Page 111 - 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. 111
the significance of lithuanian societies for the development ...
ever, it had never occurred to them that the nation could live independent-
ly, separately from Germany. Meanwhile, the main goal of Lithuanians in
Lithuania Minor was to preserve their language and customs, as German-
ization had been increasingly affecting their social life. To this end, in the
second half of the 19th century, they began to form cultural societies.
In 1885 in Tilsit, which was considered to be the capital of Lithuanians
of Lithuania Minor, the very first Birutė Society (1885–1914) was established,
with divisions in smaller towns. Its members were encouraged to talk to
each other in Lithuanian and to sing Lithuanian songs. Under the Society,
a choir led by famous Lithuanian philosopher Vydūnas operated. He pro-
claimed that art was the most distinctive characteristic of man, a major fac-
tor in evolution, and it elevated humanity above nationality.12 Those around
him saw that humble man and philosopher as a priest, a prophet, and felt
spiritually richer in his company. To commemorate its tenth anniversary,
the Birutė Society organised a celebration on Rambynas Hill, on the oth-
er side of the Nemunas River. Since then, the tradition of celebrating major
Lithuanian holidays in this wooded place, where Lithuanian songs sound-
ed especially good, had taken root.
Due to disagreements among the members of the Birutė Society, Vy-
dūnas together with a group of choristers established Tilsit Lithuani-
an Hymn Singers’ Society (1895–1935), which became the most important
axis of Lithuanian musical life. Its choir consisted of about 40–60, and oc-
casionally as many as 80, singers. The singers often gave concerts, staged
performances, and showed the prepared programs to the residents of the
surrounding areas, both Lithuanians and Germans. It did not take the lat-
ter long to appreciate the artistic achievements of the Society. Peter Wil-
helm Wolf, the director of Tilsit Music School, conductor, composer, grad-
uate of Berlin Higher Music School who often attended concerts, praised
the choir led by Vydūnas to German choirmasters as an example to follow
and advised them to attend its concerts. The repertoire of the Hymn Sing-
ers’ Society consisted of songs and hymns – original compositions by the
choir leader and other Lithuanians as well as Lithuanian melodies harmo-
nised by Germans. The hymn singers were among the first to start organis-
ing Lithuanian song festivals. They would include German orchestras that
performed popular symphonic works of Western European classical music
composers in their concert programmes. In that way, thanks to Lithuani-
an societies, the decline of the Lithuanian language in a German-speaking
12 Vydūnas, “Mano paskaitos” [My Lectures], Gairės, no. 1 (1924): 45.
109
ever, it had never occurred to them that the nation could live independent-
ly, separately from Germany. Meanwhile, the main goal of Lithuanians in
Lithuania Minor was to preserve their language and customs, as German-
ization had been increasingly affecting their social life. To this end, in the
second half of the 19th century, they began to form cultural societies.
In 1885 in Tilsit, which was considered to be the capital of Lithuanians
of Lithuania Minor, the very first Birutė Society (1885–1914) was established,
with divisions in smaller towns. Its members were encouraged to talk to
each other in Lithuanian and to sing Lithuanian songs. Under the Society,
a choir led by famous Lithuanian philosopher Vydūnas operated. He pro-
claimed that art was the most distinctive characteristic of man, a major fac-
tor in evolution, and it elevated humanity above nationality.12 Those around
him saw that humble man and philosopher as a priest, a prophet, and felt
spiritually richer in his company. To commemorate its tenth anniversary,
the Birutė Society organised a celebration on Rambynas Hill, on the oth-
er side of the Nemunas River. Since then, the tradition of celebrating major
Lithuanian holidays in this wooded place, where Lithuanian songs sound-
ed especially good, had taken root.
Due to disagreements among the members of the Birutė Society, Vy-
dūnas together with a group of choristers established Tilsit Lithuani-
an Hymn Singers’ Society (1895–1935), which became the most important
axis of Lithuanian musical life. Its choir consisted of about 40–60, and oc-
casionally as many as 80, singers. The singers often gave concerts, staged
performances, and showed the prepared programs to the residents of the
surrounding areas, both Lithuanians and Germans. It did not take the lat-
ter long to appreciate the artistic achievements of the Society. Peter Wil-
helm Wolf, the director of Tilsit Music School, conductor, composer, grad-
uate of Berlin Higher Music School who often attended concerts, praised
the choir led by Vydūnas to German choirmasters as an example to follow
and advised them to attend its concerts. The repertoire of the Hymn Sing-
ers’ Society consisted of songs and hymns – original compositions by the
choir leader and other Lithuanians as well as Lithuanian melodies harmo-
nised by Germans. The hymn singers were among the first to start organis-
ing Lithuanian song festivals. They would include German orchestras that
performed popular symphonic works of Western European classical music
composers in their concert programmes. In that way, thanks to Lithuani-
an societies, the decline of the Lithuanian language in a German-speaking
12 Vydūnas, “Mano paskaitos” [My Lectures], Gairės, no. 1 (1924): 45.
109
