Page 381 - Weiss, Jernej, ur./ed. 2021. Opereta med obema svetovnima vojnama ▪︎ Operetta between the Two World Wars. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 5
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slovene oper etta at the crossroads: r adovan gobec’s planinsk a roža
absorbed many features of the countryside and its social environment. He
was born in Podgrad near Ilirska Bistrica in the south of the country, where
even at this young age he was in a strong musical environment in which
his mother was an experienced choral singer. In 1912, just before the begin-
ning of World War I, the family moved north to Celje. He attended prima-
ry schools, in Celje and in Šmihelj nad Pliberkom [St Michael ob Bleiburg
– now part of Austria] and from 1919 to 1922 at the lower gymnasium in
Celje. Because of his extraordinary musical talent, he also attended the Cel-
je Music School from 1922 to 1924. In 1924, he enrolled as a trainee teacher
in Maribor, where he studied until 1928. His most important teachers here
were Hinko Druzovič (1873–1959) and Emerik Beran (1868–1940), who cer-
tainly must have been a strong influence. Happily for his future develop-
ment, he studied both piano and violin. In the next ten years, he was active
as a teacher, choral conductor and operetta composer.
It was this background which informed his interest in operetta. His
first operetta Beg iz harema (‘Escape from the Harem’), unfortunately now
lost, was followed in 1930 by Hmeljska princesa (The Hop-Picking Princess)
whose action is located in the area, the Savinja Valley, in which he was then
working as a teacher at Griže by Žalec. It was first performed to great ac-
claim in 1933 in Žalec with local amateurs and running for some 20 perfor-
mances, both in Žalec and Maribor. Sivec names as performers the Risto
Savin mixed choir from Žalec, the Celje String Orchestra, various instru-
mental soloists, the dancers of the Bolero Dance School from Žalec and
others.
Planinska roža
In a very colourful presentation of the background to Gobec’s next operetta
Planinska roža (The Highland Rose or The Mountain Flower) composed in
1937, Ivan Sivec notes that the environment for the operetta is the country-
side to the south of Celje, notably below the Lisca mountain, near a village
then called Henin (now Polana) fairly close to Juklošter, writing:
Mountains. The beauty of silence, peace, mountain flowers and
birds singing. The chant of the soul, the self-confidence of Slovenian
generations, the overcoming of oneself. All Slovenes, whether they
admit it or not, are hikers at heart. Some are active, others just in
their dreams. But definitely - like the sea - they carry mountains in
their hearts, their souls. Especially during the young years, at the
379
absorbed many features of the countryside and its social environment. He
was born in Podgrad near Ilirska Bistrica in the south of the country, where
even at this young age he was in a strong musical environment in which
his mother was an experienced choral singer. In 1912, just before the begin-
ning of World War I, the family moved north to Celje. He attended prima-
ry schools, in Celje and in Šmihelj nad Pliberkom [St Michael ob Bleiburg
– now part of Austria] and from 1919 to 1922 at the lower gymnasium in
Celje. Because of his extraordinary musical talent, he also attended the Cel-
je Music School from 1922 to 1924. In 1924, he enrolled as a trainee teacher
in Maribor, where he studied until 1928. His most important teachers here
were Hinko Druzovič (1873–1959) and Emerik Beran (1868–1940), who cer-
tainly must have been a strong influence. Happily for his future develop-
ment, he studied both piano and violin. In the next ten years, he was active
as a teacher, choral conductor and operetta composer.
It was this background which informed his interest in operetta. His
first operetta Beg iz harema (‘Escape from the Harem’), unfortunately now
lost, was followed in 1930 by Hmeljska princesa (The Hop-Picking Princess)
whose action is located in the area, the Savinja Valley, in which he was then
working as a teacher at Griže by Žalec. It was first performed to great ac-
claim in 1933 in Žalec with local amateurs and running for some 20 perfor-
mances, both in Žalec and Maribor. Sivec names as performers the Risto
Savin mixed choir from Žalec, the Celje String Orchestra, various instru-
mental soloists, the dancers of the Bolero Dance School from Žalec and
others.
Planinska roža
In a very colourful presentation of the background to Gobec’s next operetta
Planinska roža (The Highland Rose or The Mountain Flower) composed in
1937, Ivan Sivec notes that the environment for the operetta is the country-
side to the south of Celje, notably below the Lisca mountain, near a village
then called Henin (now Polana) fairly close to Juklošter, writing:
Mountains. The beauty of silence, peace, mountain flowers and
birds singing. The chant of the soul, the self-confidence of Slovenian
generations, the overcoming of oneself. All Slovenes, whether they
admit it or not, are hikers at heart. Some are active, others just in
their dreams. But definitely - like the sea - they carry mountains in
their hearts, their souls. Especially during the young years, at the
379
