Brkanovic, Ivan

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Brkanović, Ivan

Brkanović, Ivan, Croatian composer; b. Skaljari, Dec. 27, 1906; d. Zagreb, Feb. 20, 1987. He studied with Bersa at the Zagreb Academy of Music (graduated, 1935) and Léfebre at the Paris Schola Cantorum. He then taught in Zagreb secondary schools (1935–51) and was a visiting prof, at the Sarajevo Academy of Music (1957–62). His works utilized thematic materials derived from national folk music, but his harmonic idiom followed along modern lines.

Works

DRAMATIC: Opera: Ekvinocij (Equinox; 1945; Zagreb, Oct. 4, 1950); Zlato Zadra (The Gold of Zadar; Zagreb, April 15, 1954). ballet:Heloti (1959; Zagreb, March 17, 1963). orch.: 5 syms. (1935, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949); Concertino for Strings (1955); Sarajevska svita (1957; Zagreb, Jan. 20, 1958). chamber: 2 string quartets (1933, 1938); piano pieces. vocal:Triptych for Soloists, Chorus, and Orch. (1936); Daltnatinski diptihon for Soloists, Chorus, and Orch. (1953); 3 cantatas: Bosnanska sjeĀ©anja (1961), Zelena zmija lujbavi (1964), and Snatrenje (1967); Ho po mukah Ambroza Matije Gupca zvanog Beg (The Torturous Journey of Ambrose Matija Gubec, Named Beg), scenic oratorio (Zagreb, Dec. 13, 1974).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire