THE BEGINNINGS OF THE CROATIAN NATIONAL OPERA REPERTOIRE CREATION – THE CROATIAN NATIONAL HISTORICAL OPERA TRILOGY (MISLAV, BAN LEGET, NIKOLA ŠUBIĆ ZRINJSKI) by IVAN von ZAJC

Ova se doktorska disertacija temelji na rezultatima istraživanja obilježja i značenja triju Zajčevih jedinih nacionalnopovijesnih opera (Mislav, Ban Leget i Nikola Šubić Zrinjski). Temelj je rada muzikološka analiza partitura s obzirom na njihovo tekstnoglazbeno tkivo, a u središtu su istraživanja bile: glazbene sastavnice (ritamske, melodijske, harmonijske i formne), glazbena artikulacija dijelova / brojeva / prizora, analitička razradba libreta te sveza libreta i glazbenoga sadržaja (strukture opere), teatrološki pristup opernome djelu (u pogledu suodnosa dramskoga teksta, libreta i operne partiture, odnosno recepcije i percepcije djelâ u hrvatskoj /zagrebačkoj/ sredini toga doba), naposljetku, promisao o scenskoj (vizualnoj) komponenti operâ. Odgovarajućim metodološkim pristupom, što je uključivao arhivski rad na autografnim i ostalim rukopisnim te tiskanim izvorima, proučavanje historiografske građe, analitički rad te artikulaciju prikupljenih i odabranih podataka u znanstvenu cjelinu interdisciplinarnog karaktera, u ovome su radu izloženi različiti aspekti (o i oko) Zajčeve nacionalnopovijesne operne trilogije. Također se utvrdilo na koji je način i u kojoj mjeri, kao najkompetentniji i profesionalni glazbenik s prethodnim internacionalnim iskustvom, odgojen na talijanskoj glazbi („verdijanstvu“) i s praktičnim djelovanjem operetnoga majstora, ali i otvoren novim utjecajima sublimiranima u zahtjevima, očekivanjima te mogućnostima hrvatske sredine, Zajc odgovorio zadatku stvaranja hrvatskoga nacionalnoga opernoga repertoara. Osobita se pozornost posvetila sagledavanju elemenata nacionalnoga na razini: teksta / libreta, glazbene komponente, dramaturškoga aspekta (dramaturgije glazbe, dramaturgije libreta, dramaturgije scene, dakle, vizualne komponente u pogledu scenografije i kostimografije), ali i odnosu internacionalnoga / kozmopolitskoga i nacionalnoga idioma u Zajčevoj opernoj trilogiji. U kontekstu vremena i prostora (intencije sredine i intencije autorova stvaranja) i u odnosu na postojeću glazbenu tradiciju te perceptivna iskustva sredine za koju je stvarao, Zajc je progovorio u znatnoj mjeri aktualnim (primjerenim) glazbenim jezikom, a razinom uporabe glazbenofolklornih elemenata, odgovorio je i na ideološke poticaje toga povijesnoga trenutka. Stoga se potvrdila teza da je Zajc u drugoj polovici 19. stoljeća u začetnim godinama hrvatske Opere – unatoč i/ili zahvaljujući višeslojnim čimbenicima – ostvario bitan, ključan i tadašnjoj publici prepoznatljiv, zapravo dotad prvi realni hrvatski nacionalni operni kanon s dostatnim i, kao što se pokazalo, relevantnim obilježjima nacionalnoga idioma. Stoga je ovaj rad doprinos promišljanju o Zajčevoj ulozi u kreiranju prvoga nacionalnoga opernoga repertoara, ujedno i odgovor na pitanje o nacionalnim i internacionalnim elementima i interakciji tih obilježja te biva otvoren novim muzikološkim i kroatološkim, analitičkim i/ili sintetskim radovima o Zajcu i njegovu opusu.Zajc's Croatian national opera trilogy Mislav (1870), Ban Leget (1872) and Nikola Šubić Zrinjski (1876) was composed in a sequence and by that time Zajc already had had compositional experience in operas, acquired in both his early and intensive operatic periods. After a series of operettas, composing of a historic opera with national elements was a conditio sine qua non, especially after Zajc's arrival in Zagreb from Vienna, which was arranged with Croatian intellectuals in 1870. That same year, the premiere of opera Mislav, which was on 2nd October, one decade after the establishment of the Croatian Drama (1860), i.e. Croatian National Theatre (1861) and twenty years after completion of, then still unperformed Lisinski’s opera Porin (1847 – 1851) commenced the work of Zagreb's permanent opera as well as Zajc's forty years long musical activity in Zagreb. Moreover, the aforementioned operas, together with Lisinski’s Love and Malice, were in Croatian cultural and historical range of that time declared as only “real” Croatian national operas which were composed and performed (except Porin, which was performed in 1897). Despite their uneven quality level and contemporary as well as later success (audience reception), our attention was attracted by the questions pertaining the competence of the author who had to make, upon arrival, all the necessary assumptions for creating the first publicly performed national opera. Firstly, the music ensemble and education were to be established; “upbringing” the players and music education of the singers. In accordance with inherited predispositions, cultural and family ambience (influence of his musician father), music education and specialization (Rijeka, Milan), author’s artistic growth and formation in diverse environments (Rijeka, Milan, Vienna, Zagreb), Zajc managed to establish the creative dialogue in the new ambient, in the context of time and the intention of creation. One could say that the endeavours of Zagreb’s patriots for the formation of national (musical) culture after the period of Bach’s absolutism coincided with (private and artistic) circumstances which have brought Zajc in Zagreb. Zajc came in the time period between the neoabsolutism and the rule of Héderváry (from 1883). While the operas Mislav and Ban Leget were composed during the reigns of banus Levin Rauch (Mislav), rather Antun Vakanović (Ban Leget), both guided by aggressive Hungarian politics, the opera Nikola Šubić Zrinjski was created during the reign of Ivan Mažuranić, whose reign was a “bright oasis” in the socio-political circumstances in Croatia in the second half of 19th century. Even though the last period was rather favourable, one could say that the opera trilogy as whole was composed in the intermission between two strong political pressures (Bach’s and Khuen’s). Therefore, it is important to emphasise the convenience of the historical moment for the expression of the national, that is, for the creation of national operas with more or less allusive messages and metaphors, especially for plunging in the Croatian langsyne (which as such became evident in Zajc’s trilogy). This can especially relate to Mislav, it being the first work of its kind, but also to Ban Leget and Nikola Šubić Zrinjski, which were also intended to be national operas, and Zajc followed mutual ideas (for instance, self-sacrifice) in his choice of themes in all three works, thus being pursuant to the general mood of the society of the time. Their mission was to reinvigorate and confirm the Croatian national identity in the times of uncertainty, just after the two Settlements, during the unrest in Croatian national aspirations. The choice of themes aimed, with a great deal of certainty, for the confirmation of the national: the existence of the nation since the “ancient history”. Furthermore, the themes reflected the key terms of the founders’ myths of identity, unity and continuity (of one’s nation)