My Compositions

Ballade in G minor, first draft.
Harmonically and melodically mostly written in the last couple of months, although some themes were drafted almost a decade ago which in itself has a special meaning for me since it always lingered in my mind until I decided to finish it.
Will possibly expand upon the composition in the near future.

Ballade for Piano, G Minor

Fantasy for Piano, F-sharp minor
Like in the case of my previous ballade, the main theme is one of my oldest one, written on a guitar almost two decades ago, in a secluded house, when I took guitar lessons with my friends under a guise of a senior, eccentric professor who was probably semi-drunk every single lesson.
It came almost seamlessly and it never left my mind, and finally it found a satisfactory growth and expression in a piano composition.
Paul Anthony Romero made spontaneously numerous improvisations on it (He received it with a bunch of other musical themes), and a lot of those variations ended here as a homage to him, as this work is dedicated to him.
Initially the theme was planned as an initial statement in a nocturne I was writing, preceding the main theme, but after Paul's suggestion I separated the two distinct themes and decided it was best to let them grow separately.
The fact that I developed one of my oldest melodies with a superb composer and pianist, and a musical inspiration since high-school, makes me beyond blessed and happy.
The watercolour artwork, like in all other released compositions, is done by Vanja Kalemba.

Fantasy for Piano, F-sharp Minor

A short composition consisting of themes I'm extremely fond of. Initially I wanted to experiment with it more, but decided to keep as compact and unassuming as possible, in the manner of various moment musicaux written by composers such as Schubert. 
Dedicated to one of my greatest and most special friend, Marko Paradžik, who was amazed when hearing the main theme for the first time (although when I showed him again much later he said it was horrible).

Ode for Piano, F Major

This Nocturne, or at least its main themes, represents my first true attempt at composing on the piano several years ago. I composed or improvised a bunch of fragments and musical ideas together with the basic framework of the Nocturne.

As I've already implied in the description of my Fantasy, the two compositions were once conjoined when I finally decided to separate them and develop them independently. However, besides sharing the same key, a lot of textural fragments are still shared that can be noticed, and I bluntly quoted the main theme of the fantasy as a homage to their shared heritage. Personally, I'm particularly fond of the A-major melodic line starting at 0:38, which I consider one of the smoothest and most beautiful melodies I've written so far. Considering the hammering intro, it is one of the last additions I've made for this nocturne, and it helped me with a lot of structural problems. As with my other compositions, further changes will likely happen down the line.

I dedicate this work to another of my great friends, Ivan Dadić, a masterful smith, who once gifted me a beautiful crusader helmet he crafted (he even took measurements of my head for the undertaking). I humbly hope this endeavor will honour the gift he blessed me with!

Nocturne for Piano, F-sharp Minor

A piano piece I started writing during the composition of my F-sharp minor Nocturne. Initially, I tried to figure out if I could use it as a middle section of the Nocturne (the F-sharp to G minor modulation was a very alluring challenge), but very soon, it started to gain a consciousness of its own, and the music began writing itself. It is a very dark and somber piece that aptly suits its Elegie name. 
I would describe it as an excursion into contemplation and resignation fostered by the pain of loss and irreversibility. Brief sections into the relative (Faith) and parallel major (Remembrance), and some dance-like drunken stupor (Holding on) offer some respite. The G major restatement of the main theme is my latest addition, simply because I found it beautiful. 
I dedicate this piece to Ivan Bago, a great friend and a monumental influence on my music. Safe to say, I wouldn't be deep in this musical endeavor without him. (He also mentioned he would like to play this piece on his own).

Elegie For Piano, G Minor

Ballade For Piano, G Major, No. 2 (Main themes - work in progress)

A self-taught composer, who has found his voice in older and traditional forms and styles of music.
Currently mostly composing for piano, but I have grand ambitions for writing chamber music and symphonies.
My music has a lot of variety in a way that expresses all kinds of sentiments, both intrapersonal and extrapersonal, kept in a cohesion by an underlying narrative; every composition is its own journey or a adventure, and I invite any guests who stumble upon my page to take part in it. 
All my music so far is written in Sibelius 7 (recordings of live performace coming down the line)
My music is available for purchase on Bandcamp: https://dinoljubi.bandcamp.com/music
Sometimes I might write an essay or two:
https://renewalcollective.substack.com/p/beethoven-through-suffering-towards
For inquiries: dinoljub89@gmail.com
Also a father to an awesome little boy.

Ballade For Piano, G Major, No. 2 (Main themes - work in progress)

Dino Ljubić