. 5. 2018.
346
With the German occupation of Ljubljana in the autumn of 1943, new
uncertainties and personnel changes came to the Opera. Ciril Debevec was
appointed Director of the Drama in October of the same year, which meant
that his regular acting as opera director ceased. Robert Primožič, a sing-
er, was appointed as the leader of direction, a position which he had tried
to elevate himself to repeatedly until that time, but soon after he died in an
accident.63 In the first issue of the 1943/44 Gledališki list of the new 1943/44
season, Debevec, still an editor at that time, made a significant point that
the situation did not allow anything other than the implementation of mil-
itary commands.64 It is not known whether or not he already knew that he
would be transferred to the Drama, but it is entirely possible. The official
news about his relocation was published in the drama theatre paper on No-
vember 21st, 1943. Moravec writes that Debevec, as the new headmaster of
the Drama, in his introductory speech stressed that this appointment was
unexpected, but he comments that he always wanted to be in that place.65
In spite of his new tasks, he did not completely abandon cooperating with
the opera house and was occasionally a guest there. In 1944, he participated
in two opera performances (J. Massenet Manon66 and L. Janáček Jenufa67).
After a short wartime functioning in the Ljubljana Drama, he spent
10 years after the war devoted to the Drama at The Maribor Slovene Na-
tional Theatre (SNG Maribor) and every season produced some opera per-
formances, mostly in Ljubljana.68 Since 1965, he once again worked only in
Ljubljana and continued to realize his vision, with which he consistently
enforced the dramatic element in performances and expected a psycholog-
ically deep play from the singer and achieved great successes. His last per-
formance was Nabucco in 1972 at the Opera in Ljubljana. During the 30th
anniversary of his professional career in the 1956/57 season, conductor and
composer Danilo Švara wrote that before the era of Ciril Debevec,
opera direction meant more of an arrangement of scenery and cos-
tumes, departures and arrivals, arranging of groups and taking
care of the outer image of the performance. Opera direction in the
63 Ibid., 45.
64 Ciril Debevec, »Na mesta« / “On places”, Gledališki list / Theatre Gazette, Opera
1943/44, year 23, No.1: 1–3.
65 Dušan Moravec, Slovenski režiserski kvartet (z gostom)/ Slovenian directing quartet
(with guest), 136.
66 Gledališki list / Theatre Gazette, Opera, 1943/44, year 23, No. 11.
67 Gledališki list / Theatre Gazette, Opera, 1944/45, year 24, No. 1.
68 Ciril Debevec, sigledal.org/geslo/Ciril_Debevec, approach 15. 5. 2018.
346
