Stevan Stojanović Mokranjac

Stevan Stojanović Mokranjac (January 9, 1856–1914) was a Serbian composer and music
educator. His work was essential in bringing the spirit of Valach Serbian unwritten
folk poems into organized art.

Biography

He was born in Negotin. From the birthplace of his parents he drew the second last
name Mokranjac (literally: resident of Mokranje).

He graduated from the Belgrade high school, and attended the natural science and
mathematics section of the University of Belgrade. In 1879 he traveled to Munich
where he studied music in the class of Josef Rheinberger. After a brief break, he
continued to study in Rome in the class of Parisotti, in 1884. Returning to Serbia
in 1884 he briefly became the conductor of the Kornelije Stanković choir of
Belgrade.

From 1885 to 1887 he studied music in Leipzig, Germany. Upon his return to Serbia
in 1887 he became the conductor of the Belgrade singing society (Belgrade Choir).
From 1887 to 1900 he taught music at the Belgrade high school, and in 1901
transferred to Bogoslovija (Belgrade Theological College) where he taught church
singing. Together with Stanislav Binički and Cvetko Manojlović, Mokranjac founded
the first independent music school in 1899 - Serbian Music School in Belgrade. He
remains the director of this school until his death. Today the school bears his
name. His work as a melograph bore many transcriptions of thus far unwritten folk
songs.

Stevan Mokranjac died in Skopje, Macedonia (then Kingdom of Serbia), aged 58.

Every year, the town of Negotin organizes a music festival in his honor called
Mokranjčevi dani (Days of Mokranjac). The town also has a Mokranjac museum.

Works

His life was highly influenced by church and folk songs, and he used these two
types of music as inspiration for his work. His most famous pieces are the fifteen
Rukoveti (Potpourri; literally: "handfuls" or "bunches") - a collection of songs
and music (orchestral suites) based on motives of Serbian folk music from Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Serbia Proper, Montenegro, Kosovo and Metohija, Macedonia and
Bulgaria. His other prominent folk-based works include Primorski napjevi (Coastland
tunes), and Kozar.

A significant number of his works were made for church services. Such as the
Božanstvena Liturgija Svetog Jovana Zlatoustog (The Divine Liturgy of St.
Chrysostom), from which the Heruvimska pesma (Cherubic hymn) is most famous.
Another two famous religious pieces are Tebe Boga hvalim (Te Deum) and Veličanije
Sv. Savi (Megalynarion to St. Sava).

Other
Statija treća
Tebe pojem
Aliluja (Alleluia after the Cherubikon)
Aliluja (Alleluia after the Trisagion)
Budi imja Gospodnje
Cherubic Hymn (Heruvimska pesma)
Dve pesme na veliki petak
Akatist
Opelo
Tebe Boga hvalim
Kozar
Mnogaja ljeta
Molitvami Bogorodici
Njest svjat

Text source: Wikipedia.org