Page 403 - 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. 403
the reception of the ljubljana opera house repertoire by critics ...
-Korsakov, Ján Cikker, Carl Orff, and Benjamin Britten. In line with the
new policy, the repertoire became more distinct and diversified, but above
all, the Opera management showed the inclination to the inclusion of mo-
dern opera in the repertoire.
Critics were generally very positive about the entire 1959/60 season,
however, the lack of the so called classical operatic literature in the reperto-
ire was listed as a possible shortcoming:
There can be no doubt: the selection of new operas is bold and fri-
volous, and the productions were very well done, performance wise.
The question is, however, how will this repertoire satisfy the thea-
tre regulars […] Namely, the final look at this year’s opera premi-
ers shows that the selection might have been a bit too one-sided,
as if the Opera management, while vigorously searching for and
discovering new and unknown modern works, completely forgot
about Mozart and so many other great names of classical operatic
literature.13
The responses to the later seasons of the fourth period were better re-
ceived. In the 1961/62 season, the staging of Verdi’s Don Carlos was met
with special acclaim, as it “meant a new grand success of our opera theat-
re”,14 and the staging of Fidelio in the 1962/63 season “represents a high af-
firmation of our opera singers in musical terms. In this respect, this must
be one of the most beautiful and harmonious shows of our Opera.”15
The fourth period was a breaking point of sorts with the first three as
it featured great strides forward in the production of the repertoire and the
introduction of many more modern operatic works as the previous post-
-war periods.
Conclusion
Newspaper articles, more specifically music critiques pertaining solely to
the operatic repertoire, were scarce in the two post-war decades in Slovenia.
However, those that were published show that the Opera did exhibit pro-
gress in each of the four periods, repertoire-wise. This progress is discerni-
ble in the chronological distribution of the featured composers, as the re-
pertoire at first consisted of productions derived from the vast heirloom of
13 Uroš Prevoršek, “Purcell in Menotti,” Delo, nr. 169, 21. 6. 1960, 6.
14 Uroš Prevoršek, “Verdi: Don Carlos,” Delo, nr. 37, 7. 2. 1962, 6.
15 Uroš Prevoršek, “Ludwig van Beethoven: Fidelio,” Delo, nr. 362, 15. 12. 1963, 5.
401
-Korsakov, Ján Cikker, Carl Orff, and Benjamin Britten. In line with the
new policy, the repertoire became more distinct and diversified, but above
all, the Opera management showed the inclination to the inclusion of mo-
dern opera in the repertoire.
Critics were generally very positive about the entire 1959/60 season,
however, the lack of the so called classical operatic literature in the reperto-
ire was listed as a possible shortcoming:
There can be no doubt: the selection of new operas is bold and fri-
volous, and the productions were very well done, performance wise.
The question is, however, how will this repertoire satisfy the thea-
tre regulars […] Namely, the final look at this year’s opera premi-
ers shows that the selection might have been a bit too one-sided,
as if the Opera management, while vigorously searching for and
discovering new and unknown modern works, completely forgot
about Mozart and so many other great names of classical operatic
literature.13
The responses to the later seasons of the fourth period were better re-
ceived. In the 1961/62 season, the staging of Verdi’s Don Carlos was met
with special acclaim, as it “meant a new grand success of our opera theat-
re”,14 and the staging of Fidelio in the 1962/63 season “represents a high af-
firmation of our opera singers in musical terms. In this respect, this must
be one of the most beautiful and harmonious shows of our Opera.”15
The fourth period was a breaking point of sorts with the first three as
it featured great strides forward in the production of the repertoire and the
introduction of many more modern operatic works as the previous post-
-war periods.
Conclusion
Newspaper articles, more specifically music critiques pertaining solely to
the operatic repertoire, were scarce in the two post-war decades in Slovenia.
However, those that were published show that the Opera did exhibit pro-
gress in each of the four periods, repertoire-wise. This progress is discerni-
ble in the chronological distribution of the featured composers, as the re-
pertoire at first consisted of productions derived from the vast heirloom of
13 Uroš Prevoršek, “Purcell in Menotti,” Delo, nr. 169, 21. 6. 1960, 6.
14 Uroš Prevoršek, “Verdi: Don Carlos,” Delo, nr. 37, 7. 2. 1962, 6.
15 Uroš Prevoršek, “Ludwig van Beethoven: Fidelio,” Delo, nr. 362, 15. 12. 1963, 5.
401
