Slavenski (real name, štolcer), Josip

Slavenski (real name, štolcer), Josip , outstanding Croatian composer and teacher; b. Čakovec, May 11, 1896; d. Belgrade, Nov. 30, 1955. He studied with Kodály in Budapest and with Novák in Prague. He taught at the Zagreb Cons. (1923–24), then settled in Belgrade, where he taught at the Stankovič Music School; subsequently was a teacher (1937–5) and a prof. (1945–55) at the Academy of Music. About 1930 he adopted the name Slavenski, which he used exclusively in his publ, works. A musician of advanced ideas, he attempted to combine Slavic melodic and rhythmic elements with modern ingredients; he experimented with nontempered scales and devised a “natural” scale of 53 degrees to the octave. His significance was only fully recognized in his homeland after his death.

Works

DRAMATIC: Incidental music; film scores. ORCH.: Nocturne (1916; rev. 1920); Chaos (1918–32); Prasimfonia (“protosymphony”) for Organ, Piano, and Orch. (1919–26); Balkanophonia, suite (1927; Berlin, Jan. 25, 1929); Violin Concerto (1927); 2 suites (1929, 1935); Religiophonia (Simfonija orijenta) for Solo Voices, Chorus, and Orch. (1934); Muika za film (1936); Muzika for Chamber Orch. (1938); 4 balkanske igre (4 Balkan Dances; 1938); Simfonijski epos (1944–46); Piano Concerto (1951; unfinished). CHAMBER: 4 string quartets (1923; Lyric, 1928; 1938; c. 1949, arr. from the 4 Balkan Dances for Orch., 1938); Slavenska, violin sonata (1924); Sonata religiosa for Violin and Organ (1925); Wind Quintet (1930); Piano Trio (1930); piano pieces. VOCAL: Pesme moje majik (Songs of My Mother) for Alto and String Quartet (1944); choral pieces.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire