THE FUNCTION OF HARMONY IN MUSICAL DRAMATURGY: SONGS OF HADŽI TOMA AND ALIL IN THE MUSIC DRAMA KOŠTANA BY PETAR KONJOVIC

Abstract

This paper explores and determines specific features of the harmonic language of Petar Konjović (1883–1970) in relation to the music-dramatic portraits of Hadži Toma and Alil – the two main characters in the composer’s most significant opera  "Koštana" (1931), inspired by the playof Borisav Stanković (1876–1927). Viewed through a starting hypothesis by which harmony is one of the most important elements of Konjović’s modernity, this paper primarily aims to precisely identify the harmonic potentials of the composer’s „speach“ in the songs of the afore mentioned protagonists. The very music-dramatic function of the chosen songs has been an inspiring subject of this research. Another, non the less atractive subject was enlightening Konjović’s relation towards folklore, with the special focus in his approach towards harmonizing folk songs. Special attention was payed to aspects of Konjovic’s relation towards the heritage of Mokranjac. Results of the harmonic analysis have proven that the vertical dimension of the chosen songs show a skillful refraction of tonal and modal space with specific folklore scales and formulas which, along with the chordal diversity, points to an individual harmonic system and music thought of Petar Konjović as an authentic representative of the „national orientation“ in the developmental period of Serbian music between the two World wars, within its – at that time – Yugoslav and European frames.