Arti musices, Vol. 50 No. 1-2, 2019.
Review article
https://doi.org/10.21857/9xn31coxxy
Known and Unknown Matz. An Investigation of the Compositional Legacy of Rudolf Matz
Koraljka Kos
; Hrvatska akademija znanosti i umjetnosti, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The suite Faun for a mixed choir of eight voices by Rudolf Matz (1901-1988) is one of the highlights of the Croatian choral output. It was composed probably in 1921 and was first performed by Glazbeno društvo intelektualaca [The Music Society of Intellectuals] on 15 July 1923 at the Croatian Music Institute under the direction of the composer himself. The text originates from the collection Šumska idila [Forest Idyll] by Vladimir Nazor, created in 1913 during his sojourn in Kastav. The themes and motifs are typically fin de siècle experiences of nature, and the verses are characterized by supreme artistry, musicality and are rich in metaphors. The five movements of the Matz's suite are arranged according to the principles of dramaturgy of the whole, the axis of which is formed by two central movements (The Noon and Queen of Flowers), while the introductory first two (Forest Sleeps and Morning) and the final Resurrection Song frame the whole. Following the dialogue principle in Nazor’s text, in the movement The Noon, there are two vocal soloists foreseen in the score. Individual movements are articulated according to the formal principle of the text. The composer uses repetitions of individual larger or smaller units, alternating the tempo and polyphonic and homophonic setting, occasionally doubling the parts, thus resulting in a rich sonority based on late-romantic harmony, which he also uses for occasional tone painting. Fine motive links ensure the integrity of the suite. This composition represents an exception in Matz's work, which largely followed the so-called national style, because it was composed in the romantic choral tradition.
Keywords
Rudolf Matz; Faun; choral suite; Vladimir Nazor; Croatian music; Moderna; Spoznaje; Enver Čolaković; Expressionism
Hrčak ID:
234086
URI
Publication date:
6.12.2019.
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