Posta Slovenije issued a stamp commemorating Rado Simoniti, composer and conductor, important figure in Slovenian music during and after the Second World War.
He was born on 15 May 1914 in Fojana in Goriska Brda. He obtained a degree in music composition and conducting at the Ljubljana Music Academy immediately after the war.
From 1939 to 1943 he was the choir master at the Slovenian National Theatre in Ljubljana and after Italy capitulated he continued his music activity among the Partisans.
Among other things, he directed the first Partisan marching band in Crnomelj and in 1944 he established the Srecko Kosovel Choir in Gravina in Puglia near Bari. From 1945 to 1978 he was the permanent director of the Ljubljana Opera (with interruptions) and from 1948 to 1958 he also directed the Slovenian Philharmonic Choir. He helped restore the Emil Adamic Teachers’ Choir and was the co-founder of the Youth Choir Festival in Celje and co-editor of the journal Zbori (Choirs).
As a composer he is characterized by lyricism and emotional straightforwardness. His compositions were very melodic and often based on Slovenian folk tradition; they also frequently included folklore elements of other South Slavic nations. He excelled first and foremost in composing works for various choirs – he wrote a total of more than 600 compositions including Le vkup, le vkup, uboga gmajna / Unite, Unite, Poor Peasants, Na oknu glej obrazek bled / Look at the Little Pale Face in the Window, Kaj ti je deklica / What’s Wrong, Little Girl, Ljubavne pesmi iz Rezije / Love Songs from Resia and Lepo moje ravno polje / My Pretty Flat Field – and is known for his wide variety of solo pieces (Samo en cvet / Only One Flower, Mesecina / Moonlight, Bosa pojdiva / Let’s Go Barefoot, Na Krasu / In the Karst, Romanca / Romance).
Released February 4, 2014.
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