Obradović, Aleksandar

Obradović, Aleksandar, Yugoslav composer, pedagogue, writer on music, painter, and poet; b. Bled, Aug. 22, 1927. He studied with Logar at the Belgrade Academy of Music (graduated, 1952), with Berkeley in London (1959–60), and at the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center in N.Y. (1966–67). From 1955 to 1991 he was prof. of composition at the Belgrade Academy of Music. He also served as rector of the Univ. of Arts from 1977 to 1983. He was general secretary of the Union of Yugoslav Composers (1962–66). In 1959 he received the Award of the City of Belgrade for his Symphonic Epitaph and in 1980 the award of the Republic of Serbia for his creative oeuvre. He publ. a textbook on orchestration (Belgrade, 1978; 2^nd ed., 1997). Formally, his music adheres to the architectonic Classical design with discernible tonal centers, but he also experiments with atonal thematics, polytonal harmonies, and dodecaphonic formulas, also using elements of electronic and aleatorie music.

Works

(all first perf. in Belgrade unless otherwise given): dramatic:Prolecni uranak (Spring Early Outing), ballet (1948); music for 9 radio plays; 7 film scores. orch.:8 syms.: No. 1 (1952; March 11, 1953), No. 2 (1959–61; Jan. 22, 1965), No. 3, Microsymphony for Tape and Orch. (1967; Opatija, Oct. 27, 1968), No. 4 (May 24, 1972), No. 5, Intima (Opatija, Nov. 17, 1974), No. 6, Explicatio duplex, expressio triplex (1977; May 12, 1978), No. 7 (1985; Oct. 6, 1987), and No. 8, Na davnom proplanku detinjstva (In childhood’s bygone meadow), for 2 Voices, Chorus, and Orch. (1989; Nov. 26, 1991); Prelude and Fugue for Strings (1954); Concertino for Piano and Strings (1956); Concerto for Clarinet and Strings (1958; March 26, 1959); Scherzo Overture (1959); Kroz svemir (Through Outer Space), suite (1961); Epitaph H for Orch. and Tape (Berlin, Oct. 6, 1965); Dramatičnafuga for Wind Orch. (Nov. 17, 1972); Cello Concerto (1979; April 23, 1980); Askeza (Ascetism) for Strings and Celesta (1991); Concerto for Violin and Strings (1991; Sept. 28, 1992; also as a Concerto for Cello and Strings); Music (Concerto No. 1) for Piano and Strings (1992; Sept. 24, 1993); Diptych (Concerto No. 2) for Piano and Strings (1999); Diptych (Prelude and Fugue) for Strings (1999); Pro liberiate (Concerto No. 3) for Piano and Orch. (2000). chamber:Quintet for Flute, Clarinet, and String Trio (1951); Microsonata I for Clarinet (1969) and II for Bassoon (1970); Divertimento for Wind Quintet (1983); piano pieces. vocal:Mala horska svita (Little choral suite; 1947); Plameni vjetar (Wing of Flame), song cycle for Baritone and Orch. (1955); Symphonic Epitaph for Reciter, Chorus, and Orch. (May 21, 1959); Sutjeska for 2 Reciters, Chorus, and Orch. (1968; Dec. 19, 1971); Dačko doba Šumarica (School Days in Šumarice) for Reciters, Chorus, Children’s Chorus, and Wind Orch. (Kragujevac, Oct. 21, 1972); Mezomed Muzi (Mesomedes to the Muse), song cycle for Mezzo-soprano and Chamber Trio (1972); Zeleni vitez (The Green Knight), song cycle for Voice and Strings (1990); Stradun, song cycle for Voice and Piano (1990). electronic:Electronic Toccata and Fugue (1967).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire