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Riferimenti storici e geografici
The Tamburitza and the preservation of Croatian folk music
Written by Michael B. Savor (Canada). In: Croatia - an overview of its History, Culture and Science.
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The tamburitza he most popular and most common of the national
instruments of the Croatian people. It is a stringed instrument related to
the Russian
balalaika, the Ukrainian bandura and the Italian mandolin. Its name
originated from
the Turkish language and made its first appearance in the Balkan region in
the 14th
Century. The tamburitza is said to have first appeared in Bosnia, and from
there it
appeared in the regions of Slavonija and Backa.
Learning to play the tamburitza was passed down from one generation to
the
next. Every village had their share of musicians who performed at every
festive
occasion. The formation of tamburitzan groups began in the area of Backa in
the first
half of the 19th century.
The first amateur Tamburitzan orchestra was formed in Osijek in 1847 by
Pajo
Kolaric, who was the first well known composer for the tamburitza. In 1882,
Kolaric's
student Mijo Majer formed the first tamburitzan choir to be led by a
conductor called
"Hrvatska Lira". Majer was the first composer and arranger of concert works
for
tamburitzan orchestras. The formation of amateur tamburitzan orchestras soon
spread
throughout Croatia and Bosnia, as well as Slovenia, Austria and
Czechoslovakia. For
Croatians living outside of Croatia, the tamburitza was a cultural symbol
binding them
to their homeland.
Growing interest in the tamburitza resulted in the publication and
circulation
of newsletters on the instrument. In Croatia, the newsletter "Tamburica" was
published
and circulated, and in Slovenia, a newsletter titled "Slavonska Lira" was
published
before the First World War. The tamburitzan federation of Czechoslovakia
also had
their own newsletter. Croatians in the United States first published a
newsletter in 1937
called "Tamburitza News". In the same year, a tamburitzan federation was
founded in
Osijek. In 1941, the Croatian Radio-Television Tamburitza Orchestra was
founded as
a professional ensemble of the Zagreb radio station. This orchestra is
currently led by
the head conductor Professor Sinisa Leopold.
Even though the tamburitza was always regarded as a national folk
instrument, many serious compositions have been composed for the
instrument.
For example, Josip Canic composed overtures for tamburitzan orchestras.
Vinko
Vodopivec composed various suites for the instrument,
and Gjuro Prejac
composed
the first tamburitza operetta "Vinkolozin". Other well known tamburitzan
composers
in this genre include Josip Andric, Ivan Zajc, Bozidar
Sirola and Emil
Adamic.
Even arrangements of classical music have been written for tamburitzan
orchestras.
Mozart's famous Rondo alla Turca (originally composed for solo piano) has
been
cleverly arranged for tamburitza orchestra by Bozo
Potocnik, which has been
recorded by the Croatian Radio-Television Tamburitza
Orchestra. Dvorzak's
Humoreska for violin and orchestra has been recorded with tamburitza
accompaniment, arranged by Zlatko Potocnik. Even works of Beethoven and
Verdi
have been arranged for the tamburitza, giving this folk instrument an
international
appeal.
Reference to tamburitzan composers and arrangers would not be
complete
without mentioning Julije Njikos and Sinisa
Leopold. The formation of
tamburitza
ensembles in Croatian communities around the world, reflects the desire of
the Croatian people of keeping their musical heritage alive for future
generations.
Before discussing folk music in Croatia, it is important to deal with
the term ethnomusicology, and its development. This term is used to describe the
division of musicology in which emphasis is given to the study of music in
its cultural context. This includes the study of folk
music, as well as the
study of the
function of music society. Formal study in the field of ethnomusicology
is relatively recent, however, interest in folk music dates back to the Age of
Enlightenment. Folk music found its way in the works of composers of the
18th century. For example, in Haydn's London Symphony No. 104, Haydn uses a
Croatian folk song as the theme for the fourth movement.
Croatians have always been dedicated to the preservation of their
folklore.
In the field of music, the first Croat to pursue the study of Croatian folk
music was
Franjo Saver Kuhac. In the 1870's, Kuhac studied the piano with virtuoso
Franz
Liszt in Weimar, and then pursued his study of folk music publishing many
books
on Croatian folklore.
The most well known Croatian ethnomusicologist was
Professor Vinko
Zganec. He was born in the village of Vratisinic in Medimurje, where he
jotted
down his first folk song in 1908. Hungarian composer and ethnomusicologist
Bela
Bartok, kept in close contact with Zganec while collecting folk songs
along the
borders of Hungary and Croatia. Bartok respected Zganec because of the
accuracy
of his research and notation. Zganec's research took him throughout
Croatia and
even among the Croatian minorities of Austria and Hungary. This research
enabled
Zganec to collect over 19,000 Croatian folk songs which have been recorded
and
written down. These folksongs have therefore been preserved for future
generations,
to see and study from. Due to his extensive research, Zganec became the
first
director of the Institute of Folklore Research, and was an active
participant in The
Folklorist Society of Croatia. He also became active in teaching at the
Academy of
Music in Zagreb where Zganec was a great influence on his colleagues and
students.
Sources:
- Leopold, Sinisa: "Tambura u Hrvata". Golden Marketing, Zagreb, 1995.
- Bezic, Jerko: "Some Comments on the collection of Medimurian songs, its
author, and the way the collection came into being", Zagreb, 1990.
- Myers, Helen: "Ethnomusicology: An Introduction", New
York, W.W. Norton & Co. 1992.
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