Darko Hajsek

Last updated
Darko Hajsek
Birth nameDarko Hajsek
Born (1959-09-22) 22 September 1959 (age 64)
Zagreb, PR Croatia, FPR Yugoslavia
Genres Classical music, Soundtrack, Opera, Symphony, Orchestration
Occupation(s) Composer
Instrument(s) Piano, keyboard, organ, Hammond organ, guitar
Years active1974–present
Website darkohajsek.webs.com

Darko Hajsek (born 22 September 1959) is a Croatian composer. He composed (and by itself orchestrated) a respectable opus of more than 650 musical works, concert and musical-stage forms, ranging from small, instrumental and chamber shape to big orchestral symphonic works and ten large music and music-theatrical works of contemporary forms and synthesis involving opera, musical theatre and ballet, stage music and other musical forms. [1] [2]

Contents

His music has been performed in productions of companies such as Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, NT Varaždin, Croatian National Theatre in Split, Croatian National Theatre in Osijek, [3] Gavella Drama Theatre, [4] [5] Zagreb Youth Theatre, Zagreb Theatre Komedija, City Theater Žar Ptica, [6] Satirical Theatre Kerempuh Zagreb, Cankarjev Dom-Ljubljana, Maribor Slovene National Theatre, then Croatian Radiotelevision, Orpheus, Suzy, Zagreb Film, Maxima-movie, Inter-movie, Positive film, with numerous performances in Croatia and in a number of European and non-European countries.

Early life

Since the beginning of his involvement with music of classical foundation Hajsek showed tendencies towards a broader spectrum of musical expressions and has developed the ability to express a full range of musical styles that are used in his creative work, sometimes as musical lexicon in pure form and sometimes as elements of peculiar authorial synthesis and recognizable composer's "touch". [1] His interest in music, musical talent and composer's impulse he has expressed at an early age, starting to intensively compose in the seventies, at 15 years of age writing his first elements of symphony. He began composing in adolescence, from the beginning of his career in 1989, working exclusively as a composer, with 27 years of professional compositional work behind his name. [1]

Career

Early career

Since the middle of the 70's Hajsek began developing his composing style, which included elements of classical, electrophonic and 'avant-garde' music, antic musical tradition with elements of jazz and archaic music. In the 80's he turns more towards orchestral music and finds inspiration in the works of great composers of the 20th century such as Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Alberto Ginastera and Aaron Copland, but also in the avant-garde and electronic music of Karlheinz Stockhausen, Pierre Schaeffer, Edgard Varèse, La Monte Young, Terry Riley and John Chowning, Krzysztof Penderecki, György Ligeti and John Cage and composing works on the basis of such inspiration, while on the other hand being inspired by alternative rock and progressive music (Keith Emerson) and the works of New York music and art scene, with artists like John Cale, Andy Warhol and Brian Eno, and authors like Tom Waits and Nick Cave. [1]

1980s

Hajsek studied classical composition, polyphony, harmony and counterpoint at the Academy of Music, University of Zagreb, specializing on seminars of contemporary and electrophonic music. From that time dates the author's collaboration with big American avant-garde composer Alvin Lucier, with following compositions standing out in particular: "Sounds from Lost in Space" for chamber orchestra and electronics and "2 Loud Sounds 4 4 Steel Strings" for double string orchestra, "Passacaglia" for big orchestra, "Alpine Symphony" and the ballet "Mishima". [7]

1990s

In the 90's Hajsek worked intensively on new musical works and develops his own composing and performing techniques, while experimenting with new forms, which resulted in a particularly interesting work "The sound of the earth" for chamber orchestra, electronics and instruments, created as works of art by the most famous visual artists which has caused great interest and positive reactions in Croatia and abroad, presented by leading Swiss magazine for culture, one of the most influential in the world.

Modern rock

Hajsek composed, arranged and played for many famous Croatian and Bosnian rock bands and their members (Bijelo Dugme, Divlje Jagode, Drugi način, [8] Vještice, Peti Element). He also collaborated with many renowned jazz musicians (Csaba Deseo, Domagoj Ralašić, Miro Kadoić). One of his projects in early 2000s was Van Hajsek Orchestra, a group whose music is based on combination of elements of classical, ethno, popular, commercial and rock music, thus having nothing in common with the usual gig production and performance. [9]

Film scoring and media production

Hajsek composed high number of works related to media and multimedia production and worked on theater and film projects. In that period came two interesting cantatas for choir and orchestra "Mother", "Next to the river of Babylon" and "Wave" for eight voice choir, "Antistema ghithago" electrophonic music, 2nd Symphony, and the music for great animated series "The Pomkiners" which has undergone numerous broadcast around the world (Canada, United States, UK, Australia, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland etc.) valued also because of the author's music. The beginning of the third millennium has been characterized in the author's work by large number of new compositions and more interest towards music theater works and film music, working on a variety of film projects, with four long length movies "Madonna", "Sleep Sweet, My Darling", "The Man Under the Table" and "Walt Disney's Mousetrap" standing out, just as dozens of short films and documentaries and art films of animation in which he collaborated with great artists within the field, such as Milan Blažeković, winner of the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, Zlatko Bourek and many other renowned artists. The Vijenac, Croatian magazine for literature, art and science, at the time of Hajsek's film work, praises Hajsek's composing abilities and, regarding Hajsek's masterwork on the Madonna soundtrack, puts authentic Croatian soundtrack business industry in high perspective for the future. [10] He composed music for number of art movies, like "Theory of Reflection", "Malformance-Performance", "Leaf on Water", "On the Gallery" and others. Musical works of particular interest from this period, amongst others, were "Sonata for piano and percussion", "Allegro Spicatto" for chamber orchestra, "Fuga Primavera" and "Fuga Polaris" for big orchestra, "Symphony of Istria", "Opera Furiosa", string quintet "In the evening" and "Mare Stellarum" electrophonic composition.

Relationship to theatre and film

Hajsek's professional composing career has always been related to theater and he wrote a large number of musical and theater related works in the forms of modern synthesis of opera, theater and musicals, field within he cooperated with American Broadway musical-director Seth Weinstein. [11] [12] They successfully collaborated on the theater project Black House (Croatian : Crna Kuća), an original Croatian musical composed and authored by Hajsek. The musical had a great reception and was called a "successful blend of home-made satire with a fresh breath of Broadway". [13] [14]

The main difference in terms of traditional film and theater music and composer's concept is that the composer's works in the field of theater and film are complete musical forms, so in fact representing concert works intended for independent concert performance. One of the major projects in Hajsek's relationship to theatre is The Asphalt Rose, which premiered in 2007. The project, based on book by Igor Weidlich, was, at the time of its opening, the first original Croatian musical in more than a decade to be performed at the Zagreb Theatre Komedija. [15] Commenting the after-premiere of the musical Hajsek explains that the work connects "a postmodernist piece that has music with baroque, Viennese classics and romanticism, through twentieth-century styles, to the influence of music from different parts of the world, such as Cuba and Africa." [16] Hajsek's music structure is formed by variations in classical, ethno and modern music. [17]

Hajsek founded and led a full range of ensembles in classical music and various forms of contemporary music which involved a large number of prominent musicians and artists from Croatia and abroad, [18] working also as a pianist performing his music and the music of other authors, with whom he has so far performed in places like Croatian Music Institute, Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall, Mimara, Arena in Pula and other secular/profane and sacred concert spaces locally and abroad. He also works as a music recording producer and musical director, primarily for his own music. For his composing work, the author has received numerous awards, amongst which the most important are two music awards Porin, that he achieved as the best composer for the soundtrack CD and for the best composition in the category of music for theater, film and TV projects and also the Golden Arena for Best Film Music for the best film music, "Golden Firebird" (in a competition between composers from 10 European countries and Israel) at the International Theatre Festival in Zagreb and other awards. [19]

Selection of works

From approximately 1974:

Major musical theatre works, film and stage music (selection):

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruno Bjelinski</span> Croatian composer

Bruno Bjelinski was one of the most influential Croatian composers in the 20th century. He was extremely prolific as a composer. His unique musical style was built upon the music of Poulenc, Hindemith, Ravel and Milhaud. He developed his own and recognizable musical language with the elements of neoclassicism. Bjelinski composed six operas, three ballets, 15 symphonies, 2 cello concertos, a cantata, piano music, songs, chamber music, and concertos for piano, violin, viola, bassoon, flute, and piano duo. He also composed music for the Croatian football movie Plavi 9.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ahmad Pejman</span> Musical artist

Ahmad Pejman, also spelled as Ahmad Pezhman, is an Iranian contemporary classical composer who resides in the United States. Pejman is notable for his works in opera, symphonies, and music for film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boris Papandopulo</span> Croatian composer

Boris Papandopulo was a Croatian composer and conductor of Greek and Russian Jewish descent. He was the son of Greek nobleman Konstantin Papandopulo and Croatian opera singer Maja Strozzi-Pečić and one of the most distinctive Croatian musicians of the 20th century. Papandopulo also worked as music writer, journalist, reviewer, pianist and piano accompanist; however, he achieved the peaks of his career in music as a composer. His composing oeuvre is imposing : with great success he created instrumental, vocal and instrumental, stage music and film music. In all these kinds and genres he left a string of anthology-piece compositions of great artistic value.

Miroslav Miletić (Croatian pronunciation:[mǐrɔlaʋmîlɛitɕ]; was a Croatian composer and a violin and viola player and teacher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antun Dobronić</span> Croatian composer

Antun Dobronić was a Croatian composer and pupil of Vítězslav Novák. He studied at the Prague Conservatory from 1910 to 1912. From 1922 to 1940, he served as professor at the Zagreb Academy of Music. His works show a strong streak of Croatian nationalism, which also is manifest in his writings on music. He sought to integrate high culture music techniques with traditional Croatian folk elements.

Michel van der Aa is a Dutch composer of contemporary classical music.

Igor Kuljerić was an important Croatian composer and conductor. His large opus followed the stylistic changes and evolutions of 20th and 21st century music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dubrovnik Summer Festival</span>

The Dubrovnik Summer Festival is an annually-held summer festival instituted in 1950 in Dubrovnik, Croatia. It is held every year between 10 July and 25 August.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ivana Lang</span>

Ivana Lang was a Croatian composer, pianist and piano teacher. She was born in Zagreb, Croatia, Austro-Hungarian Empire). She completed piano studies in 1937 at the Music Academy in Zagreb. Ivana Lang composed orchestral works, chamber music, an opera and two ballets, "False Knight" and "Dance of the Ghosts".

<i>Ruža na asfaltu</i> Musical

Ruža na asfaltu is a Croatian musical with a book by Igor Weidlich, music by Darko Hajsek and lyrics by Darko Hajsek and Ladislav Prežigalo. It premiered at Zagreb's Komedija Theatre in October 2007.

Mate Matišić is a Croatian playwright, screenwriter, composer and musician. His plays have been staged in Croatian theaters as well as internationally, and some of them have been adapted into feature films. As a composer, he is best known for his film and theatrical music. He has won five Golden Arena awards at the Pula Film Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra</span>

The Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra is an orchestra based in Zagreb, Croatia. It was officially founded on the 30 November 1919.

Zoran Hristić was a Serbian composer. He had a freelance artist status for a long time. At the initiative of Dušan Radović in 1979, he was nominated an editor, director and founder of the Concert Studio B. from 1982 to 1989, he was the chief music editor of Radio Belgrade, and then moved on RTVB, later RTS where he was editor in chief of the editorial board of Music programme until 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacques Houdek</span> Croatian recording artist (born 1981)

Jacques Houdek is a Croatian recording artist who represented Croatia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with the song "My Friend". Houdek began his professional solo career in 2000 and has since released many recordings and albums out which 13 have been certified silver, gold, platinum and diamond (once). Houdek is one of the mentors in the Croatian version of the TV talent show The Voice. During show's first season, he mentored the winner Nina Kraljić. Aside from Croatian, he has sung and recorded in English, Italian, German, Spanish, French, Slovene, Macedonian, and Māori language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ivan Brkanović</span>

Ivan Brkanović was a Croatian composer. He was a choir conductor, high school teacher, dramaturge at the Zagreb Opera, director of the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra and a professor at the Sarajevo Music Academy. He worked intensively as a music publicist and was a president of the Croatian Composers' Society. Father of the Croatian composer Željko Brkanović.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pavle Dešpalj</span> Croatian composer (1934–2021)

Pavle Dešpalj was a Croatian composer and conductor.

Rikard Schwarz, Croatian composer, conductor and music writer.

Stanko Horvat was a Croatian composer and music pedagogue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anita Andreis</span> Croatian film composer

Anita Andreis (Zganec) is a Croatian composer, singer-songwriter, musician and producer in the field of film music. Andreis has worked on a variety of films, theatre and ballet productions, both independent and commercial. She has won three Best Film Music Awards for her musical scores to the animation films Guliver and Bobo.

Jurislav Korenić was a Yugoslav theater and television director, classical musician, theorist, art critic and playwright. He founded the Chamber Theater 55 and the MESS Festival, of which he was the director. He is one of the founders of the Bosnian National Theater in Zenica. He was engaged in political theater and cabaret and was the first to direct a musical in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the first to stage the works of Bertolt Brecht. He modernized the Sarajevo Opera and directed the most performed play in the history of Bosnian theatre - Ljubav. He is one of the most deserving Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina for theater art and culture and co-authored one of the most popular Bosnian television series of all time, Karađoz.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Darko Hajsek - composer". darkohajsek.webs.com. Archived from the original on 16 February 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
  2. ↑ "Filmmakers - Pozitivfilm Zagreb". pozitivfilm.hr. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
  3. ↑ "Premijera 'Vučjaka' u osječkom HNK" (in Croatian). hrt.hr. 7 December 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  4. ↑ Heidl, Janko (24 January 2014). "'Zločin i kazna' u Gavelli – gdje nestade sjekira?" (in Croatian). GDK Gavella. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
  5. ↑ Ružić, Igor (20 September 2013). "'Zločin i kazna' uspijeva fascinirati, ali ne i osvojiti" (in Croatian). GDK Gavella. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
  6. ↑ "Lažeš Melita" (in Croatian). teatar.hr. October 2011. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
  7. ↑ "Muzički Informativni Centar - Darko Hajsek". quercus.mic.hr. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
  8. ↑ Matošević, Dragutin (26 March 2017). "DRUGI NAČIN – Zgubidan" (in Croatian). barikada.com. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
  9. ↑ Taubek, Robert (31 May 2001). "Rock iz škrinje" (in Croatian). Vijenac. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  10. ↑ Paulus, Irena (28 June 2001). "Autentično" (in Croatian). Vijenac. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  11. ↑ "Glazbeni direktor s Broadwaya oduševljen Zagrebom" (in Croatian). HRT. 25 January 2013. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
  12. ↑ "U Zagrebu dašak New Yorka: Poznati na premijeri!" (in Croatian). DNEVNIK.hr. 1 February 2013. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
  13. ↑ "Crna Kuća". www.teatar.hr. 2 February 2013. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  14. ↑ Pofuk, Branimir (4 January 2013). "Urnebesni sukob Kaptola i Griča u novom mjuziklu "Crna kuća"" (in Croatian). vecernji.hr. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  15. ↑ "Ruža na asfaltu". www.komedija.hr. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  16. ↑ M., T. (27 October 2007). "Ruža na asfaltu – postmodernistički mjuzikl" (in Croatian). Dnevni Kulturni Info. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  17. ↑ Kovačević, Nenad (13 March 2016). "Raskošno scensko iskustvo" (in Serbian). Danas. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  18. ↑ Carević, Ivana (13 June 2014). "Anja Šovagović: Kćer Anu dugo sam nagovarala da snimimo pjesmu" (in Croatian). vecernji.hr. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
  19. ↑ "Hajsek, Darko". www.hds.hr. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
  20. ↑ "Crime and Punishment". gavella.hr. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.