Page 349 - 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. 349
ciril debevec – the first professional opera director in slovenia
true sense of the word is more: it is primarily opera dramaturgy, a
direction based on the expression of musical thought, on their dra-
matic expression.
He emphasized that the ideal of the opera director is musicality and the
ability to read the score, which was clearly marked by Ciril Debevec.69 Švara
highlighted Manon, Jenufa, Rusalka, Fidelio, Falstaff, etc. as the most prom-
inent performances and masterpieces of his career and wrote that thanks
to Debevec a group of young singers were convincing in their acting form,
among which the soprano Valerija Heybal stood out. He considered Ciril
Debevec the director who first established opera dramaturgy in Slovenia
and influenced younger directors with his work.70 Emil Frelih and Hinko
Leskovšek distinguished themselves among his successors. Vilko Ukmar
and Osip Šest also respectfully paid tribute to Debevec’s professional jubi-
lee. Among other things, Ukmar wrote that Debevec’s directing is guided
by the idea through which he finds shelter in deep artistic confessions and
searches for human values71 in them. While Debevec’s former mentor Šest
emphasized his wide knowledge of modern directing schools from Vienna,
Prague to Moscow and that he paved the way for Strindberg, Klabund, and
Czech and French contemporaries on the domestic theatre stage. As De-
bevec’s greatest contribution to the development of opera directing, he em-
phasized his exceptional musicality, with which
he told opera that the notes are not supposed to be sung, but ex-
perienced, that there are a hundred things in a score that are not
marked but they, however, are the most beautiful charm of a musi-
cal creation.72
Bibliography
Debevec, Ciril. “Pet opazk k režiji opere Pohujšanje v dolini šentflorjanski”. In
Gledališki list. 1929/30, No. 15, 83.
69 Danilo Švara, »O Cirilu Debevcu – opernem režiserju« / “About Ciril Debevec – op-
era director”, Gledališki list / Theatre Gazette, No. 3 (Opera SNG Ljubljana), 1956/57,
52.
70 Ibid., 53.
71 Vilko Ukmar, »Srečanja s Cirilom Debevcem« / “Meetings with Ciril Debevec”, Gle-
dališki list / Theatre Gazette, No. 3 (Opera SNG Ljubljana), 1956/57: 57–60.
72 Osip Šest, »Pot v serpentinah« / “The path that serpentines”, Gledališki list / Theatre
Gazette, No. 3 (Opera SNG Ljubljana), 1956/57: 68.
347
true sense of the word is more: it is primarily opera dramaturgy, a
direction based on the expression of musical thought, on their dra-
matic expression.
He emphasized that the ideal of the opera director is musicality and the
ability to read the score, which was clearly marked by Ciril Debevec.69 Švara
highlighted Manon, Jenufa, Rusalka, Fidelio, Falstaff, etc. as the most prom-
inent performances and masterpieces of his career and wrote that thanks
to Debevec a group of young singers were convincing in their acting form,
among which the soprano Valerija Heybal stood out. He considered Ciril
Debevec the director who first established opera dramaturgy in Slovenia
and influenced younger directors with his work.70 Emil Frelih and Hinko
Leskovšek distinguished themselves among his successors. Vilko Ukmar
and Osip Šest also respectfully paid tribute to Debevec’s professional jubi-
lee. Among other things, Ukmar wrote that Debevec’s directing is guided
by the idea through which he finds shelter in deep artistic confessions and
searches for human values71 in them. While Debevec’s former mentor Šest
emphasized his wide knowledge of modern directing schools from Vienna,
Prague to Moscow and that he paved the way for Strindberg, Klabund, and
Czech and French contemporaries on the domestic theatre stage. As De-
bevec’s greatest contribution to the development of opera directing, he em-
phasized his exceptional musicality, with which
he told opera that the notes are not supposed to be sung, but ex-
perienced, that there are a hundred things in a score that are not
marked but they, however, are the most beautiful charm of a musi-
cal creation.72
Bibliography
Debevec, Ciril. “Pet opazk k režiji opere Pohujšanje v dolini šentflorjanski”. In
Gledališki list. 1929/30, No. 15, 83.
69 Danilo Švara, »O Cirilu Debevcu – opernem režiserju« / “About Ciril Debevec – op-
era director”, Gledališki list / Theatre Gazette, No. 3 (Opera SNG Ljubljana), 1956/57,
52.
70 Ibid., 53.
71 Vilko Ukmar, »Srečanja s Cirilom Debevcem« / “Meetings with Ciril Debevec”, Gle-
dališki list / Theatre Gazette, No. 3 (Opera SNG Ljubljana), 1956/57: 57–60.
72 Osip Šest, »Pot v serpentinah« / “The path that serpentines”, Gledališki list / Theatre
Gazette, No. 3 (Opera SNG Ljubljana), 1956/57: 68.
347
