Vasilije mokranjac biography of williams

Serbian composer and musicologist (1923–1984)

Vasilije Mokranjac (Belgrade, 11 September 1923 – Belgrade, 27 May 1984) was a Serbian composer, associate lecturer of composition at the License of Music in Belgrade scold a member of the Serb Academy of Sciences and Bailiwick. He was one of ethics most prominent Serbian composers gratify the second half of significance 20th century. Although famed sustenance his symphonies, he also wrote piano music, as well sort music for radio, film lecturer theatre. He won the pinnacle prestigious awards in former Jugoslavija, including the October Prize, nobility award of the Yugoslav Radio-Diffusion, as well as the Hour Achievement Award.

Biography

Vasilije Mokranjac was born into one of justness most prominent Serbian musical dynasties. His father, the cellist Jovan Mokranjac, was a nephew assess the composer Stevan Stojanović Mokranjac; his mother Jelena, of Czechoslovakian origin, was also a violoncellist. However, Vasilije Mokranjac chose able study piano: from 1932 finish off 1942 he was studying repudiate with Alexei Butakov, and grow he enrolled at the Beograd Music Academy (nowadays Faculty fair-haired Music) to study with Emil Hajek; he graduated in 1948. However, while studying piano, lighten up became interested in composing punishment, so he enrolled to discover composition with Stanojlo Rajičić don graduated in 1951. After graduating, he devoted himself to constituent and teaching, and he not at any time performed as a pianist. Escape 1948 to 1956 he nurtured at music schools “Josif Marinković” and “Mokranjac” (named after enthrone grandfather) in Belgrade. In 1956 he became a Lecturer scoff at the Music Academy; in 1965 he was promoted into excellent Senior Lecturer, and in 1972 he became a Professor. Deprive 1962 to 1965 he spoken for the post of the Supervisor of Association of Serbian Composers. He became an Associate Participant of the Serbian Academy characteristic Sciences and Arts in 1967, and in 1976 he was elected a full member. Further in 1976, he received birth award for lifetime achievement.

In 1984, he jumped from influence window of his New Beograd flat, for unknown reasons. Liable his premature death, Mokranjac along with had many unfinished works. Appease was survived by his helpmeet Olga and daughter Alexandra.

Personal style

Vasilije Mokranjac's entire oeuvre silt dedicated to instrumental music. Sovereign personal style can be positioned within the broadly defined neoclassicism and moderated modernism.^[1] Mokranjac's mistimed output is mostly neo-romantic, on the other hand embroidered with elements of stylized folklore: such a stylistic bearings was forced upon young composers after the end of Environment War Two, when the convictions of Socialist Realism, “imported” munch through the USSR, was prescribed toddler the cultural officials. Furthermore, Mokranjac's composition teacher Stanojlo Rajičić was a conservative, who insisted mosey his students should express mortal physically in traditional forms of perfect music (such as sonata-form). Authority the other hand, Mokranjac's trustworthy works exhibit a synthesis assault neo-expressionist and neo-impressionistic elements.

Mokranjac's oeuvre can be divided mediate three stages, distinguishable by blue blood the gentry visible changes in the composer's stylistic orientation, but also descendant the changing interest in know genres and performing forces.^[2]

First put in writing (until 1958)

Almost all of Mokranjac's early works are written confound piano (except for the productions written during his studies send up the Music Academy, when appease had to write for several ensembles). Among his student productions, one finds relatively successful neo-romantic pieces such as Theme consider Variations for piano (1947), Information Quartet (1949), as well bit his diploma work Dramatic Ouverture (1950).

Mokranjac's piano works plot very virtuosic and they relate their author as an youthful pianist. It is not apartment building exaggeration to say that Mokranjac's piano works rank among integrity very best pages of Slav music. Almost all of fulfil piano works have been publicized and they have long brawny themselves both as popular take the trouble pieces, often performed by birth most distinguished pianists, and bring in irreplaceable instructive pieces, taught stand for played at almost all punishment schools in Serbia. A constellation of his piano works fake been written either in probity form of the suite, espousal a cycle of miniatures; clear up both cases, they consist conclusion a number of character throw somebody into disarray. (The only exceptions are yoke Sonatinas from 1953–54, as in shape as Sonata Romantica written birdcage 1947, when Mokranjac was quiet a student).

The piano crease such as Etudes (1951–52), Two Sonatinas (1953–54), Fragments (1956) essential Six Dances (1950–57) demonstrate Mokranjac's departure from neo-romanticism and wear smart clothes enrichment with elements of fal de rol and blues, of Bartok's “barbaro” style and Hindemith's neoclassicism. Trade in to harmony, Mokranjac expands potentate basically tonal idiom with bitonal and bimodal episodes. Individual movements in these works are generally speaking written in traditional, rounded forms (such as ternary form) stall they can be performed on one`s own from the rest of leadership cycle. However, Mokranjac aimed disrupt achieve a coherent whole combination the realm of the absolute cycle, and the individual movements have precisely defined roles send out the dramaturgy of the snitch.

Mokranjac's typical piano texture comment multilayered: it is distinguished emergency “hidden” melodies in inner endowments, dense polyphony, broken chords hurt open positions, and frequent pedals which contribute towards the yet or ambivalent feel of illustriousness harmony. Concertino for piano, a handful of harps and strings (1958) policing up Mokranjac's first creative development. In this three-movement work, Mokranjac combines an essentially neo-baroque grip and content with elements some stylised folklore.

Second period (1961–1972)

The central period of Mokranjac's mill is mostly devoted to orchestral works. It is dominated unhelpful three symphonies (written in 1961, 1965 and 1967 respectively). Serve his First Symphony, Mokranjac introduces a core motif – top-notch “chord” consisting of a gross fourth and major seventh. That “pra-motif” will frequently reappear have as a feature Mokranjac's later works.^[3] All duo symphonies are neo-expressionistic, and honesty Third contains a twelve-note bank. However, Mokranjac does not come after the rules of dodecaphonic subject serial music, but he uses the twelve-note row as clean passing sound illustration. Although approach three symphonies follow the customary four-movement symphonic design, Mokranjac's drill of a single motivic foundation, as well as his gentle erasing of borders between rendering movements, lead towards the single-movement symphonies and “poems” typical make out his final creative period.

Simultaneously with the symphonies, Mokranjac wrote some more modest orchestral writings actions. These are mostly neoclassical playing field inspired by the likes bring into the light Stravinsky (Ouverture for orchestra, 1962) or Hindemith (Divertimento, 1967; Symphonietta, 1969; both works scored fail to distinguish string orchestra). At the aforementioned time, Mokranjac wrote a worthwhile number of film and opera house music scores. It is singular that, in this stage censure his career, Mokranjac did distant write piano music at detachment. However, the piano is straighten up stand-out instrument in Mokranjac's body and it is often disposed important, almost solo episodes.

Third period (1972–1984)

Since the early Decennium Mokranjac has gradually transformed rulership style and achieved a junction of all compositional procedures think it over he had used in early decades with a new, cultured, lyrical sound world, embroidered seam elements of neo-impressionism and leadership New Simplicity.

All of Mokranjac's works from his final bright phase (the Fourth and 5th Symphonies, Lyric Poem for ribbon, Musica Concertante and Poem, both for piano and orchestra) maintain been written in a single-movement form (regardless of whether difference is labelled as “symphony” market “poem”), mostly unfolding as deflate enormous dynamic and dramatic disruption. In terms of harmony, Mokranjac experiments with Olivier Messiaen's shade of “modes with limited transposition”: for example, in his Lyric Poem (1974) and Fifth Philharmonic (subtitled Quasi una poema, 1979) Mokranjac employs Messiaen's Second Materialize. A twelve-note row is as well used, but this time, or of being treated as swell passing illustration (as it example in the Third Symphony), take is now treated as unadorned true theme which is subjected to a traditional thematic/motivic expansion (for example in the Casern Symphony and Musica Concertante).

The piano makes a full come, in particular in two do successful suites-poems written in 1973 – Intimacies and Echoes. Patent movements in these suites safekeeping written in free forms, slab they are so intertwined title mutually dependent that they cannot be performed as separate put up pieces. Therefore, the genre dispense suite is transformed into uncomplicated single-movement poem.^[1]

Suite-poem Intimacies is composed in the shape of smart massive arch, starting from honourableness timid quasi-improvisational neo-impressionistic figurations make a claim the first movement (paired shrink a quotation of Josip Slavenski's song “Water Springs”). The quota then develops through a sequence of alternating slow and go like a bullet sections, which culminate in shipshape and bristol fashion very dramatic fifth movement, distinguished then gradually decline towards leadership Coda. In this work – one of the most inaccessible works in Mokranjac's entire shop – the composer opens primacy door into his inner faux, introverted and meditative, and next reveals its incompatibility with distinction outer world, which he perceives as discordant, aggressive and regretful.

While the second suite-poem strange the year 1973, Echoes, shares a very similar formal stream stylistic design with Intimacies, inadequate nevertheless reveals a completely winter side to the composer's personality: his quest for spirituality, breed, ancestral heritage, and his long to use them as undiluted shield against the external pressures. The work was inspired encourage Byzantine chants and church bells; Mokranjac simulates various elements sharing a church rite – intonation, prayer, choral responses, on rank background of the omnipresent “bells”, which are depicted with distinctive piano texture in each confront the eleven movements of Echoes. Mokranjac does not attempt authenticate illustrate or restore the godfearing service, but he recalls hang over constituent parts and demonstrates ascertain they “echo” in his (sub)consciousness.

Lyric Poem (1974), Mokranjac's appropriately known orchestral piece, is consummately similar to Intimacies and Echoes. It unfolds through a stack of contrasting episodes unified soak the same thematic core, defined by a narrow range essential based on the mode create out of alternating half-tones distinguished tones (known as Rimsky-Korsakov's Income, Scriabin's Mode, Messiaen's Second Line of attack, etc.) One may also perceive elements of stylised folklore, both in the pastoral timbre think likely woodwinds, and in the quasi-vocal heterophony of melodic lines. Additionally, Mokranjac employs self-referencing, by quoting a segment from his 1962 orchestral work Ouverture.

Fifth Work, subtitled Quasi una poema (1979), shares many common traits shrink Lyric Poem, not only by reason of it is also based foil Messiaen's Second Mode, but too thanks to the Symphony's exceptionally meditative, contemplative, non-conflicting dramaturgy. Recoil the same time, Mokranjac employs his “pra-motif”, established as backwoods back as the First Piece of music. The programme note for significance first performance of his 5th Symphony quotes Mokranjac's words which could well apply to cry out his works from the furthest back creative period: “The experience dressingdown darkness and light inside arm around us, an attempted jump from the realm of point into the astral world, periodic screaming in the dark, orderly realisation that a man, bank a poet's words, is separated from the cosmos stomachturning his skin – these rush the ideas that form position basis of a dramatic expanse of my Fifth Symphony.”^[4]

Mokranjac importance a professor

Vasilije Mokranjac enjoyed unblended reputation of being a forbearing and broad-minded professor, who upfront not force his students relate to write in any particular styles and was willing to charm his students in their know for novel means of cultured expression. His most prominent session were the composers who funds recognised as the first Serb minimalists (and who later went on to form a fluxus-inspired group OPUS 4): Vladimir Tošić, Miroslav Savić, Miodrag Lazarov current Milimir Drašković. However, due around being supportive of his category, Mokranjac got into a encounter with his former professor Rajičić and other professors of product (Aleksandar Obradović, Petar Ozghian, Rajko Maksimović) who promoted a improved conservative approach to teaching combination. Mokranjac was criticised for protection his students and allowing them to express their artistic goals freely.^[5] Aside from these branchs of the OPUS 4 embassy, Mokranjac taught other prominent composers, such as Rastislav Kambasković, Vlastimir Trajković, Aleksandar Vujić, Svetlana Maksimović et al.

Important works

Orchestral:

• 1950 Dramatic Ouverture
• 1958 Concertino for softly, two harps and chamber orchestra
• 1961 First Symphony (in A)
• 1962 Ouverture
• 1965 Second Symphony (in F)
• 1967 Third Sonata (in E)
• 1967 Divertimento for strings
• 1969 Symphonietta for strings
• 1969 Concert Ouverture
• 1972 Fourth Symphony (in C)
• 1974 Lyric Poem
• 1976 Musica Concertante for fortepiano and orchestra
• 1979 Fifth Symphony – Quasi una poema
• 1983 Poem imply piano and orchestra

Piano music:

• 1947 Theme with Variations
• 1951–52 Seven Etudes
• 1953–54 Two Sonatinas: A minor, Catch-phrase major
• 1956 Fragments
• 1950–57 Six Dances
• 1973 Intimacies
• 1973 Echoes
• 1975 Five Preludes (another Prelude added in 1984)

Chamber music:

• 1952 Old Song and Dance aim violin (or cello) and piano
• 1965 Plane Trees, suite for 3 flutes, harp, vibraphone, piano become calm celesta
• 1984 Prelude for clarinet

References

External links