STUDIES AND RESEARCH
Fran Lhotka — The Question of Folk Music in Film
The paper presents an analysis of the film
music for the two feature films, music composed by the
Croatian composer of Czech origin, Fran Lhotka.
During the 19th century there was an influx of foreign
musicians in Croatia, and they have a crucial influence
on the development of musical culture in Croatia. At the
beginning of 20th century, the trend has continued, and
one of the foreigners was a Czech Fran Lhotka. Born December
25. 1883. in Czech village Mlada Vožice near Prague, he
graduated horn and composition in Prague (Antonin Dvorak
was one of his teachers), worked as a professor in Ekaterinoslav,
and in 1909 he came by invitation in Zagreb, starting as
a professor in Musical School in Zagreb. He stayed in Croatia
to the end of his life (Zagreb, 1962), teaching, and prolifically
composing (symphonies, instrumental concerts, several ballets
and two operas), importantly contributing to the Croatian
music life. In late forties and in fifties he also composed
music for three feature films and four documentaries. His
work was characterized by musical criticism as neonational
style, imbued with the Croatian folk quotations and folk
stylizations.
But viewing again his music for the two feature
films People Will Survive (1947) and The Master of
His Own Body (1957) has shown that Lothka’s treatment
of folk music is highly flexible and not taken as obligatory
at all. The four modes of the use of folk music in the
two films was found: (a) stylization that tend to be
close to the original folk music, (b) stylization of
folk elements in a free manner, (c) symphonic treatment
of folklore motives and (d) combination of stylized folk
music and stylized partizan songs. In addition to the
use of folk motives, Lhotka freely abandoned any folk
reminiscences where it was not significant to have them.
The musical value of his film scores is high and his
music very effective element in films, so the popularity
of The Master of His Own Body owe much to the music also.
Irena Paulus |
