Branko Mihaljević (
Zagreb
Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...
, 19 January 1931 –
Osijek
Osijek () is the fourth-largest city in Croatia, with a population of 96,848 in 2021. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja ...
, 19 September 2005) was a
composer
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.
Etymology and Def ...
, writer, journalist and radio editor.
He spent his career, starting in 1952, in Osijek as editor of music and music-documentary programs of Radio-Osijek, and as head of the Center of Culture University, which provided adult education. One of the songs which he helped become popular is a children's song ''"Zeko i potočić"''. He also wrote a song ''"Moj Osijek"'' which many people accepted as a town anthem. He wrote more than twenty children's
operetta
Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, length of the work, and at face value, subject matter. Apart from its ...
s for the Osijek children theatre, now named "Children theatre Branko Mihaljević"), most based on
libretto
A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major li ...
s of
Ratko Zvrko. He wrote the first Slavonian
musical
Musical is the adjective of music.
Musical may also refer to:
* Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance
* Musical film
Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwo ...
''"Slavonska rapsodija"'', which is based on authentic folklore. One of the things for which he will be best remembered is a children's song he wrote in 1954, about a rabbit and a frozen stream, for one of his events which was short of children's songs. The album which includes this song is the bestselling children's album in Croatia, for which he received
Croatia Records
Croatia Records is the largest major record label in Croatia, based in Zagreb ( Dubrava).
Summary
Croatia Records d.d. is a joint-stock company currently led by the chief executive officer Želimir Babogredac, a notable sound engineer. It releases ...
platinum record.
As a journalist, he documented the
autochthon culture and art of
Slavonia
Slavonia (; hr, Slavonija) is, with Dalmatia, Croatia proper, and Istria, one of the four historical regions of Croatia. Taking up the east of the country, it roughly corresponds with five Croatian counties: Brod-Posavina, Osijek-Bar ...
and
Baranja, for which he received the "Golden pen of the year" from the
Croatian Journalists' Association. He also received the
Order of Danica Hrvatska with the face of Marko Marulić medal and the
Osječko-baranjska županija prize for a life opus in the area of culture. He received "Reward city of Osijek" twice (1962, 1979.)
He was buried 21 September 2005. One of his last works was the book, ''"Tragovima osječke glazbe"'', published in 2002, in which, in a nostalgic and warm style, he explores the origins of Osijek musicology.
His son,
Mario Mihaljević, is a composer of pop-music and a writer, and his grandson
Branimir Mihaljević is a singer and composer too.
Works
Main musicals
* ''"Zeko, Zriko i Janje"'', 1958. (one of the most viewed hits from former
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label= Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavij ...
)
* ''"Mišić Gricko"'', 1960.
* ''"Veliki šumski događaj"'', 1963.
* ''"Slavonska rapsodija"'', 1978.
* ''"Osječki karusel"''
Songs
* ''"Bijeli sombrero"''
* ''"Davor i harmonika"''
* "''Dok si pored mene"''
* ''"Golubovi"''
* ''"Kada je maca sama"''
* ''"Kauboj i Indijanci"''
* ''"Moj Zagreb"''
* ''"Pjevat će Slavonija"''
* ''"Ti si moj san"''
* ''"Uspavanka Opatiji"''
* ''"Zeko i potočić"''
Sources
Mihaljević, Brankoat hds.hr
Mihaljević, Brankoat hrt.hr
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mihaljevic, Branko
1931 births
2005 deaths
Croatian composers
Croatian journalists
20th-century journalists
Burials at Saint Anne Cemetery