Ivan Lukačić, one of the most significant composers of the music of the Dalmatian Baroque, was born in Šibenik, between 1585 and 1587. Very little is known about his life. It is known that he joined the Franciscan Conventuals in Šibenik when he was only twelve years old. The monastery library, one of the richest on the Croatian coast with a collection of books from the early Middle Ages, could have been Lukačić’s source of initial knowledge and the place where he received his first lessons. Just three years after his ordination, he was sent to Italy for further studies. The only reliable information about his musical education and activity is connected to Rome and two short sentences from the documents of the Croatian church of St. Jerome in Rome. Here, Lukačić is mentioned as the leader of a music celebration in the church in 1614, and elsewhere it is mentioned that he obtained the title of Master of Music in 1615.
In 1618, he finally returned to Dalmatia, specifically to his hometown Šibenik, to the same monastery from which his life journey began. The key phrase
In the library of St. Francis Monastery, we still find rare copies of printed musical pieces from that time, which speaks to a highly developed musical repertoire that was available to him.
Unknown for Centuries
It is presumed that his opus was significant, however, only one collection of motets titled Sacrae Cantiones Singulis Binis Ternis Quaternis Quinisque vocibus Concinendae (Sacred songs sung in unison, in two voices, three voices, four voices, and five voices) has been preserved, which is now the only source of information about the value of his work and activity. The collection was published in Venice in 1620 and consists of five parts.
The collection includes five parts: Cantus, Altus, Tenor, Bassus, and Organum. It was published by his friend, the Franciscan Jacobo Finetti, a renowned composer from Ancona and a conductor in Venice.
It is unusual that the only known printed copy of the collection was accidentally found by Dr. Dragan Plamenac in the State Library in Berlin in the 1930s. Until then, the name of Ivan Lukačić as a composer was not known in these regions. Even the most famous Croatian musicologist, Franjo Ksaver Kuhač, who diligently searched for musicians of Croatian origin in the late 19th century, did not mention him.
Sacrae Cantiones Collection
The collection of Sacrae Cantiones (Sacred Songs) is a collection of motets intended for worship. Their texts are taken from the Bible or liturgical church books, except for two motets with an unknown origin of the text. They range from monophonic to five-voice pieces, and their structure indicates that they were created over several years of the master’s polyphonic composition.
It is evident that Lukačić made changes and additions to the collection over time. Lukačić often played around with biblical texts, omitting parts of sentences and changing the order of verses to adapt them to his compositions. However, he always did so subtly and with moderation in order to create a certain dramatic tension in the piece, which serves as a precursor to future oratorios. For example, the motet “Quam pulchra es” is structured as a series of dialogues between the choir and four soloists, while “Domine, puer meus” represents a dialogue between Jesus and the centurion, narrated by a storyteller, with all three eventually singing a text that originally belongs to the narrator. In a literary sense, the texts themselves can be seen as monologues. Additionally, no text or music is ever repeated.
Lukačić frequently uses echo effects in his vocal compositions, and almost every motet contains a distinct contrapuntal technique, showcasing Lukačić’s great and surprisingly imaginative creativity for that time.
An analysis of his works reveals a constant middle ground in melody, grounded in the proportion and harmony between Renaissance elements at their decline and newly introduced Baroque characteristics. He takes a little of everything, but remains faithful to his style which brings a sense of spiritual peace through simplicity.
Each motet is unique and separate from the others. The most beautiful ones are considered to be: the three-voice Domine, puer meus iacet (Lord, my servant lies), the four-voice Quam pulchra es (How beautiful you are) and Ex ore infantium (From the mouths of children), and the five-voice Canite et psallite (Sing and play) in which the high artistic beauty is highlighted.
Today, Lukačić’s motets are part of the standard baroque concert repertoire. Whether they are the first or last work of Lukačić, the only work, or just a part of a rich repertoire, perhaps lost or forever lost, remains unknown. In any case, thanks to persistent researchers and music lovers, we have been given the opportunity to open a closed musical window of the 17th century and bring the living beauty of baroque sound closer to the present time.