Vatroslav Lisinski i njegovo doba: Prilog za poviest hrvatskoga preporoda

Vatroslav Lisinski and His Time is the most important biographical and musicological work by Franjo Ksaver Kuhač, a pioneer of Croatian musical historiography and ethnomusicology. Published at the end of the 19th century, the book represents the first comprehensive attempt at a scientific presentation of the life and work of Vatroslav Lisinski, a composer who is considered the founder of Croatian national opera and one of the key artists of the Illyrian Revival.

Kuhač not only provides Lisinski's biography, but also reconstructs the entire cultural and political atmosphere of Croatia in the mid-19th century. Special attention is paid to the Illyrian movement, the development of national consciousness, the emergence of the first Croatian musical institutions, and the circumstances in which Lisinski's most important works were composed, including the opera Love and Malice and the opera Porin. The author relies on personal testimonies, documents, correspondence, and memories of contemporaries, which gives the book the value of an original historical source.

The work is important not only for the study of Lisinski but also for understanding the development of Croatian musical culture during the period of the national revival. Kuhač's approach combines biography, cultural history and musicological analysis, creating a vivid picture of the time in which modern Croatian art was formed.

Today, this edition is considered an indispensable work of Croatian musical historiography and a sought-after title among collectors of Croatian studies, musical literature and older cultural and historical editions. In addition to its documentary value, the book is also one of the fundamental testimonies to the emergence of the Croatian national musical tradition.