The 1950s are a special milestone in the development of Macedonian contemporary music. This period is marked by rapid progress and westernization in the development of Macedonian music culture. The lack of higher educational institutions in Macedonia at that time caused many musicians and composers to study in other cities of former Yugoslavia (e.g. Belgrade, Zagreb, Ljubljana), and as a result bring back with them the prevailing innovations of the time.

    Among the distinguished composers who emerged in Macedonia towards the middle of the 20th century, three of them - V. Nikolovski, T. Prosev, and T. Zografski, took the role of forming Macedonian musical culture. Their works exhibit stylistic and technical changes that resulted in radically new aesthetic criteria. These criteria do not originate from a traditional or technical aspect. The composers' works mark the end of the entire realm of creative musical expression and cover the movements of 20th century music modernism: the folklore of V. Nikolovski, the avant-garde distinctiveness of T. Prosev and the neoclassicism of T. Zografski. Their work is a typical example of the processes of acculturation, a feature common in the artistic struggle between traditional and modern influences in Macedonian art in general.

    These composers were also the first professors of composition at the School of Music in Skopje. Thus, not only did these artists render their professional experience to their students, but using their stylistic positions as composers, they influenced the aesthetic perception of their disciples. In this way they formed three schools of composition with distinctive features, from which the next generation of contemporary Macedonian composers emerged.

    Tomislav Zografski is a unique example of a composer who developed his artistic skills in another environment. He received a music education in Belgrade (1952-61). The acculturate processes of that environment caused him to accept certain unique elements that formed his aesthetic values.

    Zografski's neoclassicism began when neoclassicism as a movement was coming to an end. Stravinsky's first neoclassicist piece was written in 1923-24, while Zografski's first piece was written in 1954-55 (Ten miniatures for piano).

    This marks a substantial time lapse in which one notices that Zografski's striving towards neoclassicism is not analytical, but reflexive. This seems to be the result of his rationalistic critical view on artistic thought. His rationalist feelings would not yield to the so-called "progressive" style marked by atonality. He decided to follow the "regressive" style, where he found a steady ground for studying composition. The motifs for Zografski's neoclassicist orientation lie in the motto: "In order to create one must have knowledge" ? something that Zografski reiterated throughout his life.  That's why he spent his life in meticulous research of the classical and traditional forms of world music literature.

    Nevertheless, Zografski's artistic output integrates the elements of Schoenberg's twelve tone system, an expressionist orientation, a regard for neoclassical structures tinted by certain associations with folk music, as well as attempts to think within the realm of Haba's four tone system. This contributed to three general phases in the development of his compositional work: neoclassical, aleatoric and synthetic.

(Tomislav Zografski - oratorio “The praise of Cyril and Methodius” performed by the JNA chorus and orchestra - from the collection of Zografski`s private audio copies      MP3/Oratorio.mp3 )

This contradicts the common belief that Zografski's work can be labeled as purely neoclassical and only under the influence of Prokofyev and Stravinsky.
 
 

    The first two phases, the neoclassicist in the 50's and the aleatoric period in the 60s (under the influence of Penderetski and Lutoslawsky) came as a result of the use of the technical means of composition, and as the change of the attitude Zografski built towards the compositional language of professional music traditions.

    This attitude towards the musical traditions is similar to Stravinsky's "specific feeling of the past". That's why, in the processes of the westernization of Macedonian musical culture, Zografski will return to Macedonian music traditions later in his life ? by using quotations from Macedonian musical folklore, and elements of the byzantian-slavonic spiritual tradition.

    If we accept the belief that the neoclassical approach distinguishes two major principles - the selection of the model, and a style from the past - Zografski's neoclassicism is analyzed at two levels:
 

1. His relation towards the selection of the model in a melodic sense

2. His relation towards a selected style from the past, mainly accomplished through the formal structure.

1. Classical

2. Orthodox-chant

3. Folklore

4. Auto-derivative

    In the first group of melodic models one can find quotations from baroque to impressionism, although the majority are taken from classicism.
 

    The use of quotations is very common in the neoclassical approach. The development of this material enables a double-time structure. Zografski takes advantage of the meaning of the model, and  of the additional individual  transformation of the model. In fact, the models get other semiotic characteristics and the piece gets a multi-layer structure both in time and function. (AS 12)
 

(Tomislav Zografski  “Sonatine for two pianos”  performer unknown -from the collection of Zografski`s private audio copies

 MP3/Sonatine.mp3 )
 

    The editing of the music material in several stylistic layers results in the "stylization" of the models, i.e. using only some specific features of the models. Neoclassicism neglects the boundaries between the styles and creates "music in music". Still, Zografski points to the sources with the title "Homage a Debussy", "Homage a Tchaikowsky" (in "Beautiful Marika").

    Zografski was one of the first to restore the use of the orthodox chant tradition in contemporary music. The first composition in this manner, "Zapisi" (Writings), from 1963  signals the future incorporation of these models in his work. Later on, in 1968, he used the St. Clement scripture "Pohvala Kirilu i Metodiju" (The Praise of Cyril and Methodius) in Old Slavonic for the lyrics of his oratorio of the same title. The archaic text enables the use of the orthodox chant tradition, which is incorporated in the technical means typical for the Polish school, (written aleatoric, polytonal and polymodal layers, clusters etc.).

    The folk models appear as quotations (such as in "Stari dedo" or "Old Grandfather"), include some changes in the original tune ("Tri lirski" or "Three lyric songs"), or as short associations or "quasi" folk material (Sonata for two pianos).
 

    Zografski does not use the complex odd rhythms, typical for Macedonian folk music, and relies more on models from urban folklore.
 

( Tomislav Zografski “Three lyric songs” performed by  Marija Muratovska, soprano and   Jovan Karovski, piano - from the collection of Zografski`s private audio copies    MP3/Lyricsongs.mp3   )
 

    There are several uses of the folk model. When the model is based on the entire tune, he alters the folk layer, hiding the diatonic structure of the horizontal development. In the larger forms, he uses a parallel exposition of several models. For instance, in Simfonia concertante, the tune "Marika" is in a contrapunctal relation with "Prsten mi Nedo". Later on, the second tune will be transformed into a cantus firmus for the following polyphony. Thus, this multilayer polyphony results in polytonal/ polymodal vertical structures.

    The use of cantus firmus as a basis for the polyphony confirms Zografski's inclination towards Bach's compositional technique. A typical example for Zografski's appreciation of this approach is the cantata "Karaorman" which is written in the manner of polyphonic variations.

    The second element which is significant for the neoclassical orientation of Zografski's works is the formal structure of his compositions. The restoration of the melodic models is parallel to the restoration of the traditional music forms.

    Zografski considered himself an Apolonic type of creator, in the sense of rationality overcoming emotion. The control of rationality over emotion and expression, and accepting the mathematical essence of music was an ideal to him. This is reflected in the use of the traditional forms in his entire opus, where the majority of the compositions are based on the four traditional forms: song, variation, rondo and sonata form.

    This formal approach is therefore applied to macro and microstructures. The sentences often express periods expressing his tendency for symmetry, as well as formal clarity and stability.
 The classical sonata form is often recognized in Zografski’s work. The thematic materials and their development are set in clearly distinguishable, organized and separable parts:
 

- an exposition based on two contrasting themes

- connecting elements (a bridge for instance)

- development as an axes of symmetry

- use of the harmony as a way of determining the thematic materials and sections.

    In this brief presentation of the neoclassical features of Zografski’s compositional work, we used two parameters: melodical and formal. However, it is insufficient to fully explain Zografski’s complex compositional personality and his influence as an educator and his activities in the social and cultural organizations and institutions in Macedonia.
 
 
 
 

Other papers by Z. Raleva  at IRAM page:

Aesthetics of music in the digital era