Every small European country has its major composers, some of whom are treated as equivalents to Beethoven within its borders even if nobody hears their music elsewhere. A few of them, like Sibelius or Grieg, are well known across the world, but most of them are still undiscovered.
In Serbia, the 'national composer' is Stevan Mokranjac, who is considered such a consequential figure in Serbian history that his picture graces the 50 dinar banknote and a Serbian village mounts a festival of his music every year. But more interesting, I think, is the music of Ljubica Marić, the first Serbian to ever get a degree in composition - from her studies in Prague with Josef Suk (who himself will get quite a few posts in due time...), and whose music earned vociferous praise from Shostakovich. Listen to Branko's Round Dance, a piano miniature that somehow combines the best of Debussy and Bartok. For those willing to take a larger dive, listen to her Byzantine Concerto, which lies somewhere on a spectrum between Martinu and Messiaen. This is a major composer whom, in the age of representation, has as strong a claim to greater presence in the concert halls of the world as any musical figure of her generation.
...and for any politicos wondering, yes, it was Rod Blagojevic that made me think of Serbian music....
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