Rukoveti

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The Rukoveti are a cycle of 15 musical rhapsodies , to which a sixteenth named Primorski napjevi (English songs from the coast ) is often included . They were composed by the Serbian composer Stevan Stojanović Mokranjac between 1883 and 1909. He used folk music motifs from Serbia , Macedonia (then also known as Old Serbia), Bosnia and Bulgaria as a template .

term

The name rukovet ( Eng . Garland, flower wreath) comes from the vernacular and should symbolize the musical composition of different songs from different peoples. In Serbian usage, the rukoveti are also considered a musical term or a synonym for rhapsodies based on folk songs. The form Rukoveti is based on the work Kolo by the Serbian composer Josif Marinković .

Compositional principles

The following principles were developed by Mokranjac for composing the rukoveti :

  • The revised folk songs first had to meet high musical criteria. A collection of a total of 500 songs was created.
  • The folk songs were classified according to theme or their place of origin.
  • Mokranjac attached great importance to forming a coherent unit from the various folk songs. He was inspired by other cyclical forms of music such as B. the suite or the sonata . With the interplay of fast to slow or from sad to happy folk songs, Mokranjac succeeded in creating a varied and dynamic composition. Based on Marinković, Mokranjac processes a large number of folk songs in the first two Rukoveti , in contrast to the later ones, which are mainly limited to a few themes.
  • The folk songs were not allowed to lose their original melody. Rather, Mokranjac insisted on detailed processing using polyphonies or counterpoints .
  • With the Rukoveti , the psychological connection between words and music should also be emphasized. In this way, Mokranjac creates an expressive dialogue between male and female voices, as is usual in opera. The fifth and eleventh Rukovet are considered successful examples .

The Rukoveti in detail

1. Rukovet , From My Home (1883)

The 1st Rukovet and a modified version of the 4th Rukovet are composed exclusively for a male choir. All others are intended for mixed choirs. Due to the high number of songs (nine in total) Mokranjac tries to form a unit here by repeating the melodies several times. The then 27-year-old composer is still leaning on his older colleague Marinković. The stanzas of the first song “Bojo mi Bojo” are repeated after the second “Jarko sunce otskočilo”. Motifs from the first and third songs “Što ti je Stano, mori” can be heard shortly before the end of Rukovet . The fourth song "Karavilje, lane moje" is played gradually from verse to verse. This is followed by the fifth “Igrali se konji vrani” and the cheerful sixth “Reče Čiča”. The duet for tenor and bass captivates in the seventh song "Protužila pembe Ajša". The eighth song is the short motif from "Imala majka, jado". An effective finale of the first Rukovet is achieved with the song “Imala baba jedno momče”.

2. Rukovet , From My Home (1884)

The 2nd Rukovet begins romantically and lyrically. In contrast to the 1st Rukovet , Mokranjac uses five melodies here. The coherence is additionally supported by the tonal unity in that only F major and F minor are used. The rukovet consists of the following songs: "Osu se nebo zvezdama", "Smilj Smiljana" and "Jesam li ti, Jelane". This is followed by a baritone solo with “Maro Resavkinjo”. The 2nd rukovet ends with the witty song “U Budimu gradu”.

3. Rukovet , From My Home (1888)

The 3rd Rukovet contains a total of nine songs, in which it is very similar to the 1st Rukovet . However, Mokranjac weaves the songs closer together, which leads to a more coherent merging of the melodies. The first song "Zaspala devojka" consists of a dialogue between the male and female choir. The second (“Urani bela”) and third song (“Lepo ti je javor urodio”) are only hinted at in fragments. The next two songs are intertwined in the form of a rondo . These are the “Tekla voda Tekelija” sung in baritone and the “Razbole se Grivna mamina” sung in alto . The songs "Aoj Neno" and "Ovako se kuća teče" form a stylistic unit, although motifs from the Sevdalinka "Čimbirčice" and the humorous theme "Ala imaš oči" are interposed. The dynamic Kolo am des Rukovet ends abruptly with the verse "Niko ne zna kako mi je".

4. Rukovet , Mirjana (1890)

This piece does not have the classical form of a rukovet , as it only consists of the song “Mirjana”, which belongs to the group of orientalized urban folklore, or to the so-called Sevdalinka . There are two versions of this piece; in E major for a solo (bass) and a mixed choir and in B major for a solo (tenor) and a male choir. Both versions are followed and accentuated by piano and castanets .

5. Rukovet , From My Home (1892–1893)

The 5th Rukovet consists of a total of ten songs. Compared to the first four Rukoveti, the fifth impresses with a leap in musical quality. Despite its diversity, it manages to maintain a coherent unity. After the lively first song “Šta to miče”, followed by the rather slow “A što si se Jano” and a short repetition of the first, there is a lyrical dialogue between a soprano and tenor in the song “Konja sedlaš”. The melody of “Povela je Jela” consists of gradations that are achieved through a modification of the choral act, which is repeated after a short episode “Moj se dragi na put sprema” in the song “Lele Stano, mori”. The latter begins softly at first, but develops through the six stanzas to a dramatic culmination of six choral parts. The seventh song "Oj za gorom" is of a pastoral character. The following two songs "Oj, devojko" and "Višnjičica rod rodila" are intertwined. The melody "Ajde, mori, momčeto" is richly decorated with motifs that form an effective finale of the 5th Rukovet .

6. Rukovet , Hajduk Veljko (1892)

Before Mokranjac finished composing the 5th Rukovet , the sixth was composed. He dedicated it to the legend of the hero Hajduk Veljko from his hometown Negotin , where the premiere took place on July 13, 1892 during the inauguration of a monument to Hajduk Veljko. The first song “Knjigu piše Mula paša” begins with a tenoral chant, followed by a choir. As a contrast to the heroic beginning, the slow lyrical love song "Raslo mi je bagrem drvo" follows. This is followed by two short song episodes: "Hajduk Veljko po ordiji šeće" and "Kad Beograd Srbi uzimaše". With “Bolan mi leži Kara Mustafa” the Rukovet ends with an imposing and melodic-heroic finale.

7. Rukovet , Songs from Old Serbia and Macedonia (1894)

Already in the 2nd Rukovet it becomes clear that Mokranjac pursues a stylistic unity of the composition. In the 7th Rukovet this becomes the rule. The two fast songs “More, izvor voda izvirala” and “Ajde, ko ti kupi kulančeto” are followed by “Što li mi je”, a tenoral chant with a male choir. The fourth and fifth songs are quick again. These are the Scherzo “Poseja dedo” and the Kolo “Varaj Thank You”, the music of which is reminiscent of a Gajda game.

8. Rukovet , Songs from Kosovo (1896)

Mokranjac collected the melographic analyzes for the 8th Rukovet during his visit to Pristina in 1896. The lively and rhythmic beginning with “Džanum na sred selo” contrasts with the subsequent song “Što Morava mutna teče”, which seems slow and melancholy . The third song "Razgrana se grana jorgovana" captivates with a scherzo in the sonata cycle . The rukovet ends with the cheerful song “Skoč 'kolo”.

9. Rukovet , Songs from Montenegro (1896)

The limited choice of melodies was initially a challenge for the Montenegrin Rukovet . So Mokranjac decided to treat the harmony in an atypical way. This becomes particularly clear in the final song "U Ivana gospodara" where the musical phrases are used asymmetrically and resolved with a dissonant chord. The first three songs are “Poljem se nija”, “Rosa plete ruse kose” and “Lov lovili građani”.

10. Rukovet , songs from Ohrid (1901)

Mokranjac composed the 10th Rukovet during his greatest artistic strength and maturity. This work represents the high point of his work in the field of secular music and became a prime example of the artistic stylization of folkloric musical themes. In the 10th Rukovet , all desirable elements were achieved: excellent melodic themes, clear forms consisting of three fast and two slow alternating movements , as well as the masterful implementation of the harmonic solutions. The melody "Biljana platno beleše" is an example of one of the new harmonic solutions and is considered a successful paraphrase of the folk song. Mokranjac gives this song new liveliness by oscillating between a B flat major and G minor , and a combination of female voices and a tenor. The second song “Do tri mi puške puknale” evokes a rather sad mood, whereas the following third song “Dinka dvori mete” sounds more joyful. The fourth song “Pušči me” is characterized by its classic simplicity, which is considered one of Mokranjac's best executed slow movements. The final song “Niknalo cvekje šareno” is melodic and adorned with stimulating chords.

11. Rukovet , Songs from Old Serbia (1905)

Due to their form (Allegro-Adagio-Scherzo-Finale) the 11th and 8th Rukovet are very similar. In addition, the first and last song in both pieces are written in F major . The rukovet begins with the happy song “Pisaše me, Stano mori”, which is determined by the alternation of dialogically intoned phrases of the male and female choir. The following tune "Crna Goro" is by frequent inserts characterized. The third song "Oj, Lenko, Lenko" stands out due to its rhythm in five-four time. After a short repetition of the previous song, the Rukovet ends with the cheerful Kolo "Kalugere, crna dušo".

12. Rukovet , Songs from Kosovo (1906)

The 12th Rukovet is of a lyrical character. The most beautiful part is the fourth song "Cvekje cafnalo", which captivates with its beauty of melody and harmony. It is preceded by the following songs: “Deka si bila”, “Aman, šetnala si” and “Da l 'nemam, džanum”. The happy song "Sedi mi moma na pendžeru" forms the end.

13. Rukovet , From My Home (1907)

Mokranjac composed two different versions of the 13th Rukovet . They differ in the tonalities and the elaboration of the details. The combination of the selected songs consists of two slow and two fast, which are sung alternately. The rukovet begins with the sad song “Devojka junaku prsten povraćala” and continues with the cheerful “Oj, ubava mala momo”. The third song “Slavuj pile” contrasts with the witty final theme of “Krce, krce, nova kola”.

14. Rukovet , Songs from Bosnia (1908)

The songs from Bosnia in the 14th Rukovet are characterized by a wide melodic range. This becomes particularly clear in the first song “Kara majka Aliju” and in the fourth song “Štono mi se Travnik zamaglio”. The second song "Svaka ptica u šumici" is melancholy, while the third song "Devojka viče" is very lively. The final song “Uzrasto je zelen bor” is characterized by a change from the slow beginning to the lively development.

15. Rukovet , Songs from Macedonia (1909)

Very melodic material was used for the 15th Rukovet , which is characterized by a fine elaboration. The first song “Marije, bela Marije” is characterized by an elegiac mood, while the following two songs “Obasjala mesečina” and “Bog da ga ubije, mamo” are rhythmic. This is followed by the tenor solo “Prošeta, majko, devet godini” in an oriental style. The 15th Rukovet closes with the graceful song “Sejala Dinka bosiljak”.

Primorski napjevi (German songs from the coast) (1893)

The Primorski napjevi do not differ in any way from the rest of the Rukoveti , which consist of eight cheerful, bell-bright, Durian songs. These are: "Vozila se šajka, mala", "Zbogom, neharna dušo", "Popuhnul je tihi vjetar", "Aj zelena, zelena", "Oj, Jelena, vodo ti ledena", "Zibala Jane", "Vrbniče nad morem ”and the final“ Majka Maru preko mora zvala ”. The collection had previously been created by the Croatian choir director Slavoljub Lžičar.

literature

  • Stevan Stojanovic Mokranjac: Sabrana dela. Part 1: Svetovna muzika. (rukoveti), part 1, Zavod za udžbenike i nastavna sredstva publishing house, Beograd 1992, ISBN 86-357-0317-0 . (Serbian)