Opening of the 39th Slovenian Music Days

Programme: Slavko Osterc: The Masque of the Red Death Milko Lazar: Ballet Imaginaire for achordeon, lazaronator and orchestra* *** Milko Lazar: Man with a Knife *premiere performance In the early twentieth century, finding an audience for new music was no easy task. The increasing marginalisation of contemporary compositions led to a growing awareness among musicians of the need for mutual support and solidarity. This led to the establishment of composers’ societies that shared the common aims of providing their members with the necessary creative support, defending and promoting their rights and interests, and disseminating information about the creative aspects of music. Founded in France in 1851, the Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music (SACEM) became the model for organisations of this kind, which subsequently began appearing around the world. In this country too: the Society of Slovene Composers has been active since 1945 and its upcoming 80th anniversary, an important milestone that the Society will celebrate in 2025, was the cue and inspiration for the forthcoming 39th Slovenian Music Days. The opening concert shines the spotlight on two composers of different generations, experiences and views: on the one hand, the first Slovene modernist and one of the leading Slovene composers of the pre-war modern movement, Slavko Osterc, who with characteristic focus, irony and a sense of the grotesque, coupled with great expressive power, defied traditional musical expectations; and on the other, Milko Lazar, a highly original composer with a distinctively individual musical language, underscored by rich and pronounced rhythms and a broad sonority.