Ivan Matetić Ronjgov

A bust of Ivan Matetić Ronjgov near his house in Ronjgi

Ivan Matetić Ronjgov (April 10, 1880 in Rojnici, Austria-Hungary – June 27, 1960 in Lovran, Yugoslavia) was an Istrian composer.

Ivan Matetić was born in Istria, then a part of Austria-Hungary on April 10, 1880 in a village near the city of Rijeka / Fiume called Rojnici, which is now in Croatia, from which he took his nickname "Ronjgov". He discovered the pattern of the music of the Istrian region, theoretically explaining the essence of this natural music and pinpointed the "Istrian scale" - a series of six tones and half-tones.

On the basis of this discovery he was able to document the folk songs of the Istrian region, to harmonize their notes, and finally to compose music in the same spirit. The passionate love that he nurtured for his native countryside is deserving for having this music find its way into concert halls.

He left a large number of musical notations from Istria and the Croatian seaside. He harmonized and arranged over one hundred songs. His most significant compositional opus consists of some ten major compositions for various vocal groups, mainly for mixed choirs.

Works such as "Ćaće moj" (My Papa), "Roženice", "Mantinjada domaćemu kraju" (Ode to our homeland), "Na mamin gorbak" (Beside Mama's grave) and others, are real chorus symphonies which place Matetić into the ranks of the most outstanding composers in Croatian and world chorus literature.

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