Franjo Dugan (11 September 1874 – 12 December 1948) was a prominent Croatian composer, organist, music critic and academic. Known for his late Romantic organ and choral works inspired by Croatian folklore, he was one of the leaders of the Cecilian Movement in the Catholic Church in Croatia.
Biography Born in 1874 in Krapinica near Zlatar, Dugan received his first lessons in organ from Vatroslav Kolander, organist in Zagreb Cathedral.Franjo Dugan - Biography croatianhistory.net (bilingual: Croatian and English). Access date 16 March 2019. After graduating in Classical Gymnasium in Zagreb in 1892Koprek, Ivan. Thesaurus Archigymnasii, Zbornik radova u prigodi 400. godišnjice Klasične gimnazije u Zagrebu (1607. - 2007.). Zagreb, 2007., p. 919. . he went to Hochmusikschule in Berlin, where he graduated in 1908. His professors were Robert Kahn and Max Bruch.Dugan, Franjo st. Croatian Encyclopedia. Access date 16 March 2019. By returning to Croatia, he became a professor in Osijek and Zagreb (1921-1941), where he taught music theory, composition and organs.Vidaković, Albe. DUGAN, Franjo st. in: Kovačević, K. (ed.). Muzička enciklopedija, Zagreb: JLZ, 1971, Vol. 1, p. 480.
He was choirmaster of the several choirs (Kolo, Sloga, Oratory choir of the St. Mark's Church) and the organist of the St. Mark's Church. He was one of the founders of the Cecilian movement in Croatia, harmonizing a vast number of Croatian folk chants.Marion-Kesić, Ksenija. FRANJO DUGAN st. in: Salter, L.. Vodič kroz klasičnu glazbu, Zagreb: Mladost, 1983, p. 223-224. He was a member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts.
Works He composed in a late romantical style, relying on the Baroque polyphony.Andreis, Josip. Povijest glazbe, Zagreb: SNL, 1989, Vol. 4, p. 298-299. He was partially inspired by Croatian folklore, especially sacral traditions of the Hrvatsko zagorje, where he was born. He composed more than fifty vocal and instrumental (mostly for organs) music works.Kovačević, Krešimir. Muzičko stvaralaštvo u Hrvatskoj 1945-1965, Zagreb: Udruženje kompozitora Hrvatske, 1966, p. 189-190.
Orchestral works Uvertira (Overture), 1985 Simfonijski andante (Symphonical andante), 1908
Works for organ Šest fughetta, 1893 Dva preludija, 1893 Prélude et fugue in G-major, 1894. Dvije fuge, in c-minor and f-minor, 1894 Kromatska fuga in c-minor, 1895. Toccata in g-minor, 1895. Fantazija (Fantasy), 1895. Preludij i fuga in H-major, 1908/09 Božićna predigra, 1942
Scientific papers Elementarna teorija muzike (Elementary Theory of Music), 1922. Vježbe za zborno pjevanje 1923 Nauka o muzičkim formama, 1932 Nauka o instrumentima, 1936 Akustika (Acustics), 1943 Nauk o glasbalima, 1944 Nauka o formama (left in manuscript)
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