Tale Ognenovski
Tale Ognenovski was a Macedonian multi-instrumentalist who played clarinet, recorder, tin whistle, bagpipe, zurna, and drums. He composed or arranged 300 instrumental compositions: Macedonian folk dances, jazz compositions, and classical concerts.
On January 27, 1956, he performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City as a clarinet and reed pipe soloist of the Macedonian State Ensemble of Folk Dances and Songs.
For this Carnegie Hall concert The New York Times music critic John Martin, wrote two articles: "Ballet: Yugoslav Folk Art; 'Tanec' Dancers Appear at Carnegie Hall in Display of Tremendous Skill" ", published on January 28, 1956, and "The Dance: Folk Art; Group From Yugoslavia In Impressive Debut Learning vs. Magic No Macedonian Monopoly The Week's Events", published on February 5, 1956. Dance Observer commented, "The capacity audience at Carnegie Hall on January 27 for the single New York performance of Tanec, the Yugoslav National Folk Ballet, enjoyed a fascinating cross-section of over 2000 years of human history and culture. Tanec is a Macedonian group." Life commented, "This spring, the Yugoslav National Folk Ballet is making a first, and highly successful tour of the U.S...Together they make as vigorous a display of dancing as the U.S. has ever seen." Craig Harris at Allmusic noted for Macedonian National Ensemble for Folk Dances and Songs "Tanec" and clarinetist Tale Ognenovski, "The ensemble reached their peak during the late '50s, when influential clarinet and pipes player Tale Ognenovski was a member."
All About Jazz celebrated April 27, 2009, the birthday of Tale Ognenovski with All About Jazz recognition: Jazz Musician of the Day: Tale Ognenovski, with announcement published at his website. Tale Ognenovski won top honors on October 11, 2003, at Macedonian Parliament as the Winner of "11 October" Award, the highest and the most prestigious national award in Republic of Macedonia. Ognenovski was included in the book The Greatest Clarinet Players of All Time: Top 100 by Alex Trost and Vadim Kravetsky.
Tale Ognenovski and his son Stevan Ognenovski arranged for two clarinets Clarinet Concerto in A Major, K.622, composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and recorded the albums Mozart and Ognenovski Clarinet Concertos and Mozart Clarinet Concerto in A, K. 622 Arranged for Two Clarinets by Tale Ognenovski. Perhaps these two albums are unique recordings of this concert with two clarinets where first clarinet with first arrangement and second clarinet with second arrangement that's played simultaneously – by one performer. Top40-Charts News published an article entitled, "Mozart and Ognenovski Is the Best Clarinet Concertos in the World" on November 21, 2014.
Childhood and early years
Ognenovski was born in Brusnik, Bitola, Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Tale Ognenovski inherited his talent from his great-grandfather Ognen and grandfather Risto, both of whom were players on the reed pipe, and from his father Jovan who was a player on the bagpipe. When Tale was 7 he began to play on the reed pipe. In 1933, his father Jovan died. By the time Tale was 15, Tale's grandmother Mara and mother Fanija provided some money to buy Tale his first clarinet, and the priest Spase helped them to order it from Celje, Slovenia.Tale began to play the clarinet at many celebrations and concerts in villages and the town of Bitola with many other musicians.
World War II (1941–1945)
Tale Ognenovski was Macedonian Partisan and participated in the World War II in Yugoslav Macedonia as a member of the National Liberation Army and Partisan Detachments of Macedonia in many partisans units including: the National Liberation Bitola-Prespa partisan detachment "Dame Gruev", the Bitola National Liberation partisan detachment "Goce Delchev", the National Liberation "Mirche Acev Partisan Battalion", the "First Macedonian-Kosovo Partisan Assault brigade", the National Liberation partisan Battalion "Strasho Pindzur", the "Second Macedonian Assault Brigade" and the "Seventh Macedonian Assault Brigade".From September 11, 1944, to November 4, 1944, Tale Ognenovski was the commander-in-chief of the first partisan prison in the Democratic Federal Macedonia by decree of the Presidium of Anti-fascist Assembly for the National Liberation of Macedonia . On September 11, 1944, the first partisan prison was located on the island of Golem Grad on Lake Prespa who fought hard with the Macedonian partisans from the "Seventh Macedonian Assault Brigade" and for the security of the first partisan prison he was moved from the island of Golem Grad on Prespa Lake to another safe location in Resen and later to another safe location in Bitola. Democratic Federal Macedonia was the name of Macedonia as a federal state within the newly proclaimed Democratic Federal Yugoslavia. This name was used in the period from 1944 to March 8, 1946, when the Presidium of the National Assembly changed the law in the People's Republic of Macedonia. The National Liberation Army and Partisan Detachments of Macedonia, commanded by General Mihajlo Apostolski was part of People's Liberation Army and partisans Detachment of Yugoslavia commanded by Josip Broz Tito in the Second World War
For his active participation in Partisan National Liberation Army Tale Ognenovski was awarded with national decorations including: Commemorative Medal of the Partisans of 1941 on June 20, 1961, in Belgrade, Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia by decree signed by the Minister of Defense of the former Yugoslavia Minister, Army General Ivan Gošnjak and Order of Bravery from Presidium of the National Assembly of the Democratic Federal Yugoslavia. Tale Ognenovski received the "Memorial Plaque" by the Committee for the commemoration of the 40 year jubilee of the partisan detachments "Pelister", "Dame Gruev" and "Jane Sandanski" from the Municipal Conference of the socialist alliance of the working people of the Republic of Macedonia - Bitola on 12 September 1982 as a sign of recognition of belonging to the partisan detachments as member of the People's Liberation Army of Macedonia and Participation in the Yugoslav National Liberation War. He received as gift the book titled: "People's Liberation Partisans Units of Macedonia from Bitola" in the edition of "Association for Science and Arts" from Bitola, Republic of Macedonia" published in 1982. On the second page of this book is written as a tribute, the following words: "This book is gift to Tale Ognenovski, a member of the People's Liberation Partisan Unit of Macedonia "Goce Delchev" from Bitola as a sign of recognition on the occasion of the 50 anniversaries of the foundation of the Unit" – From "Union of the Associations veterans of the People's Liberation war of Macedonia from Municipality of Bitola", May 21, 1993. Tale received as gift plaque made of wood and metal on December 20, 1978, in town Negotino, Republic of Macedonia as Commemorative gift for 35th anniversary of the foundation of Second Macedonian Assault Brigade on December 20, 1943, in the village of Foustani in Greece, where the "Second Macedonian Assault Brigade" was formed. In front of this gift plaque were engraved the words: "Second Macedonian Assault Brigade 1943 Fuštani Tale Ognenovski"
His brother Cane Ognenovski and participated in the World War II in Yugoslav Macedonia as a member of the National Liberation Army and Partisan Detachments of Macedonia (
Career
Awards
He received the First Award at the first regional Bitola Festival of Folk Dances and Songs, held in 1947.He received the First Award Clarinet as the best clarinetist at the first Macedonia Festival of Folk Dances and Songs, held in Skopje in 1948. He received the First Award at the Yugoslav Folk Music Festival in Opatija, Croatia, in 1951, together with another 11 members of the Folk Dance Ensemble from the Bitola village of Nizhopole, Republic of Macedonia.
The performance of Tale Ognenovski as clarinet player caught the attention of the editors of International Folk Music Journal, also noted that "Teshkoto from Nizopole means "heavy", and indicates the heavy rhythm which is typical of very ancient dances."
"11 October" Award
Tale Ognenovski received the "11 October" Award, the highest national award in Republic of Macedonia in the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia in 2003 for his contributions to Macedonian culture.In a 2003 interview, Tale Ognenovski commented: "On October, 2001, was released my CD Album entitled, "Jazz, Macedonian Folk Dances and Classical Music."...This album is confirmation that I am the greatest clarinetist of all time and one of the greatest composers in the world of music. My sincere gratitude for I won top honours as the winner of 11 October award... This Award gave me inspiration for new composing...".