Page 231 - Weiss, Jernej, ur. 2017. Glasbene migracije: stičišče evropske glasbene raznolikosti - Musical Migrations: Crossroads of European Musical Diversity. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 1
P. 231
davor in jenko between slovenian and ser bian music
from 1865–1912/3 Belgrade – Autonomous Principality of Serbia (1804–1878), Principality/
(?) Kingdom of Serbia (1878–1882 –1918)
1912/3 (?) Kappelmeister of the First Belgrade Singing Society (1865–1877)
and of the King’s Serbian National Theatre (1871–1902)
Ljubljana – Austrian Empire, today’s Republic of Slovenia
returns to his homeland
25 November 1914 Dies in Ljubljana
At first glance, it is clear that Davorin Jenko did not leave Austria
(Austria-Hungary) before 1865, when he was invited to take up the position
of choir-master of the First Belgrade Singing Society (founded in 1953). He
moved to the Serbian capital of his own free will, within a short time be-
coming one of the most respected figures in the then young Serbian mu-
sic and artistic circles. It is also well known that Jenko stayed and worked
fruitfully in Serbia for almost the next four decades, deciding to leave Bel-
grade only after the death of Vela Nigrinova (1862–1908), his beloved life
partner and another Belgrade heroine of Slovenian origin.17
With these facts in mind, one could easily ask the question why we
should consider Jenko as a musical migrant, as well as what are the rea-
sons that connect him to the issues of music and migration. However, quite
similar to numerous Czech musicians, who in the 19th century moved from
their native lands and made their full professional careers across the vast
territory of the Austria-Hungarian Empire, inhabited mainly by Slavic peo-
ples,18 Davorin Jenko’s case shows that the causes, manifestations and phe-
17 More about the relationship between Jenko and Nigrinova and about their prominent
role in Belgrade artistic circles, see in the chapter by Mladena Prelić, “Mapiranje
kulturne istorije i pamćenja: beogradske godine Davorina Jenka i Vele Nigrinove,”
in Davorin Jenko (1835–1914). Prilozi za kulturu sećanja [Davorin Jenko (1835–1914).
Prispevki za kulturo spomina], ed. Katarina Tomašević (Beograd: Muzikološki
institut SANU – Nacionalni savet slovenačke nacionalne manjine u RS, forthcoming
2016), 57–82.
18 About the important role that Czech musicians played in the histories of music in
Austrian lands inhabited mainly by Slavic peoples, particularly Serbs and Slovenes
see e.g. newer publications and sources (selection): Milica Gajić, “Some issues of
studying activities of Czech musicians in Serbia in the 19th century,” Musicological
Annual, 45/1 (2009): 75–88; Katarina Tomašević, “The Contribution of Czech
Musicians to the Serbian Music in the 19th Century,” Musicological Annual, 42/1
(2006): 127–137; Jernej Weiss, “‘Czech-Slovene’ musicians?: On the question of national
identity in Slovene music at the turn of the 20th century,” Muzikologija, 7 (2007): 217–
230; Idem., Vloga čeških glasbenikov v glasbeni kulturi na Slovenskem med letoma
1861 in 1914, (PhD diss., Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, 2009). [See also:
Idem, “The Role of Czech Musicians on Musical Culture in Slovenia between 1861
229
from 1865–1912/3 Belgrade – Autonomous Principality of Serbia (1804–1878), Principality/
(?) Kingdom of Serbia (1878–1882 –1918)
1912/3 (?) Kappelmeister of the First Belgrade Singing Society (1865–1877)
and of the King’s Serbian National Theatre (1871–1902)
Ljubljana – Austrian Empire, today’s Republic of Slovenia
returns to his homeland
25 November 1914 Dies in Ljubljana
At first glance, it is clear that Davorin Jenko did not leave Austria
(Austria-Hungary) before 1865, when he was invited to take up the position
of choir-master of the First Belgrade Singing Society (founded in 1953). He
moved to the Serbian capital of his own free will, within a short time be-
coming one of the most respected figures in the then young Serbian mu-
sic and artistic circles. It is also well known that Jenko stayed and worked
fruitfully in Serbia for almost the next four decades, deciding to leave Bel-
grade only after the death of Vela Nigrinova (1862–1908), his beloved life
partner and another Belgrade heroine of Slovenian origin.17
With these facts in mind, one could easily ask the question why we
should consider Jenko as a musical migrant, as well as what are the rea-
sons that connect him to the issues of music and migration. However, quite
similar to numerous Czech musicians, who in the 19th century moved from
their native lands and made their full professional careers across the vast
territory of the Austria-Hungarian Empire, inhabited mainly by Slavic peo-
ples,18 Davorin Jenko’s case shows that the causes, manifestations and phe-
17 More about the relationship between Jenko and Nigrinova and about their prominent
role in Belgrade artistic circles, see in the chapter by Mladena Prelić, “Mapiranje
kulturne istorije i pamćenja: beogradske godine Davorina Jenka i Vele Nigrinove,”
in Davorin Jenko (1835–1914). Prilozi za kulturu sećanja [Davorin Jenko (1835–1914).
Prispevki za kulturo spomina], ed. Katarina Tomašević (Beograd: Muzikološki
institut SANU – Nacionalni savet slovenačke nacionalne manjine u RS, forthcoming
2016), 57–82.
18 About the important role that Czech musicians played in the histories of music in
Austrian lands inhabited mainly by Slavic peoples, particularly Serbs and Slovenes
see e.g. newer publications and sources (selection): Milica Gajić, “Some issues of
studying activities of Czech musicians in Serbia in the 19th century,” Musicological
Annual, 45/1 (2009): 75–88; Katarina Tomašević, “The Contribution of Czech
Musicians to the Serbian Music in the 19th Century,” Musicological Annual, 42/1
(2006): 127–137; Jernej Weiss, “‘Czech-Slovene’ musicians?: On the question of national
identity in Slovene music at the turn of the 20th century,” Muzikologija, 7 (2007): 217–
230; Idem., Vloga čeških glasbenikov v glasbeni kulturi na Slovenskem med letoma
1861 in 1914, (PhD diss., Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, 2009). [See also:
Idem, “The Role of Czech Musicians on Musical Culture in Slovenia between 1861
229
