The ‘Glasbena Matica’ Music Society of Triest Celebrates 100 Years

The ‘Glabena Matica’ Music Society of Trieste is celebrating an honourable 100 years of activity. In honour of the occasion the annual Prešeren Day celebrations marking Slovenia’s cultural holiday took place in three different locations. The first performance of the music and theatre project was on Feb. 8 in the Ristori Theatre in Cividale del Friuli (Cedad in Slovenian) in the Veneto region of Italy. A repeat performance was given in the Slovenian Theatre in Trieste on Feb. 10, followed by a third performance in the Gorizia Cultural Centre in the Gorizia region on Feb. 12.

The 100th anniversary of the Trieste ‘Glasbena Matica’ is the central feature of this year’s holiday celebrating Slovenian culture. The Confederation of Slovenian organisations based in western Italy — including the Slovenian Cultural Economic Association, the Slovenian Education Board, the Slovenian Theatre, the Association of Slovenian Cultural Societies, the Association of Slovenian Catholic Education, the Slovenian Research Institute, the National and Research Library, the Emil Komel Slovenian Music School, the Gorizia Cultural Centre, the Lojze Bratuž Cultural Centre and the Institute for Slovenian Culture in the Veneto Region — who each year are all co-organisers of a joint celebration honouring the cultural holiday, agreed to devote this year’s celebrations to marking the Triest-based Slovenian music institution’s jubilee anniversary.

The idea of time — musical and historical as well as the ‘tempo’ of life — was the theme of the events, which take there title from a poem by Slovenian poet Srecko Kosovel: ‘…In cujem te; klavir igra…’ (somewhat unpoetically translated as ‘...I am listening to you; a piano is playing...’). The event, featuring a mix of concerts, presentations and celebrations, was directed by actor and director Gregor Gec after a script written by professor Tatjan Rojc and with music selected by Aleksander Ipavec. Poetry, letters and historical information relating to Srecko and Karmela Kosovel were presented by actors Danijel Malalan and Maja Gal Štromajer, while the Trieste Glasbena Matica’s century of activity was related on stage by the institution’s current ensembles, students and teachers. Participating in the music part of the event was the Jacobus Gallus Choir (led by Marko Sancin), the choir of the Glasbena Matica and the San Pier d'Isonzo (Špeter) dual language school, the accordion orchestra of the San Pier d'Isonzo ‘Glasbena Matica’ Music Society led by Aleksander Ipavec, an accordion trio, the Glasbena Matica string quartet and harpist Tadeja Kralj. Taking part as a special guest was violinist Žarko Hrvatic, the first alumnus of the Glasbena Matica, and guitarist Marko Feri. Honorary speakers were professor Miran Košuta (Cividale del Friuli), Ivo Cotic (Trieste) and Davide Clodig (Gorizia).