Osječki zbornik, Vol. Vol. 27 No. xx, 2004.
Preliminary communication
Hermina Munk (1888-1977): contribution to the music life in Osijek in the 20th century
Ljerka Perči
; OŠ "Gustav Krklec", Maruševac
Abstract
Hermina Munk was a piano teacher, violinist, piano player, organist and a composer in everyday life of Osijek for more than 60 years. She has not been mentioned in a newspaper article or paper with her activities analysed on the basis of research of the preserved sources. She was born in the middle-class family whose members were in various services for monarchy, army and steamship companies. Her father Hugo Munk, a son of a military doctor and surgeon, was born in Bratislava and her mother Catharine born Dinelli in Karanscebesc, Romania. Hermina received private musical education as well as her younger sisters Adela and Emilia. In her youth she composed songs for voice, piano and choir.
She was teaching piano from 1922 until 1959 and each school year she had over 25 pupils. During the war in 1944/45 the number of pupils decreased in half. She arranged pupil matinees in the spring of every year and final performances in June. After 1945 she resumed piano lessons and since then the performances continued in her flat in Zadarska street.
In her mid-twenties she became a member of the
"Kuhač" society together with her sisters and brother-in-law. She was a board member and she was a musical section president. At that time complex musical pieces were performed with an outstanding success. From 1927 Hermina Munk was a member of the Musician society in the Yugoslavia Kingdom.
It is interesting that together with individual studies of harmony and counterpoint, she resumed studying the composition by F. Lhotke (1883-1962) at the age of 47. She travelled to lessons in Zagreb by train. She sent her works for correction by mail and received them back.
From her mid-thirties Hermina's compositions were performed in Osijek and Zagreb with great success. The choral song "Ftiček...." that was written for Kuhač choir, was rewarded in Zagreb in 1939 and performed on the tours in Sarajevo and Dubrovnik.
She retired as a piano player and composer in 1959. She continued to follow the musical events and at the same time she was interested in the achievements of young Croatian composers. She died as the last of her three sisters and was buried in her family vault in Osijek in 1977.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
163555
URI
Publication date:
6.12.2004.
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