Albanian opera started with the name of Prenk Jakova. With his two works: “Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu” and “Mrika”. The first, “Mrika”, would be realized in collaboration with the librettist Llazar Siliqi, while it would be staged at the “Migjeni” theater, directed by Andrea Skanjeti.

“Skenderbeu”, the second opera of Prenka Jakova, was a success for the composer, who had to rework it, due to the official criticism of the time.

Prenk Jakova is the author of several romances, cantatas and songs. The most popular and beloved, which are known as folk songs, are “Watching the cherry” and “Margelo”.
The composer was born on June 27, 1917 in the city of Shkodra, and the origin of his family is from Gjakova. Prenka’s grandfather was called Dede Jakova and since young he was fond of music, playing the clarinet at the Saverian College in the city of Shkodra. 

He finished his primary education in the years 1924-’29, at the “Skanderbeg” school. Afterwards, he enrolled and continued his studies at the “Illyricum” High School, in the city of Shkodra. From the classical branch that Prenka studied at the lyceum, he moved to the seconday school in Shkodra, where he graduated in 1935. When he started the “Illyricum” lyceum, he became active in the school’s musical band, which later became and the band of the city of Shkodra, as a clarinetist.

During this period, he was formed as a musician and began to lead several choral groups and small orchestral formations, through which he began to stylize and process the new popular song, such as: “The sheep”, “Hajredin”, “Besa”, “I go and fly like a bird”, etc. Two of Prenka’s first teachers, from whom he received his first lessons in music, were Martin Gjoka and Zef Kurti. When he was no more than 18 years old, Prenk Jakova became the artistic director of the musical band of the high school “Illyricum” and his first students were: Cesk Zadeja, Tish Daija, Tonin Harapi, Simon Gjoni, Tonin Rrota, Zef Gruda, etc. . When he was given direction of the Shkodra city band, Prenka composed marches for the band and potpourri of Shkodra folk songs.

In 1939, Prenka was separated from his family for the first time, after he was appointed a teacher in the village of Orosh in Mirdita. In that village, he wrote a piece for accordion entitled “Missing you” and then also the song “Shepherd’s pipe”, the text of which remains unknown even today. This marked Prenka’s first attempt to write the words and the melody together, that was the concept of the popular Shkodra party song. After staying for more than a year in Orosh, in 1940, Prenka moved to his hometown in Shkodra, and at that time he wrote a cycle of children’s songs and the two-act operetta entitled “Garden of Dwarves”.

During the school year 1941-’42, Prenka moved to Ulcinj and Osho in Kraja, where in order not to miss the artistic activities in the city of Shkodra, he cycled back and forth that way every day, covering 50 km. Prenka did not stay long there, as in September 1942, he went to study in Italy, where he enrolled in the Conservatory of Music “Santa Cecilia” in Rome, in the clarinet department, which he completed successfully.

The end of 1944 found Prenk Jakova as a teacher in the city of Shkodra, where he helped in the activities that the choir of the First Partisan Brigade was conducting at the Youth Home, where he was appointed its manager. 

One of the peaks of the creativity of the famous composer Prenk Jakova, is considered the first Albanian opera “Mrika”, which appeared for the first time in 1958. 

The staging of the opera “Mrika” had a great echo outside Albania, as in Italy, Sweden, Czechoslovakia, etc., which was learned from the many letters and telegrams that came to Prenka, from these countries. An art personality from Prague, who dealt with the history of world opera, by means of a letter congratulated Prenka for the success achieved with Shkodra amateurs and asked him to send him the pamphlet, posters, photographs and advertisements of the show”. 

Jakova left a very important musical heritage. Beside the two operas there are dozens of songs, orchestral and choral pieces, movies’ music, and operettas that he left to posterity. Jakova is considered as one of the most important Albanian composers of all times.

He composed the operas Mrika in 1958 and Skanderberg in 1968, for which he is known as the creator of the Albanian national opera. His operas were influenced by traditional Italian opera, the belcanto style and Albanian folk song.

Jakova has also become noted for many Albanian folk songs, which are so widespread, that there is an erroneous belief that they are traditional Albanian popular songs, whereas they are instead composed by Jakova. One of his most famous songs is Margelo.

/Klara Ruci/