Franjo Lučić’s organ opus is characterized, on one hand, by a series of academically crafted works (often including counterpoint), such as numerous fugues (sometimes standalone, sometimes accompanied by a prelude) and similar pieces, among which the Toccata and Fugue in F major and the two-movement Sonata in C minor stand out in significance. Both works were composed in 1909 and feature virtuosic and lavish first movements followed by elaborate fugues. In the later period, in the central part of his opus, Lučić placed greater emphasis on rhapsodic forms with distinct atmosphere, as seen in the Legend in A minor (1910), clearly inspired by the late-Romantic language of German composers, and two very successful works, Fantasia in C minor (1932) and Elegy in F minor (1935). In these works we recognize the authentic Lučić, finally true to himself, forging his personal style and balancing between rigor and freedom, strict counterpoint, and fluid, expressive melody, introducing into Croatian organ music for the first time works inspired by authentically Croatian elements - traditional tunes - cloaked in the garb of romantic expressiveness with wide gestures of crescendo and decrescendo, as well as gentle, lyrical moments that sometimes require just one, concise melodic motif to evoke a completely unique atmosphere. It comes as no surprise that Lučić subsequently arranged many of his organ works for symphony orchestra. On the contrary, what was unexpected was the fact that Lučić seems to have succeeded quite well in treating the organ as a symphony orchestra, which was not typically found in Croatian music of the time, thus making it a real pity that his Concerto for Organ and Symphony Orchestra in C minor - the first such work in Croatian music - is likely irretrievably lost today. The symphonic gesture and sound in Lučić’s organ opus represent an original departure from the previous generation of Croatian organ composers and are some of the reasons why his organ works are popular among performers and audiences alike.
(Pavao Mašić)
BROJ IZDANJA / EDITION NUMBERS
Can. 349-3220
ISMN 979-0-801363-22-0
HDS, Zagreb
2023.
