Mate Čvrljak: Matko Brajša Rašan

(inauguracija biste 1984. godine)

Matko Brajša Rašan, zborovođa, folklorist i skladatelj (Pićan, 11. XII. 1859 – Zagreb, 6. IX. 1934). Pridjevak Rašan dodao je prema rijeci Raši, odnosno iz ljubavi prema rodnome kraju. Pučku školu polazio je u Pićnu, a klasičnu gimnaziju na njemačkom jeziku u Pazinu. U gimnaziji je dobio prvu glazbenu poduku pjevanja i sviranja s učiteljima franjevcima o. Julijem Brunnerom i orguljašem Fridolinom Stöcklom. Pjevao je sve glasove, a iskristalizirao se kao bas-bariton. Od instrumenata je svirao kitaru, glasovir, orgulje i gusle. Počeo je skladati razne napjeve u šestom razredu gimnazije (Mlada Istrijanka) te tijekom sedmog i osmog razreda vodi pjevački zbor đaka i seljačkih mladića u okolici Pazina. Nakon mature (1880) upisao je studij prava u Beču gdje se i dalje privatno glazbeno usavršavao. Tu je bio član i odbornik  Slavjanskoga pjevačka društva te jedan od utemeljitelja Hrvatskoga akademskog društva Zvonimir osnovanog 1881. Nakon diplome 1883. godine neko je vrijeme radio u odvjetničkim i bilježničkim uredima u Voloskom (1883, 1898 – 1904),  Podgradu (1895 – 1897),  Puli i Rijeci  (1906); kao službenik u pošti u Trstu (1893 – 1894) te kao općinski tajnik u Žminju (1883 – 1884), Buzetu (1884 – 1892) i Pazinu (1907 – 1923), gdje je u odsutnosti načelnika Šime Kurelića sam vodio općinu. Kao tajnik pazinske općine osobito je vodio brigu o problemima sela i seljaka Pazinštine što je osobito dolazilo do izražaja prilikom osnivanja brojnih vinogradarskih, mljekarskih, pčelarskih i drugih zadruga i posujilnica. Zajedno s profesorom Pazinske gimnazije Sašom Šantelom razvio je intenzivan glazbeni život, pripremajući često vokalne i instrumentalne koncerte u izvedbi učenika i profesora Hrvatske gimnazije i brojnih građana. Bio je jedan od utemeljitelja Hrvatske čitaonice u Buzetu. U Buzetu se oženio Marijom Žitnik iz Pazina s kojom je imao četvero djece: pravnika i publicista dr. Stojana B., pravnika i skladatelja dr. Ćirila B., Metoda B. (umro u 19. godini) te učiteljicu i pjevačicu Jelku Brajšu-Tolović. Zbog fašističkog pritiska 1923. bio je prisiljen napustiti Istru sa svojom obitelji. Nastanio se u Karlovcu, a kasnije u Zagrebu gdje je do umirovljena radio u Prvoj hrvatskoj štedionici. Zbog bolesti očiju oslijepio je i zadnje je godine života bio potpuno slijep. U obranu slavenske liturgije u Istri sastavio je i objavio 1910. Spomenicu i molbu Svetom Ocu papi Piju X. koju su hrvatske i slovenske istarske općine uputile papi. U istarskim mjestima u kojima je službovao, osnivao je i vodio pjevačke ili tamburaške zborove s kojima je izvodio domoljubne skladbe te na taj način budio i jačao narodnu svijest istarskih Hrvata.

Skladao je budnice, himne, koračnice i prigodnice za mješovite i muške zborove te za glas i klavir. Najpoznatije među njima su: Krasna zemljo, Istro mila na tekst dr. Ivana Zuccona koja je od 2002. svečana pjesma Istarske županije, skladana kao himna Družbe sv. Ćirila i Metoda za Istru, dovršena 1912. u Pazinu, a kasnije preimenovana u Krasna zemljo, Istro mila, zatim Predobri Bože na tekst Antuna Kalca, prihvaćena od 1890. kao himna istarskih Hrvata, U boj, Plani rode, Kastav gradu, Pazin gradu, Trozveznica, Moru, Mažurano moja, Umiru braća, Učka goro i dr. Skladao je na tekstove Ivana Zuccona, Viktora Cara Emina, Antuna Kalca, Leonarda Kalca, Rikarda Katalinća Jeretova, Augustina Harambašića i mnogih drugih, kao i na svoje vlastite. Ostavio je i nekoliko dvopjeva (Pokraj mora) i popijevaka za glas i klavir (Istrani braćo, Kralj Epulon i dr.). Njegove skladbe osvajale su ne samo domoljubnim sadržajem već i melodioznošću te postale popularne diljem Istre. Skladao je i veći broj crkvenih djela, misa (Velika misa na hrvatski tekst za mješoviti zbor i orgulje, Misa u čast sv. Marka F-dur, Misa za mrtve, Misa Es-dur, Misa C-dur, Misa solemnis C-dur…), Psalam 97 za mješoviti zbor uz pratnju harmonija, himne, litanije i dr. Na nagovor Franje Ksavera Kuhača, hrvatskog etnomuzikologa koji je u Istri sakupljao narodne napjeve za svoje kapitalno djelo Južno-slovjenske narodne popievke, Brajša je  počeo zapisivati istarske folklorne napjeve, od kojih je neke harmonizirao za muški i mješoviti zbor te ih objavio 1910. Zapisujući instrumentalne melodije zabilježio je kromatske tonske nizove vele i male sopile. Povremeno se javljao napisima u periodikama: Vienac, Narodni list i Istra. Njegova je glazbena ostavština danas razasuta po raznim institucijama: Institutu za etnologiju i folkloristiku, u Hrvatskom glazbenom zavodu, Nacionalnoj i sveučilišnoj knjižnici u Zagrebu itd. Brajšin opus broji oko 315 skladbi, od kojih je 195 sačuvano, a ostalih 120 pohranjeno na nepoznatom mjestu ili izgubljeno.

Geometrizacija oštro zasječenih anatomskih formi lica: kose, zaglađenog nosa, ravnog hrbata, istaknuti i u prostor stršeći brkovi te trokutne jagodice obraza transkripcija su fizičkog individualiteta portretiranog. Ovaj modalitet skulptorskog izraza snažnih i čvrstih formi pored definiranja fizičke osobnosti postao je i mjera psihičkog profila Matka Brajše Rašana te ga doživljavamo kao snažnu, samouvjerenu i neustrašivu osobu.

Mate Čvrljak, akademski kipar (Konjevrate kod Šibenika, 30. IV. 1934 – Rijeka, 17. IV.  2018). Diplomirao je kiparstvo na Akademiji likovnih umjetnosti u Zagrebu u klasi prof. Vanje Radauša (1961), od 1962. do 1964. bio je suradnik majstorske radionice Antuna Augustinčića. Od 1965. do 2000. radio je kao profesor umjetnosti u Srednjoj školi Mate Blažina u Labinu i suutemeljitelj je Labinskih ateliera. Sudjelovao je na skulptorskim simpozijima, od 1972. godine održao brojne samostalne izložbe, a 1985. izložbu skulptura u Kaštelu u Pazinu. Čvrljak je autor javnih spomenika u Labinu, Buzetu, Aranđelovcu (Srbija), Iloku, Puli i Medulinu. Ostvario je značajan opus portreta i poprsja koji su postavljeni u javne i otvorene prostore. U pazinskom Parku istarskih velikana autor je sedam bisti.

Matko Brajša–Rašan

Sculptor: Mate Čvrljak, inauguration of the bust:1984

Matko Brajša–Rašan was a choirmaster, folklorist and composer (Pićan, December 11, 1859 – Zagreb, September 6, 1934). He added the adjective Rašan inspired by the Raša river, out of his love for his native land. He attended public school in Pićan, and classical high school in the German language in Pazin. While at high school, he received his first music lessons in singing and playing with the Franciscan teachers Father Julij Brunner and the organist Fridolin Stöckl. He sang all voices, and crystallized as a bass-baritone. He played guitar, piano, organ and gusle (a single-stringed traditional musical instrument). He started composing various songs in the sixth grade of high school (Mlada Istrijanka) and during the seventh and eighth grade led a choir of schoolchildren and peasant boys in the vicinity of Pazin. After finishing high school (1880), he enrolled to study law in Vienna, where he continued his private musical training. There he was a member and councillor of the Slavjansko pjevačko društvo (Slavic Singing Society) and one of the founders of the Zvonimir Croatian Academic Society, founded in 1881. After graduating in 1883, he worked for some time in legal and notary offices in Volosko (1883, 1898–1904), Podgrad (1895–97), Pula and Rijeka (1906); as a clerk in the post office in Trieste (1893–94), and as municipal secretary in Žminj (1883–84), Buzet (1884–92) and Pazin (1907–23), where in the absence of mayor Šime Kurelić, he ran the municipality by himself. As secretary of the municipality of Pazin, he took particular care of the problems of the villages and peasants of the Pazin area. This care and help were especially evident during the founding of numerous winegrowing, dairy, beekeeping and other cooperatives and monetary credit cooperatives. Together with a teacher from the Pazin High School, Saša Šantel, he developed an intense musical life, often preparing vocal and instrumental concerts performed by students and teachers of the Croatian High School and numerous citizens. He was one of the founders of the Croatian Reading Room in Buzet. While there, he married Marija Žitnik from Pazin, with whom he had four children: Stojan B., dr.sc. a lawyer and publicist, Ćiril B., dr.sc. a lawyer and composer, Metod B. (who died at the age of 19) and Jelka Brajša-Tolović a teacher and singer. Due to fascist pressure in 1923, he was forced to leave Istria with his family. He settled in Karlovac, and later in Zagreb, where he worked at the First Croatian Savings Bank until his retirement. Due to an eye disease, he steadily went blind, and was completely blind for the last year of his life. In defence of the Slavic liturgy in Istria, in 1910 he compiled and published the Memorial and Petition to the Holy Father Pope Pius X, which the Croatian and Slovenian Istrian municipalities sent to the Pope. In the places in Istria where he served, he founded and led singing or tambura (a traditional stringed instrument) choirs with which he performed patriotic compositions, thereby awakening and strengthening the national consciousness of the Istrian Croats. He composed budnice (patriotic songs), hymns, marches and pieces for mixed and male choirs, and for voice and piano. The most famous among these are: Krasna zemljo, Istro mila, to the text of dr.sc. Ivan Zuccon, since 2002, the solemn song of the Region of Istria, composed as a hymn for the Družbe sv. Ćirila i Metoda za Istru Society, completed in 1912 in Pazin, and later renamed Krasna zemljo, Istro mila; then Predobri Bože, to the text of Antun Kalac, which since 1890 has been accepted as the anthem of the Istrian Croats, U boj, Plani rode, Kastav gradu, Pazin gradu, Trozveznica, Moru, Mažurano moja, Umiru braća and Učka goro and others. He composed texts by Ivan Zuccon, Viktor Car Emin, Antun Kalac, Leonard Kalac, Rikard Katalinć Jeretov, Augustin Harambašić and many others, as well as his own. He also left several duets (Pokraj mora) and melodies for voice and piano (Istrani braćo, Kralj Epulon, etc.). His compositions captivated not only with their patriotic content but also with their melodiousness and became popular throughout Istria. He also composed a large number of church works, masses (Great Mass in Croatian, text for mixed choir and organ, a Mass in honour of St. Marcus in F major, a Mass for the dead, a Mass in E flat major, a Mass in C major, a solemnis Mass in C major …), and Psalm 97 for mixed choir accompanied by harmonies, hymns, litany, etc. At the urging of Franjo Ksaver Kuhač, a Croatian ethnomusicologist, who collected folk melodies in Istria for his capital work South Slavic Folk Songs, Brajša began to write down Istrian folk songs, some of which he harmonized for male and mixed choirs and published in 1910. By writing down instrumental melodies, he noted the chromatic tonal sequences of vela and mala sopila (ancient traditional woodwind instrument). From time to time he wrote articles in periodicals: Vienac, Narodni list and Istra. Today, his musical legacy is scattered across various institutions: the Institute of Ethnology and Folklore, the Croatian Institute of Music, the National and University Library in Zagreb, etc. Brajša’s body of work numbers around 315 compositions, of which 195 have been preserved, and the other 120 are stored in an unknown location or have been lost.

Geometrization of sharply cut anatomical forms of the face: hair, smoothed nose, straight back, prominent, protruding moustache and triangular cheekbones are a transcription of the physical individuality of the person portrayed. This modality of sculptural expression of strong, solid forms, in addition to defining the physical personality, has also become a measure of M. B. Rašan’s psychological profile, and we perceive him as a strong, self-confident and fearless person.

Mate Čvrljak, was an academic sculptor (Konjevrate near Šibenik, April 30, 1934 – Rijeka, April 17, 2018). He graduated in sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb under prof. Vanja Radauš (1961). From 1962 to 1964, he was an associate of Antun Augustinčić’s master workshop. From 1965 to 2000, he worked as an art teacher at the Mate Blažina High School in Labin and co-founded the Labin Ateliers.  He participated in sculpture symposia, and from 1972 held a number of solo exhibitions with an exhibition of sculptures in Pazin Castle in 1985. Čvrljak is the artist behind public monuments that can be found in Labin, Buzet, Aranđelovac (Serbia), Ilok, Pula and Medulin, and he also created a significant body of work of portraits and busts placed in public, open spaces, with seven of them being placed in Pazin’s Park istarskih velikana.