croatia

THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA • 2003
GENERAL INFORMATION
STATE AUTHORITY
ECONOMY
The 18th century saw the rise of composers of larger orchestral works, mainly in the Classical Style. Luka
SorkoËeviÊ (1734 - 1789) of Dubrovnik was the author of the first Croatian symphonies, while his son Antun
(1775 - 1841) composed, in addition to symphonies, chamber and vocal music as well as piano sonatas. Ivan
Mane JarnoviÊ (1745 - 1804) was the author of many chamber compositions, symphonies and violin concertos,
partly published in Paris. In the 19th century, Zagreb became the leading musical center, where in 1827 the
Musikverein, later the Croatian Music Institute, was founded. This establishment opened its own music school
in 1829, which became the Conservatoire, or Academy of Music, in the early 20th century. Patriotic enthusiasm
inspired a number of musicians, supporters of the Revival, to set the verses of Croatian poets to music, creating
solo arias and patriotic songs such as “Joπ Hrvatska nij’ propala” by Ferdo LivadiÊ, “Lijepa naπa domovino”
by Josip Runjanin, and many others, and also motivated Vatroslav Lisinski (1819 - 1854) to compose the first
Croatian operas “Ljubav i zloba” (Love and Malice) and “Porin”.
This musical impetus in the Revival period faded in the period of Habsburg Absolutism. The new era began
in 1870, when Ivan Zajc (1831 - 1914) came to Zagreb. He was a prolific composer, conductor and teacher. The
transitional period before the affirmation of the new national tendency was marked by Blagoje Bersa (1873 -
1934), who raised Croatian orchestral music to the European level. One of the renowned composers of this period
was Dora PejaËeviÊ (1885 - 1923), who left about 60 originally inspired late-Romantic symphonic, chamber
and piano works. Between the two world wars, almost all Croatian composers belonged to the orientation favoring
national motifs in music. Jakov Gotovac gained fame with his opera “Ero s onoga svijeta” (Ero the Joker).
Josip Slavenski (1896 - 1955) caught the attention of the international musical community with stylishly
orchestrated opus and piano and chamber music. In addition to folklore motives, the work of Boris Papandopulo
also bears Neo-Classicist and dodecaphonic features. Among many Croatian musical ensembles, the most prominent
are the Zagreb Opera, established back in the times of Ivan pl. Zajc, the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra
and the Zagreb Soloists.
CULTURE
SPORTS
ADDRESSES
CROATIAN SPECIALTIES
Film The first film shows were held in major Croatian cities shortly after the first film was shown in the Grand
Café in Paris. For example, the first film show in Zagreb was held in 1896, barely a year after the one in Paris.
The first Croatian feature film was made in 1919, and during the war, in 1943, Oktavijan MiletiÊ shot the film