Page 251 - 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. 251
from “baggage culture” to universally accepted cultural commitment ...
what music and musical life was. It will turn out that the different percep-
tion was a key problem in the reception of Western European music flows.
In the case of immigrants, one of the aspects of perceiving music and
musical life included entertainment, which was easily related to elements of
exclusivity. Actually, the Western European musical culture starts its jour-
ney in the circle of foreigners who searched for ways to fill in their leisure
time. Besides, socializing was organized for a narrow circle of immigrants’
population, in some or elite city spaces or halls. Such events were for the
“selected” and the elitist character even spread to military bands’ perfor-
mances. For almost two decades, military bands gave concerts in closed
spaces where “ordinary citizens” had no access,17 while public performanc-
es were mostly organized during religious holidays for years.
The second form of perceiving developments in musical life from im-
migrants perspective was recognizing Sarajevo as a promising labor mar-
ket. In order to secure safe income, professional musicians, primarily of
Croatian and Czech origin, decided to settle in Sarajevo, and their Slav-
ic origin and language allowed them easier adjustment and faster manag-
ing in everyday life. A prominent example of the kind was Czech Fran-
tišek Matejovský (1871– 1938), a composer, choirmaster and pedagogue who
got the permit from the National Government in Banja Luka in 1902 to
give private classes in music.18 Later, in 1908, the classes grew into the Mu-
sic School in Sarajevo. Another prominent name was Eduard Heeger, the
choirmaster of Sarajevo-based “Männergesangverein”, also known in pub-
lic as a private music teacher and the owner of a reputable instrument shop
in Sarajevo.19 Expectedly, foreigners prevailed in the development of com-
posing activity as well, which fully depended on their aspirations. Croats
(Milena Mrazović-Preindlsberger, Aleksandar Bosiljevac, Karlo Pienta),
and ever-present Czechs (Matejovský, Bogomir Kačerovský, Julius Fučik)
prevailed in this area.20 However, in the given context, it must be empha-
sized that professional musicians came to Sarajevo primarily on their own
initiative, while no decision or government’s official document speak of the
transfer of musicians to B&H aimed at a well-conceived artistic activity.
Naturally, military choirmasters, who came together with military regi-
mens, were an exception.
17 Anonym., “Platz muzik,” Srpska riječ, April 9, 1906, 3–4.
18 Sarajevo. The Archives of Bosnia-Herzegovina. ZVS, 1908, šf. 221–77.
19 Paćuka, “Muzički život u Sarajevu u periodu Austro-Ugarske uprave (1878–1918),”
219–220.
20 Ibid., 234.
249
what music and musical life was. It will turn out that the different percep-
tion was a key problem in the reception of Western European music flows.
In the case of immigrants, one of the aspects of perceiving music and
musical life included entertainment, which was easily related to elements of
exclusivity. Actually, the Western European musical culture starts its jour-
ney in the circle of foreigners who searched for ways to fill in their leisure
time. Besides, socializing was organized for a narrow circle of immigrants’
population, in some or elite city spaces or halls. Such events were for the
“selected” and the elitist character even spread to military bands’ perfor-
mances. For almost two decades, military bands gave concerts in closed
spaces where “ordinary citizens” had no access,17 while public performanc-
es were mostly organized during religious holidays for years.
The second form of perceiving developments in musical life from im-
migrants perspective was recognizing Sarajevo as a promising labor mar-
ket. In order to secure safe income, professional musicians, primarily of
Croatian and Czech origin, decided to settle in Sarajevo, and their Slav-
ic origin and language allowed them easier adjustment and faster manag-
ing in everyday life. A prominent example of the kind was Czech Fran-
tišek Matejovský (1871– 1938), a composer, choirmaster and pedagogue who
got the permit from the National Government in Banja Luka in 1902 to
give private classes in music.18 Later, in 1908, the classes grew into the Mu-
sic School in Sarajevo. Another prominent name was Eduard Heeger, the
choirmaster of Sarajevo-based “Männergesangverein”, also known in pub-
lic as a private music teacher and the owner of a reputable instrument shop
in Sarajevo.19 Expectedly, foreigners prevailed in the development of com-
posing activity as well, which fully depended on their aspirations. Croats
(Milena Mrazović-Preindlsberger, Aleksandar Bosiljevac, Karlo Pienta),
and ever-present Czechs (Matejovský, Bogomir Kačerovský, Julius Fučik)
prevailed in this area.20 However, in the given context, it must be empha-
sized that professional musicians came to Sarajevo primarily on their own
initiative, while no decision or government’s official document speak of the
transfer of musicians to B&H aimed at a well-conceived artistic activity.
Naturally, military choirmasters, who came together with military regi-
mens, were an exception.
17 Anonym., “Platz muzik,” Srpska riječ, April 9, 1906, 3–4.
18 Sarajevo. The Archives of Bosnia-Herzegovina. ZVS, 1908, šf. 221–77.
19 Paćuka, “Muzički život u Sarajevu u periodu Austro-Ugarske uprave (1878–1918),”
219–220.
20 Ibid., 234.
249
