Arti musices, Vol. 53 No. 1, 2022.
Izvorni znanstveni članak
https://doi.org/10.21857/mnlqgcrgry
Contribution of the Venucci Family to the Development of Music Culture in Rijeka in the 20th Century
Daniela Perković
orcid.org/0000-0002-3090-0785
; Glazbena škola Ivana Matetića Ronjgova Rijeka, Rijeka, Hrvatska
Sažetak
The surname Venucci was found at several locations during earlier research into church archives located in Rijeka. The Venucci family is presented in musical historiographical works only sporadically, but it has not been the subject of thorough elaboration. This paper presents an outline of the life and work of musicians and organists Remo (1903-1987) and Wilma (1905-1983) Venucci, and consequently, at least in brief, Remo’s twin brother Romolo (1903-1976) and brother Abdon (1910 – around 1980). The legacy of the Venucci family is located in the family’s private archive. The fund contains music scores (autographs, manuscripts, printed scores), musical instruments, concert programs, newspaper music reports, documentation, correspondence, photographs and works of art that testify to the position and importance of the Venucci family in the (musical) history of Rijeka.
Remo and Wilma were born in the early 20th Century. Their father Antal Wnoucsek first moved from Hungary to Pula and then to Rijeka where he married Maria Ana Rostand, a Rijeka native of Slovenian French origin with whom he had six children. In the interwar period the family changed their surname Wnoucsek to the Italian version Venucci. The Venucci children received their first music lessons from their father and all of them were musically gifted. Their family home was often a place inclined to art and culture, like a private music salon, and a meeting place of important artists from Rijeka in the 20th century such as Guido Smareglia or members of the Tyberg family. Although Remo was a very important and recognized engineer in Rijeka, he also left a significant mark in church music, given that he was an organist for more than 60 years in all major churches in Rijeka.
Remo studied music privately with Anselmo Canjuga and Gastone de Zuccoli. His position as the organist of the church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Duomo) represents the continuity of Rijeka’s organ tradition from the 19th century – from Venceslav Wenzel, through Ivan Zajc the Elder and then the Younger to Remo Venucci. In addition to the function of the Kapellmeister, he also repaired and electrified Rijeka’s important organs, thus improving their technical aspects, which was not foreign to him as an engineer. He was involved in the purchase of the organ for the St Vitus’ Cathedral and for the Salesians Church. Wilma Venucci was also the choirmaster and organist in various churches in Rijeka for about 30 years. Later she moved to Italy where she continued her music career. She studied music theory with Marcel Tyberg and then graduated in piano as a private student at the Jacopo Tomadini Conservatory in Udine. Wilma is even the composer of shorter church vocal works. While living in Rijeka, she worked as a pianist in the Società filarmonico-drammatica. Venucci, as an organizer of church music life, also collaborated with the Rijeka Opera Orchestra which, along with choirs, sometimes played during major ceremonies where they performed major musical works. The fact that the repertoire containing major works by European masters was performed in Rijeka shows that the level of performing excellence and amateur performance was very high, as well as demonstrating that the musical life of the city of Rijeka was generally quite distinguished in the 20th century.
Ključne riječi
Venucci; Remo Venucci; Wilma Venucci; Rijeka; sacred music
Hrčak ID:
280382
URI
Datum izdavanja:
14.7.2022.
Posjeta: 1.437 *