VODOPIVEC Vinko

VODOPIVEC Vinko, Slovenian Roman Catholic priest and composer, was born on January 16, 1878 in Ročinj, Slovenia. After elementary school in Podgora, he attended high school in Gorica in 1890–8 and studied theology in 1898–1902 (ordained in 1901). He was chaplain in 1902-6 in Kamnje near Vipava and 1906-7 in Črniče near Ajdovščina, vicar from 1907 and pastor in Kromberk from 1936 until his death, only during the 1916-8 war-period he lived in Cerknica. He worked and created in a very eventful and fatal time for the Slovenian nation, especially for the people of Primorska.

His early interest in music was mainly stimulated by his family environment, but he remained mainly self-taught, only partially studying with the composer Danilo Fajgel. He devoted himself mainly to church music. He first introduced himself to the wider public with the composition O salutaris hostia (CG 1902). Since then, he has published in CG, Sv. Cecilija (Zagreb 1914) and elsewhere, and published many as an independent press.

Secular compositions was published in Naši akordi, Zbori, Pevec, Naši zbori. He set to music the operas among others: Kovačev študent (1910, 1927, libretto I. Kovačič), Srce in denar (1928 and Pevčeva pesmarica 1928, libretto F. Terčelj), Snubači (1926, libretto F. Terčelj), Povodni mož (1936, libretto by Dragotin Vodopivec). Choirs (male): Na poljani (J. Murn), Jaz bi rad rudečih rož (J. Lovrenčič), O večerni uri and Pobratimija (S. Jenko), and Žabe (J. Stritar).

The most suitable and most beautiful monument to Vodopivec was erected by students from Primorska in Ljubljana, when under the leadership of Anton Nanut, they founded the Primorski Academic Choir Vinko Vodopivec in 1953.

He died on July 29, 1952 in Vipava and is buried in Kromberk.