Musical intermezzo

Venue: Gallery of SANU Belgrade
June 22, 2021 – July 22, 2021

Author: Jasmina Jaksic Subic, senior curator of the Pavle Beljanski Memorial Collection

Collection of gramophone records by Pavle Beljanski

If you’ve ever passed by people selling antiques on the street, you’ve probably noticed them: gramophone records arranged horizontally or vertically. For most passers-by, this is completely irrelevant information. But if you are a record collector – it is a crucial one.

Gramophone records are arranged vertically so that the ones at the bottom would not be damaged by pressure. Therefore, you would never convince a real collector to buy differently arranged records.

Did Pavle Beljanski think about this when he entered antique shops and gramophone record stores and passionately searched for the most valuable ones, which he would, later, bequeath to his people?

You can’t fool a true collector. He does not collect works of art for mere entertainment. He is motivated by a deep respect for works of art. He knows their true value, which is not counted in money, but in the years after which the work of art still lives. The collector dedicates himself to the careful preservation of the works, to leave them to his community, city, and country. His collection is unique because he gives it to everyone, and yet it remains a reflection of the collector’s identity.

With his precious works, which he collected during his life, he tells us: “This is me, my point of view and perception of art.” In Beljanski’s case, the basis of everything was harmony, spontaneity, and inner content.

The collector tells us a story with each piece: because, when you see the work he collected, you can’t just stop and say: “Oh, this is a record with Beethoven’s compositions”, and continue as if nothing had happened. You will want to know where the collector found that record, where he bought it, and how long he inquiringly looked at it. Did it matter to him whether it was a record from the shellac of the world-famous companies “Columbia”, “His Master’s Voice”, “Pathé”, or “Polydor”? How much they reflect the musical taste of the time, and how much the collector himself?

As he devotedly listened to the compositions of the greatest names in classical music – Bach, Handel, Hind, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Schubert, Liszt, Wagner, or Smetana – what did the diplomat Beljanski think? Did it occur to him that his records, and even live recordings, at speeds of 78 and 80 rpm, would be once listened to by his people decades later? Was he fully aware that, the moment it became his property, the record ceased to be just a carrier of sound, growing into a valuable cultural asset that must be preserved at all costs?

We believe that he was. And that is exactly why you certainly could not convince Petar Beljanski to buy a gramophone record stacked horizontally. Because his records had a higher goal, and that is, to one day become part of his Memorial Collection, which he will donate to Novi Sad and his people in 1957.

The exhibition Musical Intermezzo by Pavle Beljanski (1892–1965) is dedicated to gramophone records collected by a Yugoslav diplomat and collector. In addition to more than 90 recordings on display, part of the exhibition was a rich accompanying program in the form of concerts, plays, lectures, and authorial interpretations. Among others, the senior curator of the Pavle Beljanski Memorial Collection Jasmina Jaksic Subic, Dr. Milan Milojkovic, Dr. Ira Prodanov, took part in it. Throughout the entire program, all visitors got acquainted with the taste of the collector, his dedication to music, but also with the developments in the music industry during the period between the two world wars.

Participants:

EXIBITOR	WORK OF ART
Aleksandar Pantić	Ničiji mesec, 70×40 cm
Ana Jevgenijević	Putnici I II III, 17×20 cm
Ana Miljković	Omen, 20x20cm
Ana Nesimovski	Mediteran, 30×30 cm
Anastasija Kekić	Brezova šuma, 130×110 cm
Atelje Ivanović	Sveti knez Lazar, 60×230 cm
Bojana Pavlović	Hrt, 80×50 cm
Daliborka Maldaner	Autoportret, 50×60 cm
Danica Veselinović	Kosovski vez, 25×25 cm
Dara Njegovan	Lavirint, 20×20 cm
Dejana Cahun	Lovac na snove, 24,5×42 cm
Dragan Samardžija	Mag 01, 162×147 cm
Dragan Samardžija	Mag 03, 189×98 cm
Dunja Sirmium	Andromeda, 24×20 cm
Gordana Stanišić Vujošević	Mašinarijum, 4 dela 25×25 cm
Gordana Šijački	Kompozicija I, 41×41 cm
Gordana Šijački	Kompozicija II, 41×41 cm
Gordana Šijački	Kompozicija III, 41×41 cm
Gordana Šijački	Vrbak, 41×41 cm
Isidora Jancić	Autoportret, 33×37,5 cm
Iva Tatalović	Almost caught, 27×24 cm
Iva Zeković	Autoportret, 35×43 cm
Jana Nikić	Autoportret, 30,5×36 cm
Jelena Milatović	4 x 4, 47,5×47,5 cm
Jelica Durković	Patrijarh Pavle, 140x 386 cm
Jovana Đurić	Autoportret, 30×40 cm
Jovana Filipović	The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove, 70×50 cm
Jovana Filipović	Dosada, 45,5x17x34 cm
Kristina Jovanović	Ravnodušnost predaje, 30×40 cm
Kristina Stanišić	Autoportret, 35×42 cm
Kristina Šarić	Dunav i karpatski vetrovi, 33,5×21 cm
Lili Bunyik-Eros	FRAKCIJE-Uravnotežena, 43x46x13 cm
Ljubica Kržić Walther	Nikola Tesla, 19×29,5 cm
Maja Đurović	Maska 1, 43x60cm
Maja Đurović	Maska 2, 43x60cm
Maja Đurović	Maska 3, 44×61 cm
Marija Gajić	Sveti Nektarije, 50×50 cm
Milana Vujić Saulnier	Korpa, 12×17 cm
Milena Bajić Đorić	Ringišpil, 32,5×37 cm
Milena Belenzada	Tragovi I, 50×70 cm
Milena Belenzada	Tragovi II, 40×80 cm
Milena Belenzada	Tragovi III,40×80 cm
Milena Stojković	Rajska ptica, 51×100 cm
Milica Pejković	Autoportret, 31,5x 42,5 cm
Milomirka Petrović Đokić	Kamen i nebo, 2021. 48x35cm
Mina Mirković	D7, 48x48x4 cm
Mina Mirković	Rasterećenje, 50x50x4 cm
Nađa Milivojević	Autoportret, 73×53 cm
Nataša Dejanović Dimitrijević	Movement, 40×60 cm
Nataša Janković	Autoportret, 30×35 cm
Nataša Jasen Tomić	Ljubav, 16×43 cm
Nikolija Tubić	Priroda 1, 42×63 cm
Nikolija Tubić	Priroda 2, 42×63 cm
Nikolija Tubić	Priroda 3, 42×63 cm
Petar Vujošević	Buna zlatara Dimitrija, 62×62 cm
Petar Vujošević	O slovu E u Delfima, 67×64 cm
Petar Vujošević	Okovani Parmenid, 57,5×56 cm
Radmila Mila Dragićević	Bez naziva 2, 166×75 cm
Radmila Mila Dragićević	Bez naziva 1, 61×36 cm
Radmila Mila Dragićević	Bez naziva 3, 62×44 cm
Ružica Bajić Sinkević	Nastajanje, 45×31 cm R 12 cm
Snežana Vujnov	I’ve seen that face before, 35×33 cm
Sofija Kovačević, Grm	Grm, 30×42 cm
Suzana Stanišić	Pad heruvima, triptih 30×40 cm
Tamara Tomić	Lisica, 49×42 cm
Tatjana Benderać Vučićević	Refleksija, 45×54 cm
Tatjana Vojnov, Prozor	Prozor, 60×40 cm
Teodora Bikicki	Maslačak, 20×20 cm
Teodora M. Nikolić	Autoportret, 30×35 cm
Tijana Mandarić	Lanac, 42x45x2,5 cm
Tijana Mrvošević	Bez naziva, 30x40cm
Vanja Radojičić	Pejzaž, 30×42 cm
Vasilisa Ivanović	Jelenak, 25×45 cm
Veljko Vučković	The Witness, 50×40 cm
Vera Virijević Mitrović	Morsko dno, 110,5×50,5 cm
Vojna Baštovanović Casteel	Madona, 19×19,5 cm
Zoran Ignjatović	Kome treba svetlo, 20×32 cm
Zoran Žegarac	Trg, 17×24 cm
AUSTRIA
Angela Cimek	C’è sempre di più die quello che puoi immaginare, 50×50 cm
Angela Cimek	Convenience-bubble, R 30 cm
Edda Mally	Dafne, 65x48x85 cm
Edda Mally	Кarmen, 54x34x38 cm
Edda Mally	Evil Eye against Corona, 30x20x48 cm
BULGARIA
Anastasija Kmetova	Morski motiv I, 50×41 cm
Anastasija Kmetova	Ples, 42×52 cm
Anastasija Kmetova	Flora, 35×44 cm
Anastasija Kmetova	Autoportret, 34×44 cm
Anton Siderov	Frida sa Rodopa, 30×40 cm
Anton Siderov	Horizonti, 36×34 cm
Damjan Damjanov	Barselona, 35×56 cm
Damjan Damjanov	Pustinjska oluja, 37×61 cm
Gergana Stojanova	Kompozicija dva – Duhovna i materijalna blaga, 29,5×29,5 cm
Gergana Stojanova	Kompozicija energija, 30×30 cm
Gergana Stojanova	Izobilje, 50×34,5 cm
Ilia Iliev	Ilia Iliev, Diptih, 130×60 cm
Irena Jančeva	Sv Pantelejmon, 42×50 cm
Irena Jančeva	Sveti Jovan Rilski, 50×85 cm
Jordanka Gojčeva Ilieva	Beli cvet, R 30 cm
Kristina Kutlova	Vetar promena, 60×25
Kristina Kutlova	Maslačak, 20×26 cm
Krum Šarankov	Anđeo nad Herkulanumom, 22x13x75 cm
Krum Šarankov	Porodica, 60×50 cm
Krum Šarankov	Poljubac, 80×65 cm
Krum Šarankov	Plovdiv izjutra, 54×70 cm
Krum Šarankov	Cicera, 56×56 cm
Strahil Najdenov	Odraz u prozoru, 57×77 cm
Strahil Najdenov	Stilizovana forma 28×90 cm
Strahil Najdenov	Lice, 31×71 cm
Stefan Ganozov	Morsko dno, 37×26 cm
Stefan Ganozov	Forma, R 32 cm
Vladimir Damjanov	Procena, 24×27 cm
Vladimir Damjanov	Procena II, 42×42 cm
Žana Okukcu	Dobri otac, 40×57 cm
Žorž Sopadžiev	Isijavanje, 80×80 cm
MONTENEGRO
Nada Kazić	Edenski vrt 1, 35x26x16 cm
Nikolina Zuber	Oblak, 30×25 cm
RUSIA
Svetlana Ivaškina	Bademovo drvo u cvetu, (posveta Van Gogu), 42×42 cm