FAMOUS CROATS - Vatroslav Lisinski

Through his worldview formed in the context of Romanticism and newly awoken national sentiments, this Croatian composer, born almost two centuries ago (Zagreb, 8 July 1819 – Zagreb, 31 May 1854), set the ground for a new and novel way of understanding music by considering the nation as an essential precondition. Born into the family of the wealthy craftsman Andrija Fux, who moved from Dolenjske Toplice, and Ana née Kovačić, he was christened at St Mark's church in Zagreb as Ignacije Fux. He was educated in Zagreb, where he attended a gymnasium high school and graduated from a two-year programme in philosophy, as well as a two-year programme at the Academy of Law. He was of a fragile constitution and developed a limp in childhood, and this defect continued to affect him throughout his life. Music entered his life relatively late. He started learning the piano as late as 14 or 15, but his love of music, his need to express his intimate thoughts through music and the amiable company of his young friends and colleagues, the liberal and patriotic thinkers Ivan Trnski, Adolf Felbinger, and later Albert Ognjan Štriga, led him to try his hand at composing for the first time, setting Pavel Štoos' lyrics to music in a reveille entitled Iz Zagorja od prastara (From Zagorje since Ancient Times). The reveille was performed for the first time on Ljudevit Gaj's birthday, 8 July 1841, and it was greeted as a great success. Even though it was partly political, this success encouraged Lisinski to compose a series of inspired songs throughout the next year, all of which espoused the ideas of the Croatian National Revival, as well as to continue his musical education, which coincided with the impoverishment of his family. Soon, influenced by a Romanticist patriotic enthusiasm, he changed his real name to the one under which he is known today. This enthusiasm finally led to the creation of Ljubav i zloba (Love and Malice), his first operatic piece of music premiered on 28 March 1846 in Zagreb, which is also considered to be the first of its kind in the history of Croatian music. Encouraged by his success, Lisinski went on to pursue a four-year study programme in music in Prague. When he returned, however, Croatia was changed by the events of 1849 and patriotic ideas, as well as those who championed them, were hardly welcome. Considered almost a foreigner, Lisinski barely survived, working menial jobs. However, he continued to compose vigorously, listening to and recording the music of his homeland. In 1851, Lisinski set Dimitrija Demeter's libretto to music in the heroic opera Porin, which was much more mature and rich in content than his first operatic piece of work, even though the composer did not live to witness its premiere. Furthermore, Lisinski composed a number of songs that reveal his true romantic imagination, his sensibility for tonal painting and melodic inspiration: Miruj, miruj srce moje (Be Still My Heart), Prosjak (Beggar), Prelja (Spinner) and many others that breathed true life into the solo song in Croatia. Lisinski's final piece of music, the offertory Cum invocarem, which was composed during the last year of his life, reflects the difficult mental state that marked the end of his life. Erika Krpan musicologist and member of the Croatian Composer's Society