Mise Ferde Wiesnera Livadića - O 220. obljetnici rođenja i 140. obljetnici skladateljeve smrti

Abstract

Through his compositional contributions, Ferdo Wiesner Livadić enriched the Croatian (sacral) musical creativity of the age of Romanticism, realizing – alongside thirty church/sacral »small form« pieces – also one mass in Latin (Missa in C), and one in Croatian, with the title (Missa croatica pastoralis) as well as the titles of its parts/movements in Latin. By observing the autographical scores of the two Livadić’s masses, certain reflections regarding their similarities and differences had resulted; first of all, in terms of textual and language base, composition structure, performers’ ensamble, composing procedures and use of musical expression elements, their purpose, and finally, their artistic range and significance. Created at the time of predominance of small, chamber music forms, especially solo songs, piano miniatures and reveilles, Livadić’s masses, among a multitude of works of the composers of the time, and especially within the Croatian church musical heritage, mean the continuity of a multi-Century tradition of that music genre. While Missa croatica pastoralis is related to the pastoral (folk) one voice masses with the organ accompaniment (with inserted text/extensions of the Kajkavian dialect), the concerto vocal-orchestral Missa in C, with its musical features and its base on the international music vocabulary, manifests a compound of Classicist simplicity and early Romantic lyricism, representing the essence of Livadić’s creativity in the area of sacral music.