The Composer as Diplomat: Luka Sorgo (1734-1789) in Vienna (1781) and Rijeka (1782)

Luka Sorgo (or, Sorkočević, as mostly known today) from the Dubrovnik Republic is nowadays commonly remembered as a composer of several fresh pre-Classicist mid-18th century symphonies. However, his musical output can be linked mostly to his early age, while later he served for the Dubrovnik Republic in many different administrative tasks.After the death of the Habsburg Emperor Maria Theresa in 1780, he was sent as an envoy to the Austrian court in order to (re)secure good relations with the new ruler. Sorgo kept a diary from September 1781 to January 1782, and – according to his records – he regularly sent reports to the Dubrovnik Council. In the diary he did not only describe his relations with Viennese politicians (envoys and ambassadors, the Emperor himself, other court and military dignitaries), but also with scientists, artists as well as his attendance to various social and cultural (above all musical) events. On his way back, he visited Graz, and for a few weeks stayed in Rijeka, when waiting for the ship (and the favourable wind) to take him back home to Dubrovnik. While in Rijeka, he also described the local political, economic and cultural situation as well as the already strong Hungarian presence.The paper offers evidence on music, and socio-musical occasions presented in his diary, after which his personal insider’s view on musical culture and social relations will be analysed. On the other hand, upon his return to Dubrovnik, Sorgo was able to apply his experiences from the Habsburg centres in his duties in the service of the Republic, even modifying some of his political opinions