Švara, Danilo

Švara, Danilo, Slovenian conductor and composer; b. Ricmanje, near Trieste, April 2, 1902; d. Ljubljana, April 25, 1981. He studied piano with Tröste in Vienna (1920-22); pursued training in politics and law at the Univ. of Frankfurt am Main (1922-25) and concurrently took piano lessons from Malata and studied conducting with Scherchen; attended the Frankfurt am Main Hochschule für Musik (1927-30), where he took courses in composition with Sekles, in conducting with von Schmiedel and Rottenberg, and in stage direction with Wallerstein. He began his career as répétiteur and conductor at the Ljubljana Opera in 1925; later conducted there regularly, serving as its director (1957-59); also wrote music criticism and taught conducting at the Ljubljana Academy of Music. His compositions are cast in a modern idiom.

Works

dramatic: Opera: Kleopatra (1937); Veronika Deseniska (1943); Slovo od mladosti (Farewell to Youth; 1952); Ocean (1963). Ballet: Nina (1962). ORCH.: 3 syms. (1933, 1935, 1947); Valse interrompue (1948); Sinfonia da camera in modo istriano (1954); Concerto grosso dodecafono (1961); 2 suites (1962); Dodekafonia: I, Duo concertante for Flute, Harpsichord, and Orch. (1967), II, Violin Concerto (1966), III, Oboe Concerto (1966), IV, Symposium for Oboe, Viola, Harp, and Orch. (1968), and V, Clarinet Concerto (1969). OTHER: Chamber music; piano pieces; choral music; songs.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire