Biljana Malezanova

The Beginning of the Composition Careers of Four UKIM FM

second-year undergraduate students

The motive for this paper was the concert held on 23 February 2005 at the Faculty of Music (FMU) in Skopje. This concert presented the compositions of the second-year undergraduate students studying at the Composition Department. It was part of the Composition Department’s intensive work in the attempt to publicly present the students’ pieces produced within the last several years. This event depicts both the development in composition teaching and in the students of composition at FMU. Thus, this paper has a dual purpose: to present the current events at the Composition Department at FMU, as well as the individual creative work of the young group of Macedonian composers.

This concert was also recorded by the students from the sonology group and put on the Internet Student Radio IRAM web page. Through this paper and also through the fact that IRAM registered this concert by entering it into the multimedia IRAM database, the concert becomes part of IRAM’s systematic endeavor to protect Macedonian cultural heritage.

The Composition Department has existed since the establishment of the Faculty of Music in 1966. The first professors of this Department were Vlastimir Nikolovski (1925-2001), Toma Proshev (1931-1996) and Tomislav Zografski (1934-2000), later joined by the current professors Goce Kolarovski (1959), who was first assistant professor, and Tome Manchev (1950). The first graduate of this Department was Dimitrije Buzharovski in 1973. Other graduates followed thereafter: Goce Kolarovski, Ilija Ilievski, Tode Novachevski, Zhivojin Glishikj, Jana Andreevska, Slagjana Kavaj, Miroslav Spasov, Vanja Nikolovski, Evdokija Danajloska, Nikola Kodzhabashija, Goce Gavrilovski, Darija Andovska, Soni Petrovski, Valentina Velkovska.

We assume that today’s composition students face the great dilemma of defining their orientation in style and genre. Perhaps never before in history had there simultaneously been so many radical differences in style and genre. Since the works performed at this concert were the initial compositions by these students, it was interesting to hear their understanding of the definition of the styles they adopt. Here are their statements:

Mihajlo Shterjev: “I strive towards the new tendencies, thus implementing the techniques and experiences of the composers from the first half of the 20^th century in my music expression.”

Vulnet Tairi: “The syllabus imposes the use of more contemporary techniques, yet the polytonal manner of thinking dominates in my compositions.”

Elizabeta Ilievska: “I still write according to the syllabus, employing the techniques we study. I write for all instruments and chamber ensembles, but I am particularly inspired by contemporary accordion music.”

Goce Simonoski: “I would not choose one style, but I would rather say that I am inclined towards the combination of many styles.”

Mihajlo Shterjev

The existing FMU composition syllabus involves the study of typically contemporary music techniques, such as extended tonality, atonality, polytonality, the 12-tone system, aleatorics, seriality, minimalism, sonority, punctialism. Nevertheless, the students develop their own individual characteristics. Mihajlo Shterjev writes atonal music, or, as he states – pantonal music, which still involves a kind of a tonal center. Vulnet Tairi’s Five Characteristic Pieces for piano are polytonal, apart from the fourth movement, “Hovering”, which is polymodal. Elizabeta Ilievska uses extended tonality in the Three Miniatures for Accordion, whereas the Four Miniatures for Piano are poloytonal, with exception of the fourth minimalist movement. The cycle of solo songs Five Love-Letters by Goce Simonovski also employs extended tonality, whereas his Seven Miniatures for Piano use a polytonal approach. This composition also features elements of Macedonian music folklore. In fact, the last movement is built around the basic tune of the Macedonian folk song White Neda.

Goce Simonovski

This concert presented four students from the Faculty: Mihajlo Shterjev, under the instruction of professor Tome Manchev, and Vulnet Tairi, Elizabeta Ilievska and Goce Simonovski, instructed by professor Goce Kolarovski. This is not the first presentation of these composers, as some of their compositions have already been performed during the evening of young composers at the Days of Macedonian Music festival. This evening featured the performance of the pieces Contrasts by Mihajlo Shterjev, Five Characteristic Pieces for Piano and Three Pieces for Flute by Vulnet Tairi, and Seven Miniatures for Accordion and Four Miniatures for Clarinet by Elizabeta Ilievska. Ilievska’s Four Miniatures for Piano were performed at the opening concert of the 2004/5 school year. Vesna Damjanovska also performed this piece during the concert of the students of the Piano Department. Ilievska’s works have also been performed at the concerts of the accordion section of professor Zorica Karakutovska, whereas the FMU choir performed the composition Izhe Heruvimi at the traditional concert "Nocturnal Rite".

Elizabeta Ilievska

These young composers participated at the International Composition Seminar in Ohrid, 2003, conducted by professor Goce Kolarovski.

Each of the students had two of their compositions performed at the FMU concert. The first piece was Mihajlo Shterjov’s Contrasts, Four Characteristic Pieces for Clarinet performed by Ljubcho Dimitrievski, a student instructed by the professor Ivan Kocharov, and Night Dweller, a cycle of poems by Branko Cvetkovski, performed by Kristijan Antovski, a baritone instructed by professor Biljana Jakimovska, and Stojancho Bakovski a piano student instructed by professor Evushka Elezovikj. Vulnet Tairi’s piece Five Characteristic Pieces for Piano was performed by Jasmina Trajchevska, a student under the instruction of professor Valeri Stefanovski. Elizabeta Ilievska’s piece Four Miniatures for Piano was performed by Vesna Damjanovska, under the guidance of professor Todor Svetiev, and Three Miniatures for Accordion was performed by Zoran Kirjakovski, a student under the guidance of professor Zorica Karakutovska. The concert ended with Goce Simonovski’s pieces Seven Miniatures for Piano performed by Emilija Potevska from professor Stela Slejanska’s piano class, and the solo song cycle Five Love-Letters based on poems by Petre M.Andreevski, performed by Ernes Ibraimov, a baritone from Milan Firfov’s students, and Emilija Potevska, piano. Vulnet Tairi’s piece Three Miniatures for Flute was not performed due to the performer’s illness.

Vulnet Tairi

The students wrote the pieces presented at the concert during their first year of composition studies. The syllabus imposes the study of short music forms, which is evident in the choice of forms presented at the concert. These are usually smaller, cyclical forms composed of simpler forms (developed one-part, simple two-part, simple three-part). Some feature variations (Vulnet Tairi, Five Characteristic Pieces for Piano, first movement “Small Fantasy”, and Goce Simonovski, Seven Miniatures for Piano, second movement). In Mihajlo Shterjev’s cycle of songs Night Dweller melodic line entirely follows the development of the text. The fourth movement from Ilievska’s cycle Seven Miniatures for Piano is minmalistically structured, without a special form, just a one-part form with phases.

The instrumental ensemble of the pieces is also related to the level of studies. The pieces for piano or other solo instruments (clarinet, flute and accordion) predominate. In both cycles of solo songs, the theme of the lyrics sets the music direction of the authors. Night Dweller, Shterjev’s solo song cycle based on poems by Branko Cvetkovski, represents the night not as a natural phenomenon, but as a state of mind, as a metaphor for darkness, gloom in the soul, a state of deep sorrow and loneliness. The cycle Four Love-Letters by Goce Simonovski, based on poems by Petre M.Andreevski, is based on love. The desire for the beloved is the leading element in all five solo songs.

Although the composers wrote these pieces in the beginning of their creative careers, the fact that they were publicly promoted enhances the responsibility of the authors. It is important to emphasize that the performers, also students at the Faculty of Music, approached the presentation of these pieces with great responsibility. The total contribution in the individual development of these young authors is enormous, since they are able to see and hear the product of their creative work. IRAM’s archivation of this material enables future analyses of these students’ further development, and more generally the development of the Composition Department at the Faculty of Music.