European Cultural Migration and Ljubljana Opera in the Period of Director Mirko Polič (1925–1939)

Darja Koter

After World War One, the opera and ballet of the Slovene National Theatre in Ljubljana was led by the conductor Friderik Rukavina. Since the programme was too traditional and closed to local circles, he was succeeded in 1925 by the more promising Mirko Polič, under whom Ljubljana’s opera gained a more modern programme and a wider European stance. He developed the vocal, ballet and chorus ensembles and looked after the current procedures in directing as well as stage and costume design. Facing a shortage of certain local personnel, he hired internationally recognised foreign artists and thus provided for a proper production level and an artistic programme comparable to the rest of Europe.

Darja Koter is a professor of music history at the Academy of Music, University of Ljubljana. In her research she not only deals with historical instruments, music iconography, and the history of music education and cultural associations but also with the work of Slovenian composers and the social-political influences on Slovenian music. Monographs include: Glasbilarstvo na Slovenskem [Instrument Making in Slovenia], Musica coelestis et musica profana. Glasbeni motivi v likovni dediščini od severne Istre do Vremske doline [Musica coelestis et musica profana: Musical Motifs in the Visual Arts Heritage from Northern Istria to the Vremska dolina Valley], Slovenska glasba 1848‒1918 [Slovenian Music 1848–1918], Slovenska glasba 1918‒1991 [Slovenian Music 1918–1991]. In 2014 she received the Slovenian Musicology Society’s Mantuani Recognition for exceptional achievements in the field of musicology.