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Sv. Cecilija

(Zagreb, 1907-1944)

RIPM Preservation Series: European and North American Music Periodicals (2017)

Printers: Antun Scholz, 1907-1912; Hrvatska Tiskara D.D., 1913-1914; Nadbiskupska Tiskara, 1915-1939; Narodna Tiskara, 1940-1944

Editors: Milan Zjalić (1907-1913), Mirko Novak (1907-1908), Janko Barlè (1914-1940), Ivan Kokot (1941-1942), Albe Vidaković (1942-1944)

Editors of music inserts: Franjo Dugan (1907-1942), Albe Vidaković (1943-1944)

Periodicity: Bimonthly

“The musical journal which had been continuously published during that period was Sv. Cecilija (St. Caecilia). The first musical journal in Croatia appeared under the same title in 1877 but its publication stopped completely after 1884. More than twenty years were to pass before a Caecilian Society (founded in Zagreb in 1906) started in 1907 the publication of a new church music journal Sv. Cecilija which ‘... in the course of time … became the most vital musical journal in Croatia (1907-1944 and from 1969 continuously on).’1 During the whole period between the two world wars Janko Barlk who ‘... made a name for himself not only in the field of music history but also in the fields of literature, history and medicine,’2 was the editor of Sv. Cecilija while the editor of the musical supplement was a prominent Croatian composer Franjo Dugan Sr. The journal had six issues per year. [...] Zagreb musical life was treated in Sv. Cecilija by numerous music critics in the column Razne vijesti. Many a time reviews which managed to surpass the form of a report could be found among these writings. Tending to bring a relevant critical evaluation a lot of them represent the standard type of musical criticism of the time, i.e. the criticism which was written clearly and systematically and was mostly used for the promotion of national expression in music. On the other hand Zagreb musical life was also chronicled in the period between 1922 and 1937 by a prominent music critic and composer Lujo Šafranek-Kavič.”

Sanja Majer-Bobetke, “Croatian Musical Journals between the Two World Wars and the Musical Criticism,” in International Review of the Aesthetics of Sociology of Music 23, no. 2 (December 1992): 179.


“The first magazines were the literary ones. Others, specializing, were born in the seventies, including the first music magazine, Sv. Cecilija, which arose in parallel with the flourishing of Zagreb's musical life. It was founded in 1877, 150 years after the world's first music periodical and more than a decade before the other Croatian music magazines that appeared in the same century - Gusle (1892) and Glazba (1893). The first period of its appearance was from 1877 to 1884 and the second from 1907 to 1944. [...] Sv. Cecilija was first conceived as a specialized periodical. This initial orientation has never been abandoned and has remained current until now. Nonetheless, the magazine was always open to various topics, not only those relating to sacred music, but also those relating to different fields of music in general, including secular. However, in one of the segments of the magazine and throughout its publication, the closest relationship with the expression, content and sacred message is preserved. These are musical supplements, which contain exclusively sacred compositions.”

Vadrana Juričić, “Il ruolo e il significato dei supplementi musicali nella rivista Sv. Cecilija: Una rassegna bibliografica completa e commentata,” in Zagreb 1094 - 1994: Zagreb i hrvatske zemlje kao most izmedu srednjoeuropskih i mediteranskih glazbenih kultura, pg 407-408.

Translation of: “Le prime riviste furono quelle letterarie. Altre, specializzante, nacquero negli anni Settanta, tra cui anche la prima rivista musicale, Sv. Cecilija, che sorse parallelamente al rigoglio della vita musicale di Zagabria. Fu fondata nel 1877, 150 anni dopo il primo periodico musicale del mondo e più di un decennio prima delle altre riviste musicali croate che apparvero nello stesso secolo - Gusle (1892) e Glazba (1893). Il primo periodo della sua apparizione fu dal 1877 al 1884 e il secondo dal 1907 al 1944. [...] Sv. Cecilija fu concepita dapprima come un periodica di tipo specializzato. Questo orientamento iniziale non è stato mai abbandonato ed è rimasto finora attuale. Ciò nonostante, la rivista era sempre aperta a vari temi, non solo quelli relativi alla musica sacra, ma anche quelli che si riferivano a diversi campi della musica in genere, profana inclusa. Tuttavia, in uno dei segmenti della rivista e nel corso di tutta la sua pubblicazione viene conservata la più stretta relazione con l'espressione, il contenuto e il messaggio sacro. Si tratta di supplementi musicali, che contengono esclusivamente le composizioni sacre.”


1 Josip Andreis, "The First Musical Journals in Croatia." Arti musicaes, Special Issue 2 (1979): 116.

2 Josip Andreis, Music in Croatia. Institute of Musicology-Academy of Music, Zagreb (1974): 316.

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