Osječki zbornik, Vol. Vol. 40 No. xx, 2025.
Preliminary communication
Tambura Family Instruments from the Collection of Musical Instruments in the Museum of Slavonia with Reference to the Work of Instrument Maker Josip Rohrbacher from Osijek
Andreja Šimičić
; Muzej Slavonije, Osijek
Marijo Zbiljski
; Glazbena škola Franje Kuhača, Osijek
Abstract
Tambura is, musically speaking, a plucked string instrument, played in orchestras as well as solo. We like to say that it is the Croatian national instrument. It earned the epithet „Croatian“ through centuries of efforts by the Croatian people to mark their national music, and art in general, with tambura. The city of Osijek played a crucial role in this so-called nationalization of the instrument. One of the first notable contributions was made by Pajo Kolarić, when he established the First Tambura Citizens Choir in Osijek in 1847. Throughout the 19th century, tambura music spread from Osijek across Croatia and the Habsburg Empire.
The collection of tambura instruments of the Museum of Slavonia, collected from the 1980s until today, shows us the diversity of tambura building systems, and represents the works of various builders both from Osijek and from all over Croatia and beyond. One of the most influential people in that field was Josip Rohrbacher, alongside his brother Leopold. In 1922 the two of them established their workshop in Osijek, then a Free and Royal City, the First Tambura Workshop in Osijek. Besides making high quality instruments, they made significant contributions to the development of tambura orchestras from 1922 to 1944, serving as conductors, composers, arrangers and teachers. Rohrbacher brothers, as we can see, were also active in organizing the cultural life of Osijek.
When brothers left Osijek in 1944 an important chapter in the development of tambura music, which tambura players like to say was the golden age of tambura music, ended.
Keywords
tambura; tambura builders; Josip Rohrbacher; Rohrbacher brothers; Osijek; Muzej Slavonije
Hrčak ID:
329055
URI
Publication date:
13.3.2025.
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