Page 59 - 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. 59
nej Weiss, SAMOSPEVI SAMA VREMŠAKA
SOLO SONGS BY SAMO VREMŠAK
Summary
In his solo-songs, Samo Vremšak knew how to adjust composition and technique to the
literary expression of individual songs. He would compose the music in a measured and
rational way, even if, now and then, it seems that there is a coexistence of different,
seemingly irreconcilable compositional techniques. The distinctive characteristics of his
compositions are modal melodics, impressionistic passages and tonal painting, but also
highly expressive passages. All of these factors combine in order to produce the most
faithfully captured poetic expression. Despite their diversity, certain individual cycles of
solo-songs demonstrate some basic features of Vremšak’s compositional poetry. France
Balantiè and Miroslav Krle a’s works were set to music; the emphasized expressive
melodics do not come as a surprise, and sometimes even grow into recitative passages and
a “speech voice” (Sprechstimme). The latter is usually tapered with secondal and quartal
harmonies. In this way he leads the otherwise basically broadened tonal space to withdraw
from functional harmony. Modality, which repeatedly passes into harmony, also plays an
important role in his solo-songs. Thematic material, motifs and formal transparency are
otherwise subdued; however, they obtain a more prominent role with repetition and
sequences in those solo-songs which lack more expressive meaningful moments. The
style of Vremšak’s solo-song oeuvre cannot be defined precisely, since his specific
musical language remains constantly torn between tradition and perspective.
59
SOLO SONGS BY SAMO VREMŠAK
Summary
In his solo-songs, Samo Vremšak knew how to adjust composition and technique to the
literary expression of individual songs. He would compose the music in a measured and
rational way, even if, now and then, it seems that there is a coexistence of different,
seemingly irreconcilable compositional techniques. The distinctive characteristics of his
compositions are modal melodics, impressionistic passages and tonal painting, but also
highly expressive passages. All of these factors combine in order to produce the most
faithfully captured poetic expression. Despite their diversity, certain individual cycles of
solo-songs demonstrate some basic features of Vremšak’s compositional poetry. France
Balantiè and Miroslav Krle a’s works were set to music; the emphasized expressive
melodics do not come as a surprise, and sometimes even grow into recitative passages and
a “speech voice” (Sprechstimme). The latter is usually tapered with secondal and quartal
harmonies. In this way he leads the otherwise basically broadened tonal space to withdraw
from functional harmony. Modality, which repeatedly passes into harmony, also plays an
important role in his solo-songs. Thematic material, motifs and formal transparency are
otherwise subdued; however, they obtain a more prominent role with repetition and
sequences in those solo-songs which lack more expressive meaningful moments. The
style of Vremšak’s solo-song oeuvre cannot be defined precisely, since his specific
musical language remains constantly torn between tradition and perspective.
59
