Allies in Music: French Influences and Role Models in the Cvijeta Zuzorić Association of Friends of Arts

Abstract

In the interwar period, France was seen as the main military and diplomatic ally of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (SCS), later Kingdom of Yugoslavia, and the defender of the fragile Versailles Peace Treaty. This relationship resulted in a clear French influence in the realm of art and culture in Yugoslavia. Moreover, the triumph of the French cultural influence was also interpreted in the light of the simmering conflict between Serbian and Croat elites in Yugoslavia, as Serbian intellectuals traditionally gravitated toward Paris and France, unlike the Croat (and Slovene) ones, which had been part of the Central European and Austro-Hungarian cultural sphere. This article analyzes the French cultural influence through the musical activities of the Cvijeta Zuzorić Association of Friends of Art. The organization was established to promote modern art and the endeavors of young artists. It was firmly latched onto various mechanisms of state support, and participated in promoting the dominant ideology of the Karađorđević royal dynasty. The paper follows the association’s musical activates through its three phases: the initial period, marked by annual artistic soirées, the middle period and the activities of the Narodni konzervatorijum (National Conservatory), which included weekly concerts of varying quality, and the final period of open music competitions. The article maps a clear picture of French artistic influences, which notably included open modeling of certain commissioned and awarded compositions on famous French pieces.