The album's works are organized by character and tonality rather than chronologically, reflecting the belief that Blagoje Bersa's musical style fluctuates between 18th and 19th-century harmonic structures.
Composer Biography
Blagoje Bersa, a Croatian composer, is considered a central figure in Croatian musical life around the turn of the 20th century, composing symphonic, operatic, vocal, chamber, and piano music.
Composer Biography
Blagoje Bersa's students, including Rudolf Matz and Boris Papandopulo, significantly contributed to the musical life of the region during the 20th century.
Recording & Production
This album includes world premiere recordings of several pieces, indicated by an asterisk in the tracklist.
Composer Biography
Blagoje Bersa studied music with Ivan Zajc, a Croatian opera composer, in Zagreb from 1893 to 1896, and later studied piano with Julius Epstein and composition with Robert Fuchs in Vienna.
Performer Biography
Goran Filipec, the pianist on this album, was awarded the Grand Prix du Disque of the Ferenc Liszt Society of Budapest for his 2016 recording of Liszt's Paganini Studies.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Blagoje Bersa is considered a rather conservative composer for his time, as indicated by his use of common 19th-century titles that clearly reveal the character and content of his pieces, and his strict adherence to musical forms.
