Moreška, a Folk Game from Korčula for two Pianos

Boris Papandopulo (1906 – 1991) is one of the most distinctive Croatian musicians of the 20th century. Papandopulo also worked as music writer, journalist, reviewer, pianist and piano accompanist; however, he achieved the peaks of his career in music as a composer. His composing oeuvre is imposing – Papandopulo composed almost 500 opuses: with great success he created instrumental (orchestral, concertante, chamber and solo), vocal and instrumental (for solo voice and choir), music-stage and film music. In all these kinds and genres he left a string of anthology-piece compositions of great artistic value. Moreška, a folk game from Korčula for two pianos, was intended as the musical background for Ana Maletić's dance choreography (Croatian dancer, choreographer and teacher, 1904 – 1986). The score of the composition was found in the part of Ana Maletić’s legacy kept in the Zagreb Music Academy Library. The score, however, is not an autograph, i.e. the composer’s original manuscript, but rather a transcript. It is, actually, a version of the Oriental Ballet from the second act of the opera Sunčanica, adapted here for two pianos. (...) Papandopulo's Moreška is primarily a valuable document of music used as a dance template in a specific moment of the development and history of dance in Croatia, although its attractive, impulsive, almost explosive rhythm makes it an appealing piece for a two piano music recital. (Davor Merkaš)