Woman's 100 year old composition gives Hans Zimmer a run for his money!

[synergy543]

Sorry for the click-bait , but everyone complains there are no woman composers and I wanted to share the amazing orchestral works of Dora Pejačević in case you haven't heard of her (and maybe you'll enjoy these links!). She composed these pieces just about 100 years ago (although they have strong elements of later golden era film style compositions). Undoubtedly had these pieces been composed by Korgold or some other famous male composer, they'd have been a lot more popular. You can hear influences from Rachmaninoff and others of the period as well as the influences these styles had on later film music composers of the golden era. Regardless, I really envy her composing craft skills. Too bad she died so young as we don't get a chance to hear what else she might have contributed. But maybe her work can be an inspiration for others today?

Click to read more...

 

[Valérie_D]

Indeed, she rocks, thanks for sharing!

 

[Garlu]

What a beautiful writing!! Thanks for sharing, never heard of her before! Inspiring indeed!

 

[clisma]

Wonderful writing, will have to find a score and study. Thanks for posting!

 

[wst3]

I've just added her to my list of composers that I really need to listen to!

 

[synergy543]

Wonderful writing, will have to find a score and study. Thanks for posting!

Here is a short sample of the opening of Phantasie conertante":
(broken link removed)

The full score can be purchased here (its about $33):
(broken link removed)

Many of her piano scores are posted on youtube. You'll find a few links here:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=pejacevic+score

@Garlu - here's how to pronounce her name (more difficult than Arnald Olufson ):
https://forvo.com/word/pejačević/#hr

Interestingly, she also seemed to like to write in the key of D.

 

[BenG]

Thank you for sharing! This is some amazing writing!

 

[Kyle Preston]

Just to add to the list, Shirley Walker's Batman score is one of those gems I keep coming back to over and over. I just discovered this clip of her describing theme and variation, the question and answer structure. Talk about orchestration chops!

​

 

[RiffWraith]

Isn't that ^ DE's score, that Shirley worked on as an orchestrator?

 

[mac]

@RiffWraith I guess you'd say it's her interpretation of Elfman's original theme. Personally, I prefer the original.

 

[RiffWraith]

Oh, oh, oh - I see. That vid is not a snippet from the film, but TAS. My bad. Me >

 

[k4zu729gfnrd5n]

Verwandlung op. 37b, agreed by many to be Pejačević's best masterwork. Karl Kraus showed the piece to Arnold Schönberg who praised it, especially one part: the interlude „Heute ist Frühling". It was composed upon the verses of the Austrian writer and publicist Karl Kraus (1874-1936) in the spring of 1915 for the wedding of their mutual friend Baroness Sidonie Nâdherny von Borutin which didn't take place.
Op.37a is the original setting for voice (deep female), violin and organ, wherease op. 37b is the orchestrated version.
Free sheet music (broken link removed)



P. s.
Pejačević is pronounced Pejachevich. Her full name was, the German version, Marie Theodora von Lumbe née Pejacsevich, and the Hungarian version, Mária Theodóra Paulina Zsófia Pejacsevich. Her native language was German, that's why everything she wrote (not just compositions, but everything personal) was in that language.

 

[k4zu729gfnrd5n]

Pejačević composed two nocturnes for piano, Zwei Nocturnos op.50 No.1 & No.2, and wrote verses as a small poetic programme (describing the atmosphere in which both pieces were conceived).

Nocturne op. 50 no. 1 was composed in Janowitz, Bohemia (near border with Germany), on July 20-21st 1918, and carries a dedication to her friend, pianist Alice Ripper (1889-1961).

Dunkel ruht des Teiches Tiefe
im Mond erzittert die Fläche leis,
die Tannen rauschen, die Weide neigt sich –
herbstlich berührt, schweigt still das Herz


Pejačević : Nocturne for Orchestra (1918. Orchestrated nocturne for piano)

Did she orchestrate this, I wonder?

When I listen to it eyes closed, the northern lights scenery is the first that comes to mind. Interestingly, in her youth Pejačević's mentality was being shaped under influence of Geman and Scandinavian literature.

 

[dcoscina]

Good post. Another amazing female composer and prodigy was Lili Boulanger who composed music at the same caliber as Debussy and Ravel. She only lived until 24 because of illnesses but the technique she possessed was outstanding (her older sister Nadia is famed for her teachings).

 

[creativeforge]

Pejačević composed two nocturnes for piano, Zwei Nocturnos op.50 No.1 & No.2, and wrote verses as a small poetic programme (describing the atmosphere in which both pieces were conceived).

Nocturne op. 50 no. 1 was composed in Janowitz, Bohemia (near border with Germany), on July 20-21st 1918, and carries a dedication to her friend, pianist Alice Ripper (1889-1961).

Dunkel ruht des Teiches Tiefe
im Mond erzittert die Fläche leis,
die Tannen rauschen, die Weide neigt sich –
herbstlich berührt, schweigt still das Herz


Pejačević : Nocturne for Orchestra (1918. Orchestrated nocturne for piano)

Did she orchestrate this, I wonder?

When I listen to it eyes closed, the northern lights scenery is the first that comes to mind. Interestingly, in her youth Pejačević's mentality was being shaped under influence of Geman and Scandinavian literature.

Gorgeous and evocative... that pizz "bass" around 3:50 is amazing to me, almost verbal...

Thanks for the discovery!

 

[NoamL]

Wow... not as much a fan of her other pieces but this one is incredible!!!! Especially the first stanza.

 

[synergy543]

I recently purchased a few of the Pejačević CDs published by CPO which were recorded in 2008. I wonder if there were recordings of her work prior to this?
Or did it really take 100 years before her work got published and recorded?

[EDIT] On further reading about her works, it appears that only a few of them have been published and recorded recently, so in that sense, she's fairly new on the scene.

 

[Markus Kohlprath]

Good post. Another amazing female composer and prodigy was Lili Boulanger who composed music at the same caliber as Debussy and Ravel. She only lived until 24 because of illnesses but the technique she possessed was outstanding (her older sister Nadia is famed for her teachings).

Does anybody know where you can get the score of these? I mean the orchestral score not the piano-flute version which is on imslp.

 

[synergy543]

Does anybody know where you can get the score of these? I mean the orchestral score not the piano-flute version which is on imslp.

As far as I can tell, this has not been published yet (along with many other great works of hers such as her Symphony and Cello Sonata). Much of her work has only recently been published and recorded. However, you could write to the Croatian Music Information Center to ask if this has been or is available.
(broken link removed)
If you do, please let us know what answer you receive.

 

[Markus Kohlprath]

As far as I can tell, this has not been published yet (along with many other great works of hers such as her Symphony and Cello Sonata). Much of her work has only recently been published and recorded. However, you could write to the Croatian Music Information Center to ask if this has been or is available.
(broken link removed)
If you do, please let us know what answer you receive.

Kroatian? So you are referring to Dora Pejacevic do you? Which is certainly very interesting but I am looking for the scores of lily boulangers. Or is there a chance to get those at the croatian music center?