CANTUS (16 Transformations of a Folk Tune from Međimurje)

Original: Cantus 16 preobrazbi na međimursku pjesmu

​

The piece was written for the anniversary and dedicated to the legendary Croatian violinist Josip Klima who fell ill just before the premiere. Out of respect for the deceased artist, it took several years for the piece to be premiered.

The subtitle for this piece is: 16 Transformations of a Folk Tune from Međimurje. This is not the first time that Kuljeric draws inspiration from folk music. Some of his most important works like the Requiem, are echoing with the music from the Adriatic islands. Here, the composer  listens to the music of Northern continental Croatia, close to the Hungarian border. And creates a beautifully scored, passionate and virtuosic piece highlighting the technical and expressive abilities of the violinist. The structure is compact with transformations following each other in one flow.

Variations based on the same folk material can be found in Instrumental Transformations