Page 54 - 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. 54
NIMIR CIGLIÈ (1921–2006)
ORCHESTRAL WORKS OF ZVONIMIR CIGLIÈ
Summary
Zvonimir Cigliè was clearly an orchestral-thinking composer. The subject of
his orchestral works was drawn from his own being, characterized by his personal
tragedy and misfortune. It seems this was the reason why Cigliè instinctively
chose orchestra as the most suitable medium for expressing and revealing his
thoughts, ideas and feelings. He extensively discussed this matter in speech and
writing. In general, Cigliè’s body of work is not large; however, it is highly
distinctive. This also holds true for his orchestral works. The list encompasses all
the orchestral works mentioned in previous publications on Cigliè, among which
Sinfonija appassionata, Obre je plesalk (“Dancers’ Shore”), Tri skice (“Three
Sketches”) and Concertino for harp and strings stand out. The list also includes
some other works with a pronounced orchestral thought (e.g. Prelude for soprano,
female choir, male choir and orchestra, and Triptych for middle voice and
orchestra) and some dubious works that have been mentioned in various
publications but for which no sheet music exists or which were later renamed (e.g.
Tri skice, 1965, Triptych, 1983). Depending on the source, Zvonimir Cigliè wrote
nine, ten or thirteen orchestral works. Števerjanska simfonija (1956) and Simfonia
mortis (1974) are a category of their own, as “there is no clue where these works
could be” (Dr. V. umer). Cigliè’s music is stand-alone and personal, markedly
chromatic and consciously within the frameworks of tonality. Cigliè rejected
experimental music, which was at the time fashionable, and detested intellectual
compositional processes found in contemporary music. The attempts to
categorize Cigliè according to compositional styles (L. M. Škerjanc, J. Höfler)
place his music among the late romanticism with elements of impressionism –
which in reality bears no significance. When analyzing his orchestral works, it is
almost essential to take into consideration his extensive writings that explain his
productive ethos and his music aesthetic posture; the writings are also of great
support for analyzing and understanding the composer’s orchestral works and his
entire oeuvre.
54
ORCHESTRAL WORKS OF ZVONIMIR CIGLIÈ
Summary
Zvonimir Cigliè was clearly an orchestral-thinking composer. The subject of
his orchestral works was drawn from his own being, characterized by his personal
tragedy and misfortune. It seems this was the reason why Cigliè instinctively
chose orchestra as the most suitable medium for expressing and revealing his
thoughts, ideas and feelings. He extensively discussed this matter in speech and
writing. In general, Cigliè’s body of work is not large; however, it is highly
distinctive. This also holds true for his orchestral works. The list encompasses all
the orchestral works mentioned in previous publications on Cigliè, among which
Sinfonija appassionata, Obre je plesalk (“Dancers’ Shore”), Tri skice (“Three
Sketches”) and Concertino for harp and strings stand out. The list also includes
some other works with a pronounced orchestral thought (e.g. Prelude for soprano,
female choir, male choir and orchestra, and Triptych for middle voice and
orchestra) and some dubious works that have been mentioned in various
publications but for which no sheet music exists or which were later renamed (e.g.
Tri skice, 1965, Triptych, 1983). Depending on the source, Zvonimir Cigliè wrote
nine, ten or thirteen orchestral works. Števerjanska simfonija (1956) and Simfonia
mortis (1974) are a category of their own, as “there is no clue where these works
could be” (Dr. V. umer). Cigliè’s music is stand-alone and personal, markedly
chromatic and consciously within the frameworks of tonality. Cigliè rejected
experimental music, which was at the time fashionable, and detested intellectual
compositional processes found in contemporary music. The attempts to
categorize Cigliè according to compositional styles (L. M. Škerjanc, J. Höfler)
place his music among the late romanticism with elements of impressionism –
which in reality bears no significance. When analyzing his orchestral works, it is
almost essential to take into consideration his extensive writings that explain his
productive ethos and his music aesthetic posture; the writings are also of great
support for analyzing and understanding the composer’s orchestral works and his
entire oeuvre.
54
