Macedonian Music

Kiril Makedonski is Macedonian composer, conductor and writer in the group of the first generation of Macedonian classic music makers. He was born in 1925 in a musical family in Bitola, Macedonia. He has finished high school in Skopje, the capital of Macedonia and the music academy in Zagreb, Croatia, majoring composing.

The biggest achievement of this composer is that he is the creator of the first Macedonian opera "Goce Delcev". The topic was taken from Macedonian national liberation movement, with the main character Goce Delcev. This opera was shown for the first time in 1954. Later he composes another two operas with historical topics: "King Samoil" and "Ilinden".

Besides opera he composes 5 symphonies, ballet "Dafina" and "Slovenian educators Ciril and Metodius", two symphony poems "Dancer" and a big number of song for chorus and solo songs. The operas of Kiril Makedonski are shown all over the world including the biggest countries with long musical history.

Opera "King Samoil"

The topic for this opera came from the middle-aged past of the Macedonian people. It is happening in the end of the 10th and the beginning of 11th century, when the kingdom of King Samoil exist.

First part: King Samoil is getting ready for the final battle with the king Vasily II from the Byzantine kingdom. Vasily II stands on his way to become a king.

Second part: It happens in the castle of king Samoil where some rumours are that Samoil killed his brother Aaron to take the kingdom.

Third part: The battle on the mountain Belasica between Samoil and Vasily II. The kingdom of Samuel was defeated and Vasily II order every captured soldier to be blinded and every 100-th soldier to be blinded on one eye only in order to guide the others. When Samuel saw them he had a heart attack and he died.

Mirjana Anastovska
DSMU "D-r Jovan Kalauzi" Bitola, Macedonia
Teacher: Mimoza Anastoska-Jankulovska <jankmj@mt.net.mk>