Page 108 - Weiss, Jernej, ur./ed. 2023. Glasbena društva v dolgem 19. stoletju: med ljubiteljsko in profesionalno kulturo ▪︎ Music societies in the long 19th century: Between amateur and professional culture. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 6
P. 108
glasbena društva v dolgem 19. stoletju: med ljubiteljsko in profesionalno kulturo
societies formed in Kaunas Priest Seminary: The Society of Lithuania Lov-
ers (1887–1905) and St. Casimir’s Circle (1889–1905). Future priests and some
of their teachers shared information about the printing and distribution of
banned Lithuanian books and wrote articles for Lithuanian newspapers.
Music societies began forming much later. One of the first was estab-
lished in Kaunas in 1899, when organist and composer of the Cathedral,
graduate of Warsaw Institute of Music Juozas Naujalis formed the Daina
[The Song] Choir from the representatives of the city’s intelligentsia: he in-
vited about 50 people of various professions, mostly music lovers, to it. The
choristers of the illegal society would choose remote places for their re-
hearsals and concerts: in winter, it was secluded apartments, in summer,
the skirts of the nearby Veršvai forest. They would even post guards to in-
form choristers of the danger of the approaching police. However, when-
ever the singers were caught unawares, they would not be intimidated and
would either disguise themselves as a church choir or simply bribe govern-
ment officials. Their first appearance before the public took place on 13 May
1901. Failing to obtain official permission, the choristers chose a forest site
on the banks of the Nemunas River for the concert; they got there by steam-
boat and called the event a May picnic. The event was a great success: nu-
merous participants sang and danced together. Since then, the tradition of
May picnics spread throughout Lithuania.
After the ban on the press had been lifted on 7 May 1904, the Daina So-
ciety, which at the time had about 500 members, had the opportunity to le-
galise. After the approval of the Statutes, on 19 March 1905, it was official-
ly registered and began to grow: a circle of drama artists was established,
vocal and instrumental ensembles were formed, and professional singers
were invited to participate in concerts. True, working conditions were not
easy. Officials demanded that the lyrics of the songs and performances be
translated into Russian, and that the texts contain not a single word in-
tended to criticise or ridicule the Russian Empire. Nevertheless, the Socie-
ty which brought together music lovers and professionals fostered national
self-awareness through holding concerts of Lithuanian music, performanc-
es, lectures, dance evenings, and commemorations of people with special
merits to Lithuanian culture. They would organise about 10 to 20 events per
year and involved the Polish and Russian-speaking population of Kaunas
in the cultural movement. The society successfully survived until the Sec-
ond World War.
106
societies formed in Kaunas Priest Seminary: The Society of Lithuania Lov-
ers (1887–1905) and St. Casimir’s Circle (1889–1905). Future priests and some
of their teachers shared information about the printing and distribution of
banned Lithuanian books and wrote articles for Lithuanian newspapers.
Music societies began forming much later. One of the first was estab-
lished in Kaunas in 1899, when organist and composer of the Cathedral,
graduate of Warsaw Institute of Music Juozas Naujalis formed the Daina
[The Song] Choir from the representatives of the city’s intelligentsia: he in-
vited about 50 people of various professions, mostly music lovers, to it. The
choristers of the illegal society would choose remote places for their re-
hearsals and concerts: in winter, it was secluded apartments, in summer,
the skirts of the nearby Veršvai forest. They would even post guards to in-
form choristers of the danger of the approaching police. However, when-
ever the singers were caught unawares, they would not be intimidated and
would either disguise themselves as a church choir or simply bribe govern-
ment officials. Their first appearance before the public took place on 13 May
1901. Failing to obtain official permission, the choristers chose a forest site
on the banks of the Nemunas River for the concert; they got there by steam-
boat and called the event a May picnic. The event was a great success: nu-
merous participants sang and danced together. Since then, the tradition of
May picnics spread throughout Lithuania.
After the ban on the press had been lifted on 7 May 1904, the Daina So-
ciety, which at the time had about 500 members, had the opportunity to le-
galise. After the approval of the Statutes, on 19 March 1905, it was official-
ly registered and began to grow: a circle of drama artists was established,
vocal and instrumental ensembles were formed, and professional singers
were invited to participate in concerts. True, working conditions were not
easy. Officials demanded that the lyrics of the songs and performances be
translated into Russian, and that the texts contain not a single word in-
tended to criticise or ridicule the Russian Empire. Nevertheless, the Socie-
ty which brought together music lovers and professionals fostered national
self-awareness through holding concerts of Lithuanian music, performanc-
es, lectures, dance evenings, and commemorations of people with special
merits to Lithuanian culture. They would organise about 10 to 20 events per
year and involved the Polish and Russian-speaking population of Kaunas
in the cultural movement. The society successfully survived until the Sec-
ond World War.
106
