In the minds of many foreigners, Slovenianfolk music means aform of polka that is still popular today, especially among expatriates and their descendants. However, there are many styles of Slovenian folk music beyond polka andwaltz.Kolo,lender,štajeriš,mafrine andšaltin are a few of the traditional music styles and dances.
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TheDivje Babe flute, a perforated bone found in a cave at theDivje Babe siteCerkno, Slovenia. It is controversially believed to be a flute, which makes it possibly the oldest known musical instrument ever. Its age is estimated at approximately 55,000 years.
The history of modern Slovenian music can be traced back to the 5th century, when Christianity spread inCarantania. Liturgicalhymns (kyrie Eleison) were introduced, and became the firstplainchant to make a connection to the peoples' language.
During the medieval era, secular music was as popular as church music, including wanderingminnesingers.
George Slatkonia, aCarniolan conductor and composer fromNovo Mesto, became the director of theVienna Boys' Choir in 1498.
By the time ofProtestant Reformation in the 16th century, music was used to proselytize in Carniola. The first Slovenian hymnal,Eni Psalmi, was published in 1567. This period saw the rise ofRenaissance musicians likeJacobus Gallus.[1] Italy was an important musical influence of the period, especially in sacred music, such as that ofAntonio Tarsia (composer) ofKoper, inoratorio and opera. ACommedia was performed in Ljubljana in 1660, and an opera in 1700 in the family palace of theAuersperg family.
In 1701,Johann Berthold von Höffer (1667–1718), a nobleman and amateur composer from Ljubljana, founded theAcademia Philharmonicorum Labacensis based on Italian models.[2] and the Ljubljana branch of the RomanAcademy of Arcadia was founded a few years later in 1709. Apart from Höffer, the Cathedral provost Michael Omerza was also noted for his oratorios. The first major Slovenian opera was performed in 1732,Il Tamerlano byabbate Giuseppe Clemente de Bonomi, maestro di Capella, in the palace of the Carniolan vice-regent, the duke Francesco Antonio Sigifrid Della Torre e Valassina.[3][4][5][6][7][8]
Beginning in 1768, German theatre companies arrived and became very popular. The 1794 formation of thePhilharmonische Gesellschaft was important because it was one of the first such orchestras in Central Europe.
The 19th century saw the growth of a distinctively Slovenian classical music sound based onromanticism, while the German minority continued to push for a stronger Germanic identity. TheLjubljana opera house (1892) was shared by Slovene and German opera companies.
Composers of SlovenianLieder andart songs includeEmil Adamič (1877–1936),Fran Gerbič (1840–1917),Alojz Geržinič (1915–2008),Benjamin Ipavec (1829–1908),Davorin Jenko (1835–1914),Anton Lajovic (1878–1960),Kamilo Mašek (1831–1859),Josip Pavčič (1870–1949),Zorko Prelovec (1887–1939), andLucijan Marija Škerjanc (1900–1973).
In the early 20th century,impressionism was spreading across Slovenia, which soon produced composersMarij Kogoj andSlavko Osterc.
Avant-gardeclassical music arose in Slovenia in the 1960s, largely due to the work ofUroš Krek,Dane Škerl,Primož Ramovš andIvo Petrić, who also conducted theSlavko Osterc Ensemble.Jakob Jež,Darijan Božič,Lojze Lebič andVinko Globokar have since composed enduring works, especially Globokar'sL'Armonia, an opera. In the 1950s,Božidar Kantušer was the most progressive of all, by dint of his atonality.
Contemporary classic music composers includeUroš Rojko,Tomaž Svete,Brina Jež-Brezavšček andAldo Kumar.
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The Slovenian National Theatres in Maribor and Ljubljana serve as the national opera and ballet houses. Mezzo-sopranoMarjana Lipovšek was born in Ljubljana. Opera composers from Slovenia includeFran Gerbič,Jani Golob,Slavko Osterc,Pavel Šivic andIgor Štuhec.
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The composer offilm scores for 170 films wasBojan Adamič (1912–1995).[9]
Ruralharmony singing is a deep rooted tradition in Slovenia, and is at least three-part singing (four voices), while in some regions even up to eight-part singing (nine voices). Slovenian folk songs, thus, usually resounds soft and harmonious, and are very seldom in minor.
Typical Slovenian folk music is performed on Styrian harmonica (the oldest type of accordion), fiddle, clarinet,zithers, flute, and by brass bands of alpine type. In eastern Slovenia, fiddle and cimbalon bands are calledvelike goslarije. Traditional Slovenian music include various kinds of musical instruments such as:
Folk music revivalists includeVolk Volk,Kurja Koža,Marko Banda,Katice,Bogdana Herman,Ljoba Jenče,Vruja,Trinajsto praše,Šavrinske pupe en ragacone,Musicante Istriani, andTolovaj Mataj.
One of the best Slovenian diatonic accordionists isNejc Pačnik who won the accordion world-championship twice, in 2009 and 2015.
From 1952 on, theSlavko Avsenik's band began to appear in broadcasts, movies, and concerts all over theWest Germany, inventing the original "Oberkrainer" sound that has become the primary vehicle of ethnic musical expression not only in Slovenia, but also in Germany,Austria,Switzerland, and in theBenelux, spawning hundreds ofAlpine orchestras in the process. The band produced nearly 1000 original compositions, an integral part of theSlovenian-style polka legacy. Avsenik's most popularinstrumental composition is the polka that is titled "Na Golici" (in Slovene), or "Trompetenecho" (in German), and "Trumpet Echoes" (in English).Oberkrainer music, which theAvsenik Ensemble popularized, is always a strong candidate forpop-folk music awards in Slovenia and Austria. Slavko and his brother,Vilko, are usually credited as the pioneers of Slovenian folk music, having solidified its style in the 1950s.
Many musicians followed Avsenik's steps, one of the most famous beingLojze Slak.
Slovenia has taken part in the Eurovision Song Contest 31 times since 1993, only not participating in 1994 and 2000. They previously participated as part ofYugoslavia. Their best results were 7th in 1995 with the song "Prisluhni mi" byDarja Švajger, and 7th in 2001 with the song "Energy" byNuša Derenda. Since the introduction of semi-finals at Eurovision, they have failed to qualify just 13 times. All of Slovenia's Eurovision entrants and songs have been decided through the national final EMA, except for their 2023 and 2024 entries which were decided by an internal selection.[10] In 2023 and 2024, Slovenia was represented byJoker Out andRaiven respectively, both artists having qualified and placed 21st and 23rd in the Grand Final.
A similarly high standing in Slovene culture, like theSanremo Music Festival has had in Italian culture, was attributed to the coastal Melodies of Sea and Sun (In Slovene:Melodije morja in sonca) andSlovenian song festival (In Slovene:Slovenska popevka), dedicated to a specific genre of popular Slovene music.[11]
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Among pop, rock, industrial, and indie musicians the most popular in Slovenia includeLaibach, an early 1980sindustrial music group, and most recently the Slovenian popa cappella bandPerpetuum Jazzile.
Other popular bands, most largely unknown outside the country, includeTabu, ManuElla,Društvo Mrtvih Pesnikov (pop-rock),Siddharta,Rok 'n' Band,Pop Design,Fredi Miler,Terrafolk,Leaf Fat (screamo),Amaya,Šank Rock,Big Foot Mama,Yogurt,Dan D,Zablujena generacija,Katalena,Devil Doll (experimental rock),Negligence (band),Chateau,Čuki,Zaklonišče Prepeva,Psycho-Path,Dekadent (black metal),Buldožer (progressive rock) andJoker Out. Thedeathcore bandWithin Destruction have released two-full-length albums and have partaken in several European tours; the band is based inJesenice.[12]
Slovenian post-WWII singer-songwriters includeFrane Milčinski (1914–1988),Tomaž Pengov whose 1973 albumOdpotovanja is considered to be the first singer-songwriter album informer Yugoslavia,[13]Tomaž Domicelj,Marko Brecelj,Andrej Šifrer,Eva Sršen,Neca Falk, andJani Kovačič. After 1990,Adi Smolar,Iztok Mlakar,Vita Mavrič,Vlado Kreslin,Zoran Predin,Peter Lovšin, andMagnifico have been popular in Slovenia, as well.
The 1970sBratko Bibič's bandBegnagrad is considered one of the direct influences on modernworld music. Bibič's uniqueaccordion style, often solo, with no accompaniment, has also made him a solo star.
Slovenia was the center forpunk rock in theTitoist Yugoslavia. The most famous representatives of this genre werePankrti,Niet,Lublanski Psi, Kuzle,Čao Pičke,Via Ofenziva,Tožibabe, andOtroci Socializma.
Slovenia has also produced two renowned DJs:DJ Umek andValentino Kanzyani. Specialising in a frantic brand of party techno and tech-house, the pair co-founded the label Recycled Loops as well as having many releases on labels such as Novamute, Primate, Intec and Bassethound Records.
Neue Slowenische Kunst (a German phrase meaning "New Slovenian Art"), akaNSK, is a controversial politicalart collective that announced itself inSlovenia in 1984, when Slovenia was part ofYugoslavia. NSK's name, being German, is compatible with a theme in NSK works: the complicated relationshipSlovenes have had withGermans. The name of NSK's music wing, Laibach, is also the German name of the Slovene capitalLjubljana, creatingcontroversy through evoking memories of the Nazi occupation of Slovenia during theSecond World War.[14]
NSK's best-known member is the musical groupLaibach. Other NSK member groups includeIRWIN (visual art),Noordung (theater; originally namedScipion Nasice Sisters Theatre, also known as Red Pilot), New Collective Studio (graphics; also known as New Collectivism), Retrovision (film and video), and the Department of Pure and Applied Philosophy (theory).[15][16][17] The founding groups of the NSK were Laibach, IRWIN, and Scipion Našice Sisters Theater.
NSK art often draws on symbols drawn fromtotalitarian or extremenationalist movements, often reappropriating totalitariankitsch in a visual style reminiscent ofDada. NSK artists oftenjuxtapose symbols from different (and often incompatible) politicalideologies. For example, a 1987 NSK-designedposter caused a scandal by winning a competition for the YugoslavianYouth Day Celebration. The posterappropriated a painting byNazi artistRichard Klein, replacing theflag of Nazi Germany with theYugoslav flag and theGerman eagle with adove.[16]
Both IRWIN and Laibach are emphatic about their work being collective rather than individual. Laibach's original songs and arrangements are always credited to the group collectively; the individual artists are not named on theiralbum covers; at one point, there were even two separate Laibach groups touring at the same time, both with members of the original group. Similarly, the IRWIN artists never sign their work individually; instead, they are "signed" with astamp orcertificate indicating approval as a work from the IRWIN collective.
The NSK were the subject of a 1996 documentary film written and directed byMichael Benson, entitledPrerokbe Ognja inSlovenian, orPredictions of Fire in English.[18] Among those interviewed in the film is Slovenian intellectualSlavoj Žižek.
Since 1991, NSK has claimed to constitute astate,[19] a claim similar to that ofmicronations. They issue passports,[20] have presented shows of their work in the guise of an embassy or even as a territory of their supposed state, and maintainconsulates in several cities includingUmag, Croatia.[21] NSK have also issued postage stamps. Laibach, in 2006, recorded (some may say 'remixed') the NSK State National Anthem on the LP "Volk." The "anthem" adopts its melody from another Laibach song, "The Great Seal." Laibach's version of the NSK anthem includes a computer voice reciting an excerpt fromWinston Churchill's famous "We shall fight them on the beaches/We shall never surrender" speech. The computer voice is clearly recognisable as the voice synthesiserMacintalk, built intoclassic Mac OS, and uses the preset voice Ralph.
The NSK passports are an art project and as such are not valid for travel. However, many desperate people have fallen for a scam in which they are issued a NSK passport. Most of these scams originate in Nigeria and Egypt.[22]
Laibach[ˈlaɪbax] is a Slovenianavant-garde music group strongly associated withmartial, andneo-classical musical styles. Laibach formed 1 June 1980 inTrbovlje,Slovenia (thenYugoslavia). Laibach represents the music wing of theNeue Slowenische Kunst (NSK) art collective, of which it was a founding member in 1984. The name "Laibach" is the German name for Slovenia's capital city,Ljubljana.
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