Hrvatski filmski ljetopis, broj 15 (1998) - Hrvatski filmski savez

PORTRAIT
UDC: 78.071:791.43(049)
Irena Paulus
A Bio-Filmographical Interview
with Film-Music Composer
An|elko Klobu~ar
A conversation with composer An|elko Klobu~ar
about his experience as a composer and conductor
of film music.
An|elko Klobu~ar first came into contact with film music at
Dubrava film when he, as a musical advisor, added »background
sound« to films shot without sound by using sounds
and music from the archives at Dubrava film. The first films
he composed music for were The Motorcycle Chase by B.
Majer and the especially demanding film The Emperor’s
New Cloths by A. Babaja. In addition to documentary and
feature films, he composed music for the animated films of
A. Marks, V. Mimica and Z. Bourek. His last film was The
Stone Gates by A. Babaja. In the conversation, Klobu~ar gives
advice for achieving stylistic features in music adapted
for atmosphere effect, as well as his relationship with electronic
tools that help in composing film music.
UDC: 78.071:791.43(497.5)
Irena Paulus
An Organist in the Film Studio – An-
|elko Klobu~ar and his Film Music
An analysis of the film music of An|elko Klobu~ar
in comparison to his organ music on the basis of
differentiating works of popular musical expression
based on musical tradition and composition
with contemporary elements which adhere to the
typical constants in Klobu~ar’s style.
Composer, organist and music teacher An|elko Klobu~ar
was born on July 11, 1931. He graduated from the music history
department at Zagreb’s Music Academy and continued
his studies in Salzburg and Paris. He composed with ease
and his works encompassed almost all aspects of classical
music. In spite of the fact that he wrote a large number of
film scores, these compositions were overshadowed by his
other works.
According to Hana Breko’s analysis there are two groups of
organ compositions by An|elko Klobu~ar in those works:
compositions with a more popular musical expression
which signify the composer’s return to third chords and musical
tradition and those works with contemporary elements
which adhere tot the typical constants in Klobu~ar’s style.
By analyzing Klobu~ar’s film scores according to this division,
we came to the conclusion that in spite of the necessary
popular approach, some scores have more traditional elements
while others highlight the elements of An|elko Klobu~ar’s
typical style.
Works that fall into the first group include the music for the
feature length children’s film Chasing the Motorcycle, which
is characterized by a very simple musical language, as well
186
Hrvatski filmski ljetopis 15/1998.
the more complex score of the feature film The Birch Tree,
which is based on the folk song Slavuj pjeva. The music for
the The Birch Tree joins together elements of both the old
and new musical procedures.
The music for the film The Emperor’s New Cloths links the
stylistic trends of Romanticism, the Neorenaissance, Neoclassicism
and the widened tonal system and in some way looks
for a balance between the traditional and contemporary.
Representing the contemporarily oriented film works is the
score for the documentary film Ivan Me{trovi}. The film’s
music is within the framework of the typical constants of
Klobu~ar’s style (clearly formulated dispositions, fourth
chords, additional seconds, etc.).
The documentary film Antun Augustin~i} and the feature
film The Secrets of NikolaTesla are also contemporarily oriented,
but due to some elements (tonal experiments, musical
sections with simple textures) there are boundaries between
the first and second group.
Since An|elko Klobu~ar wrote a large number of works for
the concert podium on which he worked long and hard, it
is not surprising that he considers his film music secondary
and less important. However, the comparison between his
film music and his organ works proves that there are portions
of his film music which deserve serious analysis.
CONTEMPORARY INTERPRETATIONS IN
TRANSLATION
UDC: 791.43(73)
791.43:820-2
Robert Benedetto
A Streetcar Named Desire –
Adapting the Play to Film
The article states the requisite characteristics a play
needs for its successful adaptation into a film. A
case study of the William’s drama and Kazan’s film
A Streetcar Named Desire.
The basic characteristic is that a play’s story must take place
in a realistic context and have the potential to be »opened
up.« Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire is
the kind of play that can be successfully translated into film
and in 1951, under the direction of Elia Kazan, it was. The
article presents a strong case to support the argument that
the story of A Streetcar Named Desire is more effectively
rendered as a film than as a play. In an interview, Kazan,
agreeing with author Williams, stated, »the film version managed
to surpass the effect of the play with the exception of
the ending.« Forced to alter the original ending of the play
to satisfy the industry censor, Kazan felt the story had been
compromised. However, the article argues that the altered
ending of the film version is more dramatically satisfying
than the play’s ending, especially for a contemporary audience.
In the play’s ending, Stella, after being brutalized by
her coarse working-class husband, Stanley, docilely submits
to him and his sexual advances. In the film’s ending, Stella
makes a stand against Stanley, rejecting his advances, leaving