The Compositional Opus of Vjekoslav Klaić. A Contribution to the History of Vocal Music in Croatia (On the 80th Anniversary of Klaić\u27s Death)

Mnogostrana uloga znanstvenika (povjesničara, geografa, književnog povjesničara, književnika, [glazbenog] kritičara) i sveučilišnog profesora Vjekoslava Klaića (1849.-1928.) u hrvatskome glazbenom životu ogledala se ponajprije u autorovoj prisutnosti u glazbenopublicističkom, uredničkom, potom i u (re)produktivnom i organizatorskom životu grada, obilježivši prijelomno doba u povijesti Hrvatskoga glazbenog zavoda nazvano «Klaićevim razdobljem» (1890. - 1920.). Tako se i Klaićeva usputna, ali više ili manje kontinuirana skladateljska djelatnost što je nastajala u sjeni mnoštva široko profiliranih autorovih interesa, podudara s prvim desetljećima Zajc-Kuhačeva doba. Unutar Klaićeva nevelikog skladateljskog rada - svedenog na male forme uglavnom vokalne (zborske i solističke) glazbe, a u ranijem razdoblju obogaćenog i stvaranjem nekoliko složenijih instrumentalnih (komornih i orkestralnih) djela - zborskoj i solističkoj popijevki pripada temeljno mjesto. No, iako se javlja s približno 19 kraćih djela (kao autor 10 popijevki), često su ga uvrštavali među predstavnike (umjetničke) solopopijevke toga doba. Našavši svoje mjesto u tiskanim izdanjima pjesmarica i zbirki domaćih autora, Klaićeve skladbe lakše su dopirale do publike, neke od njih postavši ubrzo dijelom pučke svojine. U cjelini Klaićev skladateljski opus (od oko 25 skladbi) po svojim značajkama ne prelazi okvire glazbeno-stilskih odrednica hrvatske solističke (i zborske) popijevke druge polovine 19. stoljeća, kakve pokazuju i opusi Klaiću bliskih suvremenika, vrijednih i zaslužnih amatera-promicatelja glazbene umjetnosti i brojnih tzv. «malih» skladatelja prigodne i nepretenciozne glazbe, okupljenih oko Ivana pl. Zajca kao središnje osobnosti toga doba.The manifold roles of the scholar (historian, geographer, literary historian, writer, music/critic) and university professor, Vjekoslav Klaić (1849-1928), was first reflected in Croatian music life through the author\u27s presence in his work in music journalism, as editor, and then in organisation of music (re)productive life in Zagreb, marking a crucial period in the history of the Hrvatski glazbeni zavod (Croatian Music Institute) that was named «Klaić\u27s period» (1890-1920). In that way, Klaić\u27s incidental but more or less continuous compositional activity that took a place in the background of the author\u27s other numerous and prominent interests, corresponds with the first decades of the Zajc-Kuhač period. Choral- and solo-songs have a fundamental place in Klaić\u27s rather restricted composing work - reduced to small forms of largely vocal (choral and solo) music, but also enriched in the early period by composition of several more complex instrumental (chamber and orchestral) works, announced pretentiously in the very beginning as having youthful and creative enthusiasm, this probably having been prompted by the composer\u27s active conducting work. Though he was known as the author of c. 19 shorter works (as the author of 10 solo-songs), he was often listed among the representatives of the (art) solo-song of the time. Since the fields of Klaić\u27s choral compositions and his vocal lyrics both display relatively qualitative variety - particularly represented by choirs - consistent with the themes of patriotic, lyrical-patriotic, subjective-reflective and love texts, Klaić the composer is equally represented by his earlier compositions for male choirs (Pod prozorom, Svraćanje and Na Nehaju gradu) and by successful solo-songs Moja lađa, Kad?, Nesretna djevojka, Ti moraš, dušo, moja bit, Uspavanka. Having found their place in printed editions of song books and collections of Croatian authors, Klaić\u27s mentioned compositions, along with his other works, more easily reached the public, and some of them soon became a part of popular property. Both the author\u27s compelling many-sided merits in the field of Croatian music life and/or the pervading presence of his personality, as well as the completely acceptable mode of his compositional expression, customary at that time, certainly contributed to that popularity. In the first place, that refers to the melodic-rhythmic component, which is recognised as the strongest and most inventive element in the musical language of (all) the composers of Zajc\u27s epoch. Finally, by its characteristics, Klaić\u27s compositional opus (of c. 25 compositions) does not fall outside the framework of the musical-stylistic determinants of the Croatian solo- (and choral) song of the second half of the 19th century, as also shown by the opuses of Klaić\u27s close contemporaries: diligent and meritorious amateurs-promoters of the art of music and numerous so-called Kleinmeister of occasional and unpretentious music, rallied around Zajc as the leading personality in the Croatian music of that time