Page 6 - 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. 6
O VREMŠAK (1930–2004)
Kamnik were severely suppressed, and as a consequence the pre-war activity of “Lira”
suffered. German occupiers permitted the singing of Slovenian songs only in the local
parish church.4 During the war, Ciril Vremšak set himself seriously to composing and
wrote several spiritual compositions.5 Samo learned about basic compositional elements
while he was transcribing the scores that his father copied at home on the so-called
“opalograph” duplicating apparatus. At the age of 13 he wrote his first composition for
bass solo, mixed choir and organ, entitled Jezus trpeèi, which was performed during the
war.6 The composition is introduced with a 16-measure bass solo, a feature which is also
noticeable in his later works. It has still not been established at what age Samo Vremšak
started to play the organ; however, it is known that it must have been in his early youth and
that he was a self-educated organist. After the war his father resumed the leadership of the
“Lira” society male choir and also conducted the choir of the parish church at Šutna.
Apparently he thought that his son, although a youngster, would cope well with the
challenge of playing the organ during the mass. Hence, Samo began to play every Sunday
in the Šutna parish church and occasionally in the church of the Franciscan Monastery; he
continued to play in both churches for 6 successive years.7 Samo Vremšak’s devotion to
the organ endured throughout his life. As a solo performer or an accompanist for soloists
and various choirs, as well as an excellent improviser, he also played in the church of St.
Primus above Kamnik and at ale in Kamnik.8 It was certainly not a coincidence that he
later dedicated a substantial part of his compositional works to the organ. It should also be
noted that his admiration of Bach’s oeuvre had a significant impact on his compositional
work.
After finishing elementary school, Samo Vremšak enrolled in the economics
secondary school in Ljubljana (the so-called technical school of economics) and
graduated from it in 1948. Even though secondary music school had been his first choice,
he finally decided on economy, as he had not yet attained an adequate level of music
ability. As he was not interested in economics, he took private music lessons in Ljubljana
to prepare himself for a musical career, taking piano lessons with Marijan Lipovšek and
music theory with Sreèko Koporc.9 At the age of 18, he was much more self-confident and
determined about his choice of profession and enrolled in the Secondary Music School in
Ljubljana, attending music theory and singing courses. He graduated from music theory
ahead of time, in three years, and from singing in 1955. His rapid progress was due to his
strong ambition to acquire a musical education, and the contribution of two of his
professors, Lipovšek and Koporc, who played an important role in guiding him
academically. In 1951 Vremšak enrolled at the Academy of Music to study conducting
and composition. Later, he also studied solo singing, but decided to discontinue the study
of conducting after two years. During the first year he studied composition in Marijan
4 Samo Vremšak »Spomini na oèeta. Ob stoletnici rojstva Cirila Vremšaka (1900–1968)«, Kamniški
zbornik XV (2000), p. 199.
5 Cp. : www.leksikon.si/Oseba/OsebaId/16 (last visited Dec. 12, 2014).
6 Cp. Marijan Gabrijelèiè, »Samo Vremšak, vsestranski glasbenik«, Glasbena mladina (1990), l. XX, št.
7/8, p. 13; Marjeta Gaèeša, »Samo Vremšak skladatelj, pevec, zborovodja in glasbeni pedagog«, Naši
zbori (2001), 51(1), p. 4.
7 Cp. Matic Romšak, »60 let ivljenja z glasbo«, Kamniški obèan, 25. 6. 1990, p. 5. France Štefanec,
»Skladatelj Samo Vremšak posvetil ivljenje glasbi«, Mohorjev koledar 2005, Celje: Mohorjeva dru ba,
2004, p. 223.
8 Janez Majcenoviè, »Samo Vremšak (1930–2004)«, Naši zbori (2005), 55(1), p. 12.
9 Matic Romšak, op. cit., p. 5.
6
Kamnik were severely suppressed, and as a consequence the pre-war activity of “Lira”
suffered. German occupiers permitted the singing of Slovenian songs only in the local
parish church.4 During the war, Ciril Vremšak set himself seriously to composing and
wrote several spiritual compositions.5 Samo learned about basic compositional elements
while he was transcribing the scores that his father copied at home on the so-called
“opalograph” duplicating apparatus. At the age of 13 he wrote his first composition for
bass solo, mixed choir and organ, entitled Jezus trpeèi, which was performed during the
war.6 The composition is introduced with a 16-measure bass solo, a feature which is also
noticeable in his later works. It has still not been established at what age Samo Vremšak
started to play the organ; however, it is known that it must have been in his early youth and
that he was a self-educated organist. After the war his father resumed the leadership of the
“Lira” society male choir and also conducted the choir of the parish church at Šutna.
Apparently he thought that his son, although a youngster, would cope well with the
challenge of playing the organ during the mass. Hence, Samo began to play every Sunday
in the Šutna parish church and occasionally in the church of the Franciscan Monastery; he
continued to play in both churches for 6 successive years.7 Samo Vremšak’s devotion to
the organ endured throughout his life. As a solo performer or an accompanist for soloists
and various choirs, as well as an excellent improviser, he also played in the church of St.
Primus above Kamnik and at ale in Kamnik.8 It was certainly not a coincidence that he
later dedicated a substantial part of his compositional works to the organ. It should also be
noted that his admiration of Bach’s oeuvre had a significant impact on his compositional
work.
After finishing elementary school, Samo Vremšak enrolled in the economics
secondary school in Ljubljana (the so-called technical school of economics) and
graduated from it in 1948. Even though secondary music school had been his first choice,
he finally decided on economy, as he had not yet attained an adequate level of music
ability. As he was not interested in economics, he took private music lessons in Ljubljana
to prepare himself for a musical career, taking piano lessons with Marijan Lipovšek and
music theory with Sreèko Koporc.9 At the age of 18, he was much more self-confident and
determined about his choice of profession and enrolled in the Secondary Music School in
Ljubljana, attending music theory and singing courses. He graduated from music theory
ahead of time, in three years, and from singing in 1955. His rapid progress was due to his
strong ambition to acquire a musical education, and the contribution of two of his
professors, Lipovšek and Koporc, who played an important role in guiding him
academically. In 1951 Vremšak enrolled at the Academy of Music to study conducting
and composition. Later, he also studied solo singing, but decided to discontinue the study
of conducting after two years. During the first year he studied composition in Marijan
4 Samo Vremšak »Spomini na oèeta. Ob stoletnici rojstva Cirila Vremšaka (1900–1968)«, Kamniški
zbornik XV (2000), p. 199.
5 Cp. : www.leksikon.si/Oseba/OsebaId/16 (last visited Dec. 12, 2014).
6 Cp. Marijan Gabrijelèiè, »Samo Vremšak, vsestranski glasbenik«, Glasbena mladina (1990), l. XX, št.
7/8, p. 13; Marjeta Gaèeša, »Samo Vremšak skladatelj, pevec, zborovodja in glasbeni pedagog«, Naši
zbori (2001), 51(1), p. 4.
7 Cp. Matic Romšak, »60 let ivljenja z glasbo«, Kamniški obèan, 25. 6. 1990, p. 5. France Štefanec,
»Skladatelj Samo Vremšak posvetil ivljenje glasbi«, Mohorjev koledar 2005, Celje: Mohorjeva dru ba,
2004, p. 223.
8 Janez Majcenoviè, »Samo Vremšak (1930–2004)«, Naši zbori (2005), 55(1), p. 12.
9 Matic Romšak, op. cit., p. 5.
6
