Josif Marinković

Josif Marinković on a 2009 Serbian stamp
Bust of Josif Marinković in Belgrade

Josif Marinković (Serbian Cyrillic: Јосиф Маринковић; Vranjevo, near Novi Bečej, 15 September 1851 – Belgrade, 13 May 1931) was a Serbian choral director and primarily a composer of a prevalently lyrical sentience. Like his younger contemporary Stevan St. Mokranjac, he was devoted to mainly vocal genres—lied and choral. Marinković was a romanticist with a pronounced affinity for melodic expression. He invested exceptional attention to the text declamation, which represented a rather novel quality in Serbian music at the time.

Biography

Marinković graduated at the Prague Organ School (1873–81) and attended specialized studies in Vienna (1986–87). He acted as choral director of the Belgrade Singing Society (1881–87), Academic Singing Society Obilić (1889–1900), as well as other choral ensembles (The Laborers’ Singing Society and Serbian-Jewish Singing Society, among others). He also taught music at the Serbian Orthodox Seminary, Teachers’ Preparatory School, and The Second Men’s Gymnasium. Marinković was inducted into the Serbian Royal Academy (today Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts) in 1907.

As a composer of a distinctly romanticist expression, Marinković often utilized folk melodies. He composed patriotic songs for men’s choir, the most popular among them being The People’s assembly ((Narodni zbor) 1876, after the text by S. Kaćanski) of an upbeat, march-like character, thus considered a symbol of the feisty spirit of Serbian people, With a song to the heart, and Slavia (Slavija); lyrical pieces for mixed choir and compositions for children’s choir, among others. Marinković composed eleven Kolos, based on a mosaic-like assemblage of folk tunes (Branko’s kolos being the third, fifth, and ninth kolo, upon The School friends’ parting (Đački rastanak) lyrics by Branko Radičević, featuring stylized melodies from Vojvodina). Among piano accompanied choral works similar to cantatas, significant are A Content river (Zadovoljna reka) and The Water mill ((Potočara) with text-painting), of lyrical character, both written after the text by Jovan Grčić Milenko, and also a patriotic choral work On Good Friday (Na Veliki petak). In his lieder, Marinković paid closed attention to the correct diction, lilting melody, and expressive piano accompaniment with which he depicted certain desired atmosphere. He composed lieder after the lyrics of Serbian poets Jovan Jovanović Zmaj, J. Grčić Milenko, and Vojislav Ilić (Tell me, please, tell me (Kaži mi, kaži), The Parting (Rastanak), The stream gurgles (Potok žubori), Oh, How the sun shines (Oh, kako sunce sija), Prayer (Molitva), A Shrub (Grm), etc.). In his church works, Marinković was inspired by Serbian Church chanting (Liturgy, for mixed choir) and influences of Russian Church music (Opelo (Orthodox Requiem), O, Heavenly King (Carju nebesni), Angel vopijaše, etc.). Marinković often reworked his pieces, thus they exist in several versions.

Works

Lieder

Lieder, composed after the lyrics by romanticist poets and folk motives, occupy the most significant place in Marinković’s oeuvre. He is considered the founder of this genre in Serbian music. The most compelling are lieder composed upon art poetry lyrics (by J. J. Zmaj, J. G. Milenko, Đ. Jakšić, and V. Ilić). In his lieder, Marinković achieved a broad range of moods—hearty lyricism (What a sight, this world’s so bright (Ala je lep ovaj svet), Oh, How the sun shines, The stream gurgles), romanticist warmth, melodic breadth (Longing (Čežnja)), and drama (The Parting, A Shrub). He arranged many of his songs in several versions and provided an insight into his creative evolution and development toward a seasoned compositional and technical mastery. Marinković exhibits the ability of deep delving into the meaning and mood of selected lyrics, following the correct diction, with inventive, broad melodies, and an overall direct expression. Melody represents his primary tool; although in his later works noticeable is a rather elaborated piano part and somewhat free harmonic language, within the realm of the late romanticist means of expression.

Marinković also found his inspiration in the texts close to folk songs and composed in the manner close to folk, establishing in Serbian art music a popular sevdalinka genre (Šana, dear, Stojanka, and From town to town). He also continued and preserved the tradition of rearranging the folk tunes.

Choral music: secular works

Marinković composed pieces for men’s, mixed, women’s, and children’s choirs, but particularly nurtured the genre of choral pieces with piano accompaniment. His eleven kolos (1881–97)—wreaths of adapted folk tunes for men’s and mixed choirs, are considered precursors of S. St. Mokranjac’s Song Wreaths. Utilizing a large number of songs lacking a more complex adaptation, Marinković failed to reach a well rounded and complex form later manifested in Mokranjac’s works, but however, anticipated some of Mokranjac’s procedures (linking and repetition of song excerpts, songs, and alike). The actual selection of the kolo songs does not demonstrate the level of fastidiousness and cogitation in the scope the works’ entirety, so representative for Mokranjac, while the developing procedures are mainly restrained, but still refreshing and uplifting. In the later kolos (Eleventh and Twelfth), Marinković achieved a higher formal conciseness, better choral texture, contrasts of solo and tutti parts, and bolder harmonic solutions. The three kolos (The Third, Fifth, and Ninth) are named after Branko Radičević (Branko’s kolos (sing., Brankovo kolo)) since they are composed after this poet’s lyrics entitled The School friends’ parting and are only indirectly folk-inspired.

Much like his contemporaries, Marinković composed works upon patriotic poetry lyrics (The People’s assembly, A Heroic battle cry (Junčaki poklič), The Balkans anthem, The Kosovo anthem, With a song to the heart, The Serbian Muslims’ anthem), some of which became rather popular, such as The People’s assembly (1876) famous for its opening verse, as well as the song Hey, Trumpeter. As one of the most popular Marinković’s songs, it was the Obilić anthem for many years.

Marinković established a piano accompanied choral genre in Serbian music (A Content river, On Good Friday, A Suffering mother (Jadna majka), Prayer, The Water mill, and Cantata to Dositej Obradović). By their broadness and complexity of the piano accompaniment, some of these works confirm that the piano was in fact used as an orchestra substitute.

Choral music: sacred works

In 1935, Kosta Manojlović reconstructed certain movements he found in Marinković’s legacy collection into the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom (Liturgija Svetog Jovana Zlatoustog). Among the Liturgy movements particularly expressive and inspiring is Our Father (Otce nas), considered one of the master pieces of choral literature.

Instrumental and stage music

Among instrumental pieces, Marinković composed Sonatina for piano in four hands, and Two Serbian dances, Fantasia, and Nocturne for violin. His stage music includes plays Suđaje by Lj. Petrović (with very successful numbers The Lullaby and The Monk chorus).

Most significant works

Recordings

See also

Bibliography

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