Page 116 - Glasbenopedagoški zbornik Akademije za glasbo v Ljubljani / The Journal of Music Education of the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, leto 8, zvezek 17 / Year 8, Issue 17, 2012
P. 116
NIMIR CIGLIÈ (1921–2006)
ZVONIMIR CIGLIÈ: BETWEEN RECEPTION AND
SELF-REFLECTION
Summary
The oeuvre of Zvonimr Cigliè has not yet received an in-depth evaluation,
despite the fact that even his early works, written when Cigliè was in his twenties
(1934-1946), caught public attention. Likewise, the works composed in the
second period of Cigliè’s life (1946-1965), when he was at his most prolific, have
been performed rather frequently. Serious health issues drying up his creativity,
Cigliè wrote only a few pieces from the mid-sixties to 1983 when he composed his
last work Bo anski absurd (“Divine Absurd”); nevertheless, he was steadily
present on concert programs home and abroad, especially in the circle of experts.
His works were performed around Slovenia and former Yugoslavia at prestigious
festivals in Radenci, Dubrovnik, Opatija and at the Slovenian Music Days festival
in Ljubljana. Moreover, his compositions were presented in several European
cities, around Soviet Union, in China and South America – mostly by Slovenian
musicians. Most performances took place during the time when Cigliè played an
active role in public life, but he rarely premiered a piece. At first, Cigliè made
acclaim as a promising conductor; yet, due to the disapproval of some fellow
conductors, his strong character and his health issues, he failed to make the most
of his talent or to show it over a longer period of time. An analysis of his reviews,
which along with the composer’s self-presentations and his statements form the
basis of this article, clearly shows that most of the reviews published after 1980
consider the composer’s self-reflection, the exceptions being some early reviews
during the World War II and right after it and some later reviews up to the 1970s.
The power of his word was so authoritative that it was impossible to overlook it.
116
ZVONIMIR CIGLIÈ: BETWEEN RECEPTION AND
SELF-REFLECTION
Summary
The oeuvre of Zvonimr Cigliè has not yet received an in-depth evaluation,
despite the fact that even his early works, written when Cigliè was in his twenties
(1934-1946), caught public attention. Likewise, the works composed in the
second period of Cigliè’s life (1946-1965), when he was at his most prolific, have
been performed rather frequently. Serious health issues drying up his creativity,
Cigliè wrote only a few pieces from the mid-sixties to 1983 when he composed his
last work Bo anski absurd (“Divine Absurd”); nevertheless, he was steadily
present on concert programs home and abroad, especially in the circle of experts.
His works were performed around Slovenia and former Yugoslavia at prestigious
festivals in Radenci, Dubrovnik, Opatija and at the Slovenian Music Days festival
in Ljubljana. Moreover, his compositions were presented in several European
cities, around Soviet Union, in China and South America – mostly by Slovenian
musicians. Most performances took place during the time when Cigliè played an
active role in public life, but he rarely premiered a piece. At first, Cigliè made
acclaim as a promising conductor; yet, due to the disapproval of some fellow
conductors, his strong character and his health issues, he failed to make the most
of his talent or to show it over a longer period of time. An analysis of his reviews,
which along with the composer’s self-presentations and his statements form the
basis of this article, clearly shows that most of the reviews published after 1980
consider the composer’s self-reflection, the exceptions being some early reviews
during the World War II and right after it and some later reviews up to the 1970s.
The power of his word was so authoritative that it was impossible to overlook it.
116
