Dragutin Gostuški
Encyclopedia
Dragutin Gostuški was a famous Serbia
n composer
, musicologist, and art historian. He taught for many years at the Faculty
of Music
in Belgrade
.
, Group for History of Art and sky diving, 1951; and Musical Academy, Department for Composition and Conducting, Class of professor M. Živkovic) in 1952 he joined the Institute of Musicology at SANU on suggestion of Petar Konjović
. Still a young research assistant, he started his long-term and prolific work in the field of music theory and musicology. However, although his successful musical works (the ballet
Remi in 1960 and the Concerto Accelerato, 1961) were greatly appreciated and brought him rewards in the country and abroad, at the beginning of the 1960s Gostuški stopped composing.
Dragutin Gostuški’s principal field of work was comparative aesthetics, a discipline he established in Serbia. He is still considered its only outstanding proponent. His theoretical work over many years resulted in a major study called The Time of Art (1968), a work which stands out as a unique synthesis of his views on key questions of art history and aesthetics. Gostuški was the first doctor of musicology in Serbia after the Second World War and the only one to defend his PhD thesis in Belgrade at the Faculty of Philosophy (Department for Pure Philosophy); and also the first to become interested in questions of music semiology
. He was the founder and the president of the Organizational Committee for The First International Music Semiology Conference (Belgrade, 1973).
From 1974 (when he was promoted to scientific counselor) until 1978, Gostuški was the director of the Institute, and his second book, a collection of essays called Art in Lack of Evidence (1977) also attracted the attention of the domestic intellectual and cultural public. Participating in all essential elements of Serbian musical culture, Gostuški was one of promoters and members of the BEMUS Board; Yugoslav Chorus Festivities (Niš); the October Gallery
and the Jazz Festival, as well as a member of the International Art Committee with its main office at UNESCO
in Paris.
His numerous appearances as a critic for Belgrade Television musical programs established a stylistic standard of eloquent and simple speech as well as shrewd and witty opinions. From 1974 to 1980, Gostuški organized and directed, at the Institute of Musicology at SANU, scientific public panels called Conversations about Science and Art. Many eminent experts in the natural and humanistic sciences of the time participated. As a first-class intellectual of European scope, he followed with vigilant attention and commented upon problems concerning the cultural and political orientation of Serbian people.
A thinker of encyclopedic capacity and great powers of lucid expression, Gostuški was also the most prominent figure in Serbian music criticism. The texts he published, more than 400 of them, not only present a specific chronicle of Belgrade music life but also provide a model of superb style and original, often witty critical views on key phenomena of art as an integral part of life.
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, musicologist, and art historian. He taught for many years at the Faculty
Faculty (university)
A faculty is a division within a university comprising one subject area, or a number of related subject areas...
of Music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
.
Early life and career
As a very young man, Dragutin showed an outstanding talent for art: besides composing, he also painted and sculpted. After graduating from two faculties (Faculty of PhilosophyPhilosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, Group for History of Art and sky diving, 1951; and Musical Academy, Department for Composition and Conducting, Class of professor M. Živkovic) in 1952 he joined the Institute of Musicology at SANU on suggestion of Petar Konjović
Petar Konjovic
Petar Konjović was a Serbian composer. He was born in Čurug . While a pedagogy student in Sombor, Konjovic self-taught himself the art of compositure and conducting. He finished his education at the Prague Conservatorium in 1906...
. Still a young research assistant, he started his long-term and prolific work in the field of music theory and musicology. However, although his successful musical works (the ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
Remi in 1960 and the Concerto Accelerato, 1961) were greatly appreciated and brought him rewards in the country and abroad, at the beginning of the 1960s Gostuški stopped composing.
Dragutin Gostuški’s principal field of work was comparative aesthetics, a discipline he established in Serbia. He is still considered its only outstanding proponent. His theoretical work over many years resulted in a major study called The Time of Art (1968), a work which stands out as a unique synthesis of his views on key questions of art history and aesthetics. Gostuški was the first doctor of musicology in Serbia after the Second World War and the only one to defend his PhD thesis in Belgrade at the Faculty of Philosophy (Department for Pure Philosophy); and also the first to become interested in questions of music semiology
Music semiology
Music semiology , the semiology of music, is the study of signs as they pertain to music on a variety of levels. Following Roman Jakobson, V. Kofi Agawu adopts the idea of musical semiosis being introversive or extroversive--that is, musical signs within a text and without...
. He was the founder and the president of the Organizational Committee for The First International Music Semiology Conference (Belgrade, 1973).
From 1974 (when he was promoted to scientific counselor) until 1978, Gostuški was the director of the Institute, and his second book, a collection of essays called Art in Lack of Evidence (1977) also attracted the attention of the domestic intellectual and cultural public. Participating in all essential elements of Serbian musical culture, Gostuški was one of promoters and members of the BEMUS Board; Yugoslav Chorus Festivities (Niš); the October Gallery
October Gallery
The October Gallery is an art gallery based in central London, showing contemporary work from all cultures around the world.Since first opening its doors in 1978, the October Gallery has promoted the art and artists of the Transvangarde or trans-cultural avant-garde; work by artists who, whilst at...
and the Jazz Festival, as well as a member of the International Art Committee with its main office at UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
in Paris.
His numerous appearances as a critic for Belgrade Television musical programs established a stylistic standard of eloquent and simple speech as well as shrewd and witty opinions. From 1974 to 1980, Gostuški organized and directed, at the Institute of Musicology at SANU, scientific public panels called Conversations about Science and Art. Many eminent experts in the natural and humanistic sciences of the time participated. As a first-class intellectual of European scope, he followed with vigilant attention and commented upon problems concerning the cultural and political orientation of Serbian people.
A thinker of encyclopedic capacity and great powers of lucid expression, Gostuški was also the most prominent figure in Serbian music criticism. The texts he published, more than 400 of them, not only present a specific chronicle of Belgrade music life but also provide a model of superb style and original, often witty critical views on key phenomena of art as an integral part of life.
External links
- Biography at SANE's website