The reception of west European music in Belgrade between world wars: On the examples of 'Muzički glasnik' and 'Muzika' magazines

Abstract

The very first music magazines started in Belgrade between World Wars were 'Muzički glasnik' (issued monthly from January to December 1922) and 'Muzika' (also issued monthly in the period January 1928 - March 1929). These magazines used to publish music essays, researches, debates, notes, news and other kind of articles. This paper brings an analysis of texts on West European music in these two journals. 'Muzički glasnik' published only few articles on European music. Those were on bibliographical news concerning editions on musicology in England and on French music magazines. There was a report on the concert held in Leipzig in1922 in honour of late Arthur Nikisch. 'Glasnik' also published an obituary to Camille Saint-Saëns containing, by contemporary standards, excessively complimentary evaluation of his music. West European music was far more present on the pages of 'Muzika' magazine. The editorial board used to publish thematic issues dedicated to jubilees of great European composers (such as Franz Schubert, Ludwig van Beethoven). One issue was dedicated to English music and this magazine also wrote about Puccini. Essays on European music were translated from foreign languages and the authors of some were coming from Yugoslavia. 'Muzika' magazine was addressing wide, educated audience, not only musicians. Therefore the texts giving biographical and psychological portraits of composers used to prevail over musicological analyses of their works. Serbian music community was not highly developed thus 'Muzika' moderately used expert terminology. Essays, as dominant forms in Serbian musicography up to 1941, were often written in a literary manner. This is evident in 'Muzika' as well. 'Muzika' and 'Muzički glasnik' adopted different aesthetics and ideology. The fact that the reception of West European music in 'Glasnik' was minimal was not only due to the insufficient number of associates. The editorial board of 'Glasnik' was more concerned with domestic music and problems of music institutions. Besides, the editors of this magazine were of opinion that the Serbian music should not solely look up to West European composers but even more to the Slav and domestic music exemplars. The editors of 'Muzika' were, however, strongly adhering to West European tradition. They thought that only high culture and knowledge could bring the Serbian music to a serious level, both technique and art wise. The editors of this magazine did not desire our composers to be epigones of Western musicians, but wanted to provide domestic musicians and readers with information on European art. In this regard, 'Muzika' used to have an enlightening mission in our country.

Studija je posvećena ispitivanju recepcije zapadnoevropske muzike (do kraja XIX veka) u prvim dvama muzičkim časopisima u međuratnom Beogradu: u Muzičkom glasniku (1922) i Muzici (1928-1929). Ispitivanje je pokazalo da svojim različitim odnosom prema muzici Zapadne Evrope ovaj segment srpske muzičke periodike odslikava podeljenost onovremene muzičke kulture u ideološkom i estetičkom pogledu.