Scored for
Mixed Choir
ALL SAINTS' DAY/SONG OF THE GALEOTTO
Year composed
Duration
1983/1978
8'30" minutes/ 8' 30"minutes
Availibility
About
Lyrics by Vladimir Nazor, Croatian poet. All Saints' Day premiered in Poreč, 1983, RTZ Choir, conductor: Igor Kuljerić. Song of the Galeotto in 1978 by Choir Petar Zoranić, conductor: Antun Dolički. Kuljerić was honored with the honorary membership of Zoranić Choir from Zadar for his long and fruitful collaboration and the contribution to the culture of the city.
Program notes
original: Seh duš dan/Galiotova pesan
The intertwining of folklore and historical motifs of our region permeates that part of Kuljerić's oeuvre inspired by the secular poetry of Croatian poets, in this case the ideas of death, destiny and irreversibility. The fluid lyricism of the poetic expression, with a peculiar blend of the real and the fantastic, is a small but striking part of his diverse opus.
The beauty of the lyrics is that they are written in the dialect of Northern Adriatic coast and islands to which Kuljerić could strongly relate. The music for Nazor's songs Galiotova pesan and Seh Duš Dan reflect the composer's coexistence with tradition and contemporary musical currents, but also the search for new sound combinations.
All Saints' Day sings of the Day on which we remember the dead. This one is very intimate since it brings the intimate pain of the mother who lost her son. Some of the most powerful moments are the images of the rosemary she has planted by the grave, candles and prayer in contrast with the dark visions of the black bird, the symbol of death. The song ends with a transcedental lullaby.
Song of the Galeotto is describing suffering and sadness of a galley slave, attains universal meanining as condemnation of oppressing at all and still stands as one of the most expressive disapproval of slavery/Galiotova pesan