Božidar Kantušer (Bozidar Kantuser) (December 5, 1921,
Pavlovski Vrh,
Slovenia
Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...
– May 9, 1999,
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
) was a Slovene
composer
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.
Etymology and def ...
of
classical music
Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...
. He was a Slovenian citizen and an
American citizen.
Kantušer is the author of
symphonic music
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* String instruments, such as the violin, viola, cello, a ...
,
ballets,
chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of Musical instrument, instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a Great chamber, palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music ...
and
solo pieces. He lived in France since 1950. He was married to the American
painter
Painting is a Visual arts, visual art, which is characterized by the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called "matrix" or "Support (art), support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with ...
Grace Renzi. Since 1968, Kantušer was the director of the
International Library of Contemporary Music (B.I.M.C.). He is buried in Paris, at the
Père Lachaise Cemetery
Père Lachaise Cemetery (, , formerly , ) is the largest cemetery in Paris, France, at . With more than 3.5 million visitors annually, it is the most visited necropolis in the world.
Buried at Père Lachaise are many famous figures in the ...
.
Music
List of compositions by Božidar Kantušer
Life
Božidar Kantušer was born on the farm of ''Pavlovski vrh'', in the countryside of northeastern ''Slovenia''. He was the first of the five children of Blaž Kantušer and his wife Katarina, born Hočevar. The father, from a family of farmers near
Celje
Celje (, , ) is the List of cities and towns in Slovenia, third-largest city in Slovenia. It is a regional center of the traditional Slovenian region of Styria (Slovenia), Styria and the administrative seat of the City Municipality of Celje. Th ...
, and the mother, from a family of blacksmiths from
Kamnik
Kamnik (; ''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 6: ''Kranjsko''. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, pp. 26–27. or ''Stein in Oberkrain'') is the ninth-largest town of Slovenia, located in t ...
, were both employed in
Ljutomer
Ljutomer (; ) is a town in northeastern Slovenia, east of Maribor. It is the seat of the Municipality of Ljutomer. Traditionally it was part of the region of Styria. It is now included in the Mura Statistical Region. The economy of Ljutomer is la ...
after
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
and lived at Pavlovski vrh, close to Ljutomer, from 1919 to 1929. The rural environment, the cultural heritage and the nature of his native
Prlekija
Prlekija is a region in northeastern Slovenia between the Drava and Mura rivers. It comprises the eastern part of the Slovene Hills (), stretching from the border with Austria to the border with Croatia. It is part of the traditional province of ...
, where he lived the first seven years, left a lasting impression on the composer. The dances of masks of pagan origin (
Kurenti) and the
bonfire
A bonfire is a large and controlled outdoor fire, used for waste disposal or as part of a religious feast, such as Saint John's Eve.
Etymology
The earliest attestations date to the late 15th century, with the Catholicon Anglicum spelling i ...
wheels of fire (Kresi) that he witnessed at the time opened for him the universe of fiction, a subject to which Kantušer dedicated several works, such the ballet Midsummer Night, which also uses another childhood memory, namely work rhythms specific to particular farming tasks.
Kantušer attended first grade (1928–29) in ''Ljutomer'', after which the family moved to ''Celje'', the father's birthplace and where he endorsed a cadastral employment. Moreover, a beekeeper, the father also encouraged the musical education of all his children, so that from 1932 to 1940 Kantušer attended the Celje music school (Glasbena Matica Celje) where he learned to play the violin (and viola) with Ivan Karlo Sancin. Sancin also shared his knowledge of
violin making and thanks to him, the composer's younger brother Joža later became a violin maker. Kantušer's affinity for the
strings thus developed from his experience with the Celje orchestra, and the practice of chamber music. It was during adolescence that the desire to express himself formed, which grew into the need to study
composition
Composition or Compositions may refer to:
Arts and literature
*Composition (dance), practice and teaching of choreography
* Composition (language), in literature and rhetoric, producing a work in spoken tradition and written discourse, to include ...
. In the second half of the 1930s, he attended the
Celje high school and took also part in the laic Scout movement. The Kantušer children often spent the summer months at the foot of the Alps, in ''Kamnik'', the birthplace of the composer's mother.
In 1941, Kantušer had to flee from the
nazis
Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...
. In order to finish high school, he left his family in ''Celje'' and headed for
Ljubljana
{{Infobox settlement
, name = Ljubljana
, official_name =
, settlement_type = Capital city
, image_skyline = {{multiple image
, border = infobox
, perrow = 1/2/2/1
, total_widt ...
. There he also met the professor of composition Srečko Koporc who started teaching him. Being an agitator, Kantušer was arrested by the
fascists
Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social h ...
in 1942 and deported to
concentration camps
A concentration camp is a prison or other facility used for the internment of political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or ethnic minority groups, on the grounds of national security, or for exploit ...
for Slavs, in Italy. Upon his return from internment in 1943, he nearly succumbed to paratyphoid but met Koporc again in Ljubljana. In 1944, Kantušer joined the
resistance. After the end of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, he settled again in Ljubljana so as to continue his composition studies with Koporc. He signed his first work in 1946, a fugue with two subjects, adding a prelude in 1948. The Prelude and Fugue for piano is the only work of this period that Kantušer retained in his catalog (two orchestral scores remain unfindable). In 1947, he received a visa for to study in
Prague
Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
but stayed in Ljubljana and completed his studies in 1948 with Koporc, thus openly opposing the academism of
Lucijan Marija Škerjanc. From 1945 to 1950 he lived a student life. He was notably befriended with the artist Karel Zelenko, with whom he shared different lodgings, but also lived in Koporc's apartment. In 1950, he left for Paris, with a visa.
In the early 1950s, he lived in
Montparnasse
Montparnasse () is an area in the south of Paris, France, on the left bank of the river Seine, centred at the crossroads of the Boulevard du Montparnasse and the Rue de Rennes, between the Rue de Rennes and boulevard Raspail. It is split betwee ...
, various small jobs following one another. He mingled with the artistic milieu and notably made friends with the painters Pranas Gailius, Raphael Kherumian,
Veno Pilon
Veno Pilon (22 September 1896 – 23 September 1970) was a Slovene expressionist painter, graphic artist and photographer. He was born and died in Ajdovščina.
Biography
Pilon was born in Ajdovščina, then part of the Austro-Hungarian prov ...
and Emil Wachter. In 1952 and 1953 Kantušer attended the classes by
Olivier Messiaen
Olivier Eugène Prosper Charles Messiaen (, ; ; 10 December 1908 – 27 April 1992) was a French composer, organist, and ornithology, ornithologist. One of the major composers of the 20th-century classical music, 20th century, he was also an ou ...
as well as those by
Tony Aubin and by
Jean Rivier, at the
Conservatoire de Paris
The Conservatoire de Paris (), or the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (; CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue Jean Ja ...
. He also attended the lectures on esthetics by
Étienne Souriau
Étienne Souriau (; April 26, 1892 – November 19, 1979) was a French philosopher, best known for his work in aesthetics.
Biography
Son of Paul Souriau, he studied at the École Normale Supérieure and received his '' agrégation of philo ...
at the
Sorbonne and took part in the
Darmstädter Ferienkurse
Darmstädter Ferienkurse ("Darmstadt Summer Course") is a regular summer event of contemporary classical music in Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany. It was founded in 1946, under the name "Ferienkurse für Internationale Neue Musik Darmstadt" (Vacation Co ...
. In 1953, together with
Luc Ferrari
Luc Ferrari (5 February 1929 – 22 August 2005) was a French composer of Italian heritage and a pioneer in musique concrète and electroacoustic music. He was a founding member of RTF's Groupe de Recherches Musicales (GRMC), working alongside c ...
, Pierre Migaux and
Yves Ramette he founded Group 84. In the same year, he signed his first string quartet and met the American artist
Grace Renzi who became his wife. The couple moved to the
République quarter. In 1954, Kantušer signed his first symphony, the Chamber Symphony. In 1955, a son was born, Borut, and in the same year String Quartet № 1 was premiered. As he was unable to renew his
Yugoslav passport, Kantušer received the emigrant status. In 1957, the family moved to
Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( ; ; Gascon language, Gascon ; ) is a city on the river Garonne in the Gironde Departments of France, department, southwestern France. A port city, it is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the Prefectures in F ...
where Grace Renzi endorsed employment as a teacher in the U.S. Army schools, and next moved to
Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau ( , , ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Functional area (France), metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southeast of the Kilometre zero#France, centre of Paris. Fontainebleau is a Subprefectures in Franc ...
in 1959, the year Kantušer signed his second string quartet.
In Fontainebleau, living near the forest (Villa Bois Couvert), Kantušer reconnected with nature, going for long walks. During the Fontainebleau years, the composer produced many symphonic works: the symphonic drama Sire Halewyn (1960), the Symphony № 2 (1965), a Concert Overture, the Cello Concerto and the Flute Concerto. In 1965, Roger Bourdin premiered the Flute Concerto, which was broadcast on television (
ORTF) in a program dedicated to the composer. The ballet Two Images was premiered at the American Center in Paris. In the second half of the 60s, he became friends with the conductor
Jean-Jacques Werner, the organist Georges Devallée and Marc Lombard, and also had professional relationships with them during his entire career. String Quartet № 3 was premiered, as well as Symphony № 2 and the symphonic drama Sire Halewyn. Three Melodies for Baritone and Piano is recorded for the ORTF. During holidays, the family regularly took to the road, visiting various European countries. In summer 1966, they made a long bus trip across the USA and during that stay, Kantušer acquired American citizenship. This enabled him, now holding a passport, again to visit his country of birth. Also in 1966, for the first time one of his works (Evocations for Horn and Piano) was premiered and recorded in Slovenia. That same year, Éditions musicales transatlantiques (EMT) published the Symphony № 2. In 1968, Kantušer initiated and was one of the founding members of the
B.I.M.C., a contemporary music international information center, now named after him. From then on the director of the BIMC, Kantušer devoted a large amount of time to this position which he remained in for more than thirty years.
In 1970, the Concert Overture was premiered in
Nice
Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one million[Trieste
Trieste ( , ; ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital and largest city of the Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, as well as of the Province of Trieste, ...]
by the Trio Musica Rara. The pianist of the trio was Leon Engelman with whom Kantušer began a lasting professional cooperation and friendship. In 1971, the Kantušers left Fontainebleau and returned to Paris, first living in the
Bastille quarter, then Rue de Rome, and finally at the
Cité internationale des arts
The Cité internationale des arts is an artist-in-residence building complex which accommodates artists of all specialities and nationalities in Paris. It comprises two sites, one located in the Marais and the other in Montmartre. Approximately ...
where they stayed and where the couple met many artists. In the 1970s, the family often spent summers in
Grožnjan
Grožnjan (; ) is a settlement and a municipality in Croatia. It is part of Istria County, which takes up most of the Istrian peninsula. Around 36% of the municipality's population is Italian.
History Early history
In Grožnjan are found ancient ...
, where they joined an artist colony that revived that
Istria
Istria ( ; Croatian language, Croatian and Slovene language, Slovene: ; Italian language, Italian and Venetian language, Venetian: ; ; Istro-Romanian language, Istro-Romanian: ; ; ) is the largest peninsula within the Adriatic Sea. Located at th ...
n town, and where the composer notably reconnected with his friend Karel Zelenko. EFM (Éditions françaises de musique) published the Cello Concerto, and in 1973, Kantušer signed his Third Symphony. Prelude and Fugue for organ was premiered by
Georges Delvallée, to whom "How long…" was also dedicated, in 1974. In 1974-1975, in an effort of multi-centralization, Kantušer managed to open a ''BIMC'' center in Slovenia in collaboration with the
National and University Library of Slovenia (NUK), in ''Kamnik'', which led him often to travel between France and Slovenia. In 1976, he revised Symphony № 3 and wrote Letters to My Wife, for piano. In 1977, the Society of Slovene Composers (EDSS) published Two Images and Kantušer signed Coexistence № 1, which was premiered the same year in
Opatija
Opatija (; ; ) is a List of cities and towns in Croatia, town and a municipality in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County in northwestern Croatia. The traditional seaside resort on the Kvarner Gulf is known for its Mediterranean climate and its historic bu ...
. In 1978, he organized a chamber music concert at the
Cité internationale des arts
The Cité internationale des arts is an artist-in-residence building complex which accommodates artists of all specialities and nationalities in Paris. It comprises two sites, one located in the Marais and the other in Montmartre. Approximately ...
in Paris (Edmond Michelet Hall), in a preview of a series of concerts entitled " Composers of our time". Also in 1978, the Suite for Percussions was premiered at the Festival of 20th Century chamber music in
Radenci
Radenci (; ) is a town on the right bank of the Mura River in the Mura Statistical Region of northeastern Slovenia. It is a well-known spa town and was first mentioned in written documents dating back to 1436. After 1833, when a new source of min ...
(Slovenia). This suite was choreographed in 1979 by Majna Sevnik for Slovenian television (
RTV Slovenija
Radiotelevizija Slovenija () – usually abbreviated to RTV Slovenija, RTV SLO (or simply RTV within Slovenia) – is Slovenia's national public broadcasting organization.
Based in Ljubljana, it has regional broadcasting centres in Koper and Ma ...
) under the title Midsummer Night (Kresna noč).
In 1980, the Symphony № 3 was recorded for RTV Slovenija under the baton of
Anton Nanut, and thanks to Leon Engelman, an extensive radio program dedicated to the composer was produced by RTV Slovenija, recordings of his works often being broadcast in Yugoslavia. In Paris, he met the author Godfrey Howard (Oxon) and the composer Griffith Rose. Signed in 1980, the String quartet № 4 was premiered by the
Zagreb Quartet in 1981 and came out on a LP record. In 1981, Kantušer signed the Symphony № 4 but revised it in 1983. In addition to a series of concerts, the BIMC occasionally organized exhibitions and presentations of various musical institutions. The couple often visited
Venice
Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...
, and in 1983, Sketch, for organ, was premiered at the Sant'Agnese church by Georges Delvallée. In 1984 a grandson, Nicolas, was born in
Berlin
Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
. In 1985 and 1986, the ballet Flamska Legenda (Flemish Legend) was given in Slovenia at the
Maribor Opera, choreographed by Vlasto Dedović. In 1985, Kantušer wrote
Eppur si muove
''And Yet It Moves'' is a puzzle-platform game developed by independent developer Broken Rules. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux on April 2, 2009, and for Wii as a WiiWare title in August 2010. ''And Yet It Moves ...
for string orchestra, which was premiered in 1986 at the
Cankar Hall in Ljubljana. In 1985, he had to admit the failure of the cooperation between the BIMC and NUK. Kantušer kept an apartment in Kamnik and left the house in Istria. In Kamnik, he often met the veterinarian Demeter Sadnikar, and he was also in contact with the art historian Jure Mikuž, who he met in Paris. Kantušer was in touch with the publisher Billaudot who took over EFM. Starting in 1986, he focussed on digitization of the BIMC files. In 1987, the Symphony № 4 was recorded in Ljubljana under the baton of Anton Nanut, and Épaves (Wrecks) was premiered. In 1988, Kantušer signed the last of his seven String Quartets. Towards the end of the decade, the couple made an artistic, tourist trip throughout Yugoslavia.
During the 1990s, Kantušer and Grace Renzi made several trips to the United States. They were in
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
twice to organize the distribution of the ''BIMC'' directories, but also on a personal basis.
[East Side Dream for piano was signed in New York in 1994.] Kantušer was a member of the
American Composers Alliance
The American Composers Alliance (ACA) is an American nonprofit composer service organization dedicated to the publishing and promoting of American contemporary classical music. Founded in 1937 by Aaron Copland, Milton Adolphus, Marion Bauer and ...
, as well as a member of
SACEM
The Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music or SACEM () is a French professional association collecting payments of artists’ rights and distributing the rights to the original songwriters, composers, and music publisher
A mus ...
in France and SAZAS in Slovenia. In this decade, there were several publications and radio programs about the composer (notably on
France 2
France 2 () is a French free-to-air public television channel. The flagship channel of France Télévisions, it broadcasts generalist programming including news, entertainment (such as dramas, films, and game shows), factual programmes, and sp ...
), and three CD-ROMs including his works were stamped in Slovenia. He continued organizing concerts at the
Cité internationale des arts
The Cité internationale des arts is an artist-in-residence building complex which accommodates artists of all specialities and nationalities in Paris. It comprises two sites, one located in the Marais and the other in Montmartre. Approximately ...
, one of which, in 1992, was dedicated to the composer
Sergiu Natra
Sergiu Natra (; 12 April 1924 – 23 February 2021) was an Israeli composer of classical music. (Print version: Sadie, Stanley (ed.), ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'', Macmillan, 1980, Vol. 13 p. 76. )
Life and work
Natra was b ...
. In 1992, Kantušer signed a symphonic version of Épaves (Wrecks), which was recorded for RTV Slovenija in 1993. "Sarajevo", signed in 1993, was premiered in
Vienna
Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
in 1995. The Concerto for Viola, Double Bass and Orchestra, written in 1994, was recorded in 1996 for RTV Slovenija. In 1996, on the occasion of his 75th birthday, a concert dedicated to Kantušer was held in
Fresnes (Ferme de Cottinville). He was aware of the need for an expansion of the library's premises, and in this regard, he was in contact with
Danièle Pistone at the Sorbonne. In 1997, on the occasion of a concert in honor of the composer at the
Holywell Music Room
The Holywell Music Room is the city of Oxford's chamber music hall, situated on Holywell Street in the city centre, and is part of Wadham College. Built in 1748, it is said to be the oldest purpose-built music room in Europe, and hence Britain' ...
- for the Festival of Contemporary Music in
Oxford
Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town.
The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
, the couple made a last trip together. In 1998, Kantušer entered into negotiations with the Slovene Ministry of Culture concerning the opening of a BIMC center in Slovenia. The talks were successful in 1999, Kantušer meeting the minister
Jožef Školč and the town of
Šmartno being chosen as the venue for the information center. On the other hand, talks with the
BnF proved unsuccessful. Božidar Kantušer died on May 9, 1999, in a Paris hospital, after a cerebral infarct, at the age of 77.
Kantušer is buried in Paris at the Père Lachaise cemetery, together with Grace Renzi (Kantuser) who died in 2011. The manuscripts of his works are kept at the
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...
. The opera "On Christmas Eve" is unfinished. The seven string quartets were published by Marc Lombard. Grace Renzi took care of the succession of the BIMC and thanks to Dominique Hausfater the collection is now at the Médiathèque Hector Berlioz at the Conservatoire de Paris.
References
Sources
*
*
*
*
* Guth, Paul; Jean-Marie Marcel (1954). ''L'académie imaginaire''. Librairie Plon, Paris.
*
Honegger, Marc (1970). ''Dictionnaire de la musique : les hommes et leurs œuvres volume 1''. Bordas, Paris.
* Kovačević, Krešimir (1974). ''Muzička enciklopedija, volume 2'' (2nd edition). Jugoslavenski leksikografski zavod, Zagreb.
* Klemenčič, Ivan (1988). ''Slovenski godalni kvartet'' (The Slovenian string quartet). Musicological Annual XXIV, Ljubljana.
* Javornik, Marjan; Dermastia, Alenka (1990). ''Enciklopedija Slovenije, volume 4''. Založba Mladinska knjiga, Ljubljana.
* Karlin, Klemen (2003). ''Božidar Kantušer und sein Orgelwerk''. Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst, Wien.
External links
Božidar Kantušer (arnes)Autograph manuscripts of Božidar Kantušer(chronological classification)
Božidar Kantušer audio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kantuser, Bozidar
1921 births
1999 deaths
Slovenian composers
Slovenian male composers
Slovene resistance members
Slovenian classical composers
Slovenian male classical composers
American male classical composers
American classical composers
Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery
20th-century classical composers
People from the Municipality of Ormož
20th-century American composers
20th-century American male musicians
Yugoslav emigrants to France
Slovenian male musicians