AKADEMIJA ZA GLASBO UNIVERZE V LJUBLJANI
INTERWEAVINGS
Choral music
Format: Digitalno
Code: 118937
EAN: 3838898118937
Foreign platforms:
ZKP RTV Slovenia in cooperation with Radio Slovenia - Ars Programme and Academy of Music of the University of Ljubljana is publishing a choral anthology of the Academy of Music of the University of Ljubljana. The collection is divided into four chapters, presenting new works by Slovenian composers, Slovenian folk and art choral music, and selected works from the world choral repertoire. They can be found on the digital albums Sveže (Fresh), Srčno (Heartfelt), Slovensko (Slovenian) and Svetovno (Worldwide), while a selection of songs is also available as a CD entitled Intertwining.
The compositions in the selection of recordings entitled Fresh received their premiere performances at choral concerts of the Academy of Music of the University Ljubljana, and many of them were in fact commissioned by the Academy. The new works by composition students and young composers were written for the celebrations on the 500th anniversary of Protestantism and the Reformation, the 90th birthday of composer Jakob Jež, and the competition Glasba zaprtih ust (Music of Closed Mouths), as well as being commissioned for other performances at concerts and competitions.
Throughout history, the uniting power of folk music has often proved to be an extremely important nation-forming element. This is true in Slovenia as well. Although Slovenians found themselves under various forms of external rule over the centuries, they maintained their sense of belonging due to their common language, and it is precisely singing songs in Slovenian that represents one of the clearest expressions of national identity. Thus, for many years, the development of folksong was built upon an oral tradition. With the rise of the bourgeoisie, however, its folk simplicity often no longer satisfied the aesthetic national identification needs of the time. Folk music therefore entered the realm of art music, providing musicians with a basis to build upon compositionally by adapting it to the needs of the time to a greater or lesser extent. The most fundamental form of this process is harmonisation, while a more complex manifestation is represented by artistic adaptations and concert arrangements in which folk music serves merely a source of inspiration for composers. Although the composer draws from both the rhythm and the melody of the folk tunes, his or her work has greater artistic freedom, remaining most faithful to the original in the interpretation of the text.
Throughout the history of the Slovenian nation, singing has constantly emerged as an important element of cultural identity. Right up to the present day, the Slovenian historical tradition has therefore been closely intertwined with music and singing, and the cultural treasure trove contains numerous choral works. The development of choral music in Slovenia has been formed by many figures who have encouraged artistic progress and nurtured respect towards the tradition. Some of their works are therefore included in the present selection.
Some years ago, Estonian composer Arvo Pärt declared that “the human voice is the most perfect instrument of all”. From the earliest periods of music, composers have nonetheless sought perfection in the interweaving of the human voice with instruments. The duality of this combination has had a prominent role in sacred music, in which composers have attempted to reconcile the heavenly, embodied in singing, and the earthly, represented by instruments. Although originally intended to enrich the liturgy, sacred works gradually passed beyond church walls and found a place on concert stages, where they often represented composers’ most substantial compositional thinking. The increasing interest in innovative works for the human voice that came to the fore with the new musical currents of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries has led composers to explore the voice as pure sound, without being based on a text, thus bringing it closer to instrumental music.