Page 13 - Glasbenopedagoški zbornik Akademije za glasbo v Ljubljani / The Journal of Music Education of the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, leto 10, zvezek 21 / Year 10, Issue 21, 2014
P. 13
ja Koter, SAMO VREMŠAK: ARTIST AND PEDAGOGUE
his personal preferences rather than any strict stylistic deliberation. He wrote
compositions for a variety of instrumental, vocal-instrumental and vocal ensembles,
except for opera, and created an extensive oeuvre of shorter and more comprehensive
works; his music is expressive, full of musicality, imitative and rich in harmony. Vremšak
often expressed himself in a polyphony and polyrhythmic style and used to base his
compositions upon folk songs, processing their motifs in a persuasive variational style. He
was a master of musical forms, or as Leon Engelman said: “Musical form serves him as a
wisely designed and unique mould in which he pours a musical work of art.”32 He
expressed himself over a range of fields and created in various forms - from the simple
poetic form to skilled fugues and comprehensive sonatas, symphonies or cantatas. In his
early years, he garnered acclaim with his piano works. The most prominent among them
was the Sonatina (1953), which attracted the attention of the international public for its
formal, harmonic and pianistic originality. There is no piano concert in his oeuvre;
however, his Concertino za klavir in godala (1961–63)33 is quite close to such a form.
Vremšak’s works for piano (altogether he wrote around 10 pieces) came into being during
his studies (1947–1958) and rank among his shorter polyphonic pieces34 as regards their
form. As for chamber music, he wrote several compositions, which he had worked on for
decades, mostly intended for his friends and colleagues. A typical feature of this part of his
oeuvre, most probably created for everyday purposes, is the diversity of ensemble.35 Even
though he wrote predominantly for traditional groups, he especially enjoyed composing
on order for new and unusual instrumental ensembles. These compositions allowed him to
prove his proficiency in the acoustic and technical capabilities of an individual instrument.
Even though these works may appear momentary, he essentially created a line of brilliant
concertant pieces. Some of these works appear in editions of the Society of Slovene
Composers; for example: Sonatina in due tempi za rog in klavir from 1979, Sonatina za
trobento in klavir from1978, and Arietta in scherzino za trobilni kvintet from 1986. Most
of the scores were issued as manuscripts. Among his original ensembles are also
compositions for chamber ensembles with organ, such as Concertino za orgle in trobilni
kvintet (1987) or Koncert za orgle in godala (1983). The string quartet, otherwise almost
an obligatory element in every oeuvre, is represented in Vremšak’s by a single piece that
he wrote in 1976, defined by Leon Engelman as an example of a symbiosis of classic form
and extended tonality.36 Since his youth, Vremšak had felt an affinity for the organ, to
which he devoted solo pieces or compositions for diverse ensembles. He liked to create his
organ pieces after the examples of skilled Baroque forms, such as passacaglia, fantasia,
suite and single, double or even triple fugue. Vremšak shunned tradition in these works,
making a significant contribution to contemporary organ music; most of them were
published within the editions of the Society of Slovene Composers or by the Astrum
publishing house. Several world-premieres of Vremšak’s organ works were performed by
Hubert Bergant, who played them regularly to Europe audiences, thus becoming the first
musician to present Vremšak’s oeuvre globally. Vremšak’s most important works in this
32 Leon Engelman, »Ob 70-letnici Sama Vremšaka«, Kamniški zbornik (2000), Vol. XV, p. 28.
33 Ibid., p.29.
34 Cp. a list of Vremšak’s work in form of legacy inventory that includes manuscripts and printed material.
The list was put together by Vladka Vremšak. Datations of compositional works have been added in
accordance with composer’s notes.
35 Ibid.
36 Cp. L. Engelman, op.cit., p. 29.
13
his personal preferences rather than any strict stylistic deliberation. He wrote
compositions for a variety of instrumental, vocal-instrumental and vocal ensembles,
except for opera, and created an extensive oeuvre of shorter and more comprehensive
works; his music is expressive, full of musicality, imitative and rich in harmony. Vremšak
often expressed himself in a polyphony and polyrhythmic style and used to base his
compositions upon folk songs, processing their motifs in a persuasive variational style. He
was a master of musical forms, or as Leon Engelman said: “Musical form serves him as a
wisely designed and unique mould in which he pours a musical work of art.”32 He
expressed himself over a range of fields and created in various forms - from the simple
poetic form to skilled fugues and comprehensive sonatas, symphonies or cantatas. In his
early years, he garnered acclaim with his piano works. The most prominent among them
was the Sonatina (1953), which attracted the attention of the international public for its
formal, harmonic and pianistic originality. There is no piano concert in his oeuvre;
however, his Concertino za klavir in godala (1961–63)33 is quite close to such a form.
Vremšak’s works for piano (altogether he wrote around 10 pieces) came into being during
his studies (1947–1958) and rank among his shorter polyphonic pieces34 as regards their
form. As for chamber music, he wrote several compositions, which he had worked on for
decades, mostly intended for his friends and colleagues. A typical feature of this part of his
oeuvre, most probably created for everyday purposes, is the diversity of ensemble.35 Even
though he wrote predominantly for traditional groups, he especially enjoyed composing
on order for new and unusual instrumental ensembles. These compositions allowed him to
prove his proficiency in the acoustic and technical capabilities of an individual instrument.
Even though these works may appear momentary, he essentially created a line of brilliant
concertant pieces. Some of these works appear in editions of the Society of Slovene
Composers; for example: Sonatina in due tempi za rog in klavir from 1979, Sonatina za
trobento in klavir from1978, and Arietta in scherzino za trobilni kvintet from 1986. Most
of the scores were issued as manuscripts. Among his original ensembles are also
compositions for chamber ensembles with organ, such as Concertino za orgle in trobilni
kvintet (1987) or Koncert za orgle in godala (1983). The string quartet, otherwise almost
an obligatory element in every oeuvre, is represented in Vremšak’s by a single piece that
he wrote in 1976, defined by Leon Engelman as an example of a symbiosis of classic form
and extended tonality.36 Since his youth, Vremšak had felt an affinity for the organ, to
which he devoted solo pieces or compositions for diverse ensembles. He liked to create his
organ pieces after the examples of skilled Baroque forms, such as passacaglia, fantasia,
suite and single, double or even triple fugue. Vremšak shunned tradition in these works,
making a significant contribution to contemporary organ music; most of them were
published within the editions of the Society of Slovene Composers or by the Astrum
publishing house. Several world-premieres of Vremšak’s organ works were performed by
Hubert Bergant, who played them regularly to Europe audiences, thus becoming the first
musician to present Vremšak’s oeuvre globally. Vremšak’s most important works in this
32 Leon Engelman, »Ob 70-letnici Sama Vremšaka«, Kamniški zbornik (2000), Vol. XV, p. 28.
33 Ibid., p.29.
34 Cp. a list of Vremšak’s work in form of legacy inventory that includes manuscripts and printed material.
The list was put together by Vladka Vremšak. Datations of compositional works have been added in
accordance with composer’s notes.
35 Ibid.
36 Cp. L. Engelman, op.cit., p. 29.
13
