Marking the one hundred years of the death of Stevan Stojanovic Mokranjac in the Ilija M. Kolarac Foundation in Belgrade, 27-28. September 2014
Manifestation The sky was strewn with stars was held on 27 and 28 September in Belgrade, Ilija M. Kolarac Foundation, Cultural Centre of Belgrade and Mokranjac foundation, with the support of the City of Belgrade, marked a major milestone - the centenary of the death of Stevan Stojanovic Mokranjac.
When designing the event, the authors of the program were led by the idea that under the roof of the Kolarac building should be gather all the best and most important interpreters of Mokranjac from the country for this occasion. They wanted to enclose all segments of Mokranjac’s work, in order to different target groups could find the beauty and the thread that connects them to the Mokranjac’s work. Thus, in the two-day event featured the entire Mokranjac’s activity through documentary exhibition about his life and work, screenings, concerts by choirs, presentation of Mokranjac’s instrumental music, as well as the program intended for children.
Participants of the event:
Children Cultural Centre Choir, Belgrade
Srdjan Atanasovski, musicologist
Professor Dr. Sonja Marinkovic, musicologist
The First Belgrade Singing Society
Piano duo Snezana Nikolajevic - Vesna Krsic
Professor Dr. Dimitrije O. Golemovic, etno musicologist
String Quartet Mokranjac
ChoirObilic - ACASBrankoKrsmanovic& Academic Choir Collegium Musicum
Choir of Radio - Television Serbia
PROGRAM
Saturday, September 27, 2014
11:00 - Great Hall
Concert How to listen to Mokranjac - Small school of etiquette
ChildrenCultural Centre Choir Belgrade, conductor: Nevena Ivanovic
Leader: Milos Milovanovic
Conveniently designed program comprised of works Mokranjac – Second garland and Tebe pojem from the Liturgy, some folk songs, as well as the Small garlandby Vojislav Simic. Thanks to the great efforts of the conductor Nevena Ivanovic and great communications of the program manager Milos Milovanovic with an audience, consisting primarily from younger generation and their parents packed Great Hall of the Ilija Kolarac Foundation, echoed by tumultuous applause, with which enthusiastic crowd greeted their peers on the podium.
12:00 - Music Gallery
Opening of the documentary exhibition Mokranjac time, work and life
Lecture Mokranjac and "Old Serbia", Lecturer: Srdjan Atanasovski
With the introduction of the author and organizer of the event, in the Music Gallery has been opened an exhibition that was designed for the occasion, with the support of the First Belgrade Singing Society, the Museum of Krajina, Negotin and Musicology Institute. The exhibition showed Mokranjac’s path through all the stages of his life, starting from his hometown and family photographs, through education in Belgrade and abroad, activities in Belgrade Singing Society, and other professional activities, until the last days of the great composer. Regarding the exhibition, musicologist Srdjan Atanasovski gave a lecture Mokranjac and Old Serbia pointing to the complex political and social context of the time in which Mokranjac’s works occurred, and also on their interpretation in subsequent periods.
13:00 - Josif Pancic Hall
Film Mokranjac forever, directed by Miomir Stamenkovic
Produced by: Cultural Centre Stevan Mokranjac, Negotin, Zastava film, 2006
There are little authentic movie clips of life of Stevan Stojanovic Mokranjac. Film Mokranjac forever, was created at the initiative of the Cultural CentreStevan Mokranjac from Negotin, on the occasion of the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the birth of the great composer. The film was provided to organizers, to be shown at the event, by courtesy of the initiator of its creation, CulturalCentreStevan Mokranjac from Negotin.
19:00 - Music Gallery
Lecture Activity and the work of Stevan Mokranjac, lecturer: prof. Dr. Sonja Marinkovic
Excellent expert on Mokranjac’s work, prof. Dr. Sonja Marinkovic, Professor at Music Faculty in Belgrade and one of the most prominent musicologists in the country, has found the right way to introduce the audience to the most important aspects of the work of the great composer, as well as his persistent and dedicated work on the expansion and popularization of music in Serbia at the end of the nineteenth and early twentieth century.
20:00 - Great Hall
Concert Mokranjac - guiding star of musical Serbia
The First Belgrade Singing Society, conductor: Svetlana Vilic
Foreword: Dejan Despic, President of Mokranjac Foundation
The first evening concert was one of Mokranjac choir – the First Belgrade Singing Society with the conductor Svetlana Vilic. Paying particular part of the program to its former conductor, during whose leadership the choir achieved the greatest success, the First Belgrade Singing Society opted for a concert of Orthodox sacred music, performing works of Marinkovic, Govedarica, Mokranjac, Degtarjov, Cesnokov, Stankovic, Tanejev and Archangelski. In a solemn tone, presenting a compact night program, with the soloists Alexandra Alivojvodic, soprano, Anna Simanic, mezzo-soprano, Djordje Tomic, bass and Nenad Cica, tenor, conducted by a firm hand of inspired conductor Svetlana Vilic, Choir has extremely expressed the authentic spirit of the orthodox music. Performance of the First Belgrade Singing Society audience was greeted with strong and lasting applause.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
11:00 - Great Hall
Concert from the cycle Podium of chamber music by Kolarac
Piano duo Snezana Nikolajevic - Vesna KrsicGuest: Milan Milic, percussion.
Audience was presented Mokranjac’s instrumental music - firstly five joints in the arrangement for two pianos, and Fifth, Seventh,Eighth and Fifteenth Garlandin arrangement of Vere Milankovic for two pianos and percussion. On the video wall were also shown two very interesting video clips by musicologist Dr. Dragutin Gostuski- excerpts from the series The Birth of Serbian musical culture that was broadcasted in 1987 on Television Belgrade. Contributions Man we were waiting and Man you will not forget in a specific way showed the role of Mokranjac in Serbian music culture and the relation of the environment to him and his work.
12:00 - Music Gallery
Lecture Is Stevan Mokranjac first Serbian ethnomusicologist? Lecturer: prof. Dr. Dimitrije O. Golemovic
In response to the provocative title of the lecture, prof. Dr. Dimitrije O. Golemovic, professor of the Faculty of Music in Belgrade and a leading figure in ethnomusicology in Serbia today, talked about the Mokranjac’s valuable work on the preservation of Serbian culture and heritage, which was supported by number of concrete examples.
During a break in the program in Kolarac Foundation, representatives of Mokranjac Foundation, the Cultural Centre Stevan Mokranjac from Negotin and the City Negotin, laid wreaths at the grave Mokranjac in the New Cemetery. They were joined by the choir of the Temple of the Holy Trinity in Negotin, who sang Tebe pojem from Liturgy and writer Adam Puslojić who read his verses dedicated Mokranjac on his grave.
18:00 - Hall of the Great Hall
Concert The String Quartet Mokranjac- Miroslav Pavlovic (violin), Bojana Jovanovic (violin), Tomislav Milosevic (viola), Djordje Milosevic (cello)
This concert was a reference to Mokranjac activity as a violinist, chamber musician and composer of instrumental music.
On the program wereTribute to Stevan Mokranjac by Dejan Despic, Mokranjac’s Fuga and Glinka’s String Quartet in F major. In addition to well-known tunes from Mokranjac’s Garlands, inspirational processed in Tribute by Dejan Despic and Mokranjac’s Fuga for String Quartet, which was formed under the strong influence of the West - European culture, especially in terms of implementation styles and techniques of composition, was performed and the String Quartet in F Major by Mikhail Glinka. This piece reminded the audience of a somewhat similar life and artistic path this big Mokranjac’s Slovenian predecessor and Stevan St. Mokranjac went while creating a national style in their communities, and their impact on future creativity in their home countries.
20:00 - Great Hall
Concert
Choir Obilic – ACAS Branko Krsmanovic and Academic Choir Collegium Musicum
Conductor: Darinka Matic - Marovic
Choir of Radio - Television Serbia
Conductor: Bojan Sudjic
Authentic and dedicated interpreter of Mokranjac music Darinka Matic-Marovic, who has been performing with extraordinary success for decades on stages all over the world, has with the choirs Obilic – ACAS BrankoKrsmanovic and Collegium Musicum, performed Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom in honor of Mokranjac in Kolarac Foundation. Litany and invocation were carried by Radivoje Simic, tenor, Ivo Brkovic, baritone and Darko Manic, bass. Thunderous applause and a standing ovation with which enthusiastic crowd greeted choirs and their conductor, were the best reward, both to great performers, and monumental Mokranjac’s work.
Leading professional vocal ensemble in the country, Choir of Radio - Television Serbiawith the conductor Bojan Sudjic, had the honor to close the two-day event dedicated to the celebration of the centenary of the death of Stevan St. Mokranjac. The choir began their program performing sacred music - Da ispravitsja and O kako bezakonoje, and then they sang the Second, Fifth, Tenth and EleventhGarland, as well as humorous choral scherzo TheGoatherd and Tebe Boga hvalim for an encore, and the soloists were Biljana Vasiljevic, soprano and Vanja Bisercic, tenor. Brilliant interpretation of Mokranjac’s music, especially the highly inspired and original interpretation of the Garlands, thanks to superbly crafted and deepened hues within individual tunes each, Bojan Sudjic and RTS Choir have managed to impress the new seal of quality to Mokranjac’s work. Exceptional performer ranges of Choir of RTS and its conductor, was rewarded by long applause and ovations, which also marked the end of the event.
Completion of the atmosphere in Kolarac Foundation was symbolically contributed by grapes and wine from Mokranjac hometown provided by the winery Matalj from Negotin.
All participants in the event - the authors, organizers, performers and lecturers gave up fee, considering participation in the program as their contribution to the celebration of the Great Jubilee.
Organization
TheMokranjacFoundation
TheKolaracFoundation
TheCulturalCentreofBelgrade
Supported by
CityofBelgrade - Secretariat of culture
Our Appreciations
TheFirstBelgradeSingingSociety
The Museum of Krajina, Negotin
Institute of Musicology - Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts
Cultural Centre Stevan Mokranjac, Negotin