The international symposium “78 rpm at home” successfully held (8-11 March 2023, Zagreb)
We are happy to report that the International symposium 78 rpm at home: Local perspectives on the early recording industry was successfully held from March 8 to 11, 2023. The rich program consisted of 12 sessions and a keynote address by Mark Katz, distributed throughout 4 days. The symposium was held at the Library of the Music Academy in Zagreb and online, via Zoom platform.
The official language of the symposium was English, which enabled the audience and presenters to join from the area outside the region, i.e. from the whole world. Thus, we have attended presentations on the topics of the early record industry from New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, China, North and South America, Africa, all the way to Europe. More than forty presenters from all 5 continents participated in the Symposium program. All four days, an extra place was sought in the Library of Music Academy. The symposium ran relaxed and smoothly, regardless of its hybrid form. We will use this post to heartily congratulate all the presenters on interesting, useful and well-prepared conference papers!
Recordings of conference papers will be available online, on the YouTube channel of the project DISKOGRAF during March 2023.
Three of our collaborators presented at the Symposium as well:
Joško Ćaleta: presentation “101 Dalmatinska – Jugoton releases of Dalmatian (popular) songs as a forerunner of the organized klapa singing movement”
Dora Dunatov: presentation “Records, music, shops and kolo: A case study on a South-Slavic music record seller in the post-WWII US”
Jelka Vukobratović: presentation “The treatment of foreign popular music in Yugoslav record production during the 1950s”
The symposium “78 rpm at home” also organized a concert dedicated to the period of playing back and spinning at 78 rpm titled Stardust. It presented a selection of foreign and domestic pieces produced during the period of shellac records by the three Zagreb-based record companies (Edison Bell Penkala, Elektroton and Jugoton), and at the same time issued as sheet music (most often by Albini publishing house). The performers were students of the Voice Department at the Academy of Music (soprano Gabrijela Hrženjak and Vlatka Kladarić, baritone Dorian Stipičić), accompanied by pianist Eva Kirchmayer Bilić. In addition to the musicians, tango dancers (Nina Pogorelić and Ivan Živanović) joined the stage.
The positive comments of the participants of the symposium and the audience, as well as the rich discussion that followed each presentation, pointed to the perspective of this growing niche of interest, but also to the thirsty research body that cries out for similar events that would serve as polygons for presenting and perfecting research work and expanding research perspectives.
Nemam riječi s kojima bih Vam zahvalio i čestitao na tako zanimljivom i korisnom, sjajno priređenom znansvenom skupu! (I. M.)
I also, once again, wish to thank the organisers, and other participants. It truly was an honour to be a part of such a significant event. (N. Z.)
Dear friends, I attended several dozens of conferences throughout my life. I can state I never enjoyed more than at your Symposium. Thanks! (D. D. P.)
Veliko hvala svima iz organizacije na pripremi vrlo zahtevne, a ujedno izuzetno zanimljive, raznovrsne i sadržajem bogate konferencije! (I. V.)
You can learn more about the symposium and its themes, read the notes related to the venue of the symposium, transportation around Zagreb and see the recommended gastro offer near the venue here.
Download the symposium booklet here.
See the programme below (download here):
