Composer Jakov Gotovac (October 11 1895 - october 16 1982) was born in Split. The author of the most famous national opera, comical Ero s onoga svijeta (Ero the joker), which first played in 1935, initially had little if any formal education in music. Jakov was fortunate to be encouraged and supported by Josip Hatze, Cyril Metoděj Hrazdíra and Antun Dobranić who instilled him with a nationalistic orientation in music. He started as a law student in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, but switched to music in 1920. In Vienna (Wien - Beč) he studied in the class of Johan Marx. Back home, in 1922 he founded the Philharmonia Society in Šibenik.
In 1923 he moved to Zagreb, where he kept working both as conductor and composer until his death. Between 1923 and 1958, he was opera conductor in Hrvatsko narodno kazaliste, (Croatian national theatre), and leader of an academic musical society Mladost, and of the choir Vladimir Nazor. The best-known piece of work of Gotovac is no doubth "Ero", being performed today on all five continents and translated into nine languages, with excellent libretto written by Milan Begović. There are numerous other works in orchestra and vocal music, piano pieces, and others. In his works, Gotovac represents the late national romanticism, with national folklore being the main source of ideas and inspiration
Works
Orchestral works
- Simfonijsko kolo (Symphony kolo) op.12 1926
- Pjesma i ples s Balkana (Song and dance of Balkan) op.16 1939
- Orači (Men and ploughs) op.18 1937
- Guslar (Gusle player) op.22 1940
- Dinarka (Lady from Dinara) 1945
- Plesovi od Bunjevaca (The dances from Bunjevci) 1960
Choral works
- 2 Scherzo s 1916
- 2 pjesme za muški zbor (two songs for men's choir) 1918
- 2 pjesme čuda i smijeha (2 songs of wonder and joy) 1924
- Koleda 1925
- Dubravka. Pastorale for Choir & Orchestra, text from Ivan Gundulić op. 13 (1927-28)
- 3 momačka zbora (3 boy choirs) 1932
- Pjesme vječnog jada (Songs of eternal sorrow) (1939)
- Pjesme zanosa (Songs of excitement) 1955
Vocal solist works
- Djevojka i mjesec (Girl and the moon) for alto & orchestra 1917
- Erotski moment za glas i glasovir (erotic moments for voice & piano) 1929
- 2 Sonate za bariton i orkestar (2 sonatas for baritone & orchestra) 1921
- Pjesme djevojčice za jedan glas i glasovir (Songs for girl's voice & piano) 1923
- Gradom za glas i glasovir (Through the town for voice & piano)
- Rizvan-aga za bariton i orkrstar (Rizvan-aga for bariton & Orchestra 1938
- Pjesme čežnje za glas i orkestar (Songs of passion for song & orchestra) (1939)
Operatic works
