Page 113 - 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. 113
the significance of lithuanian societies for the development ...
which had not been submitted to the censors, but which had been very
much awaited by the Lithuanian audience.
Following the emergence of undemocratic moods within the charity
society, those who separated from it founded the Lithuanian Mutual Aid
Society (1899–1917), with a drama circle and a permanent troupe of actors
established under it. It was a stimulus for Lithuanians to learn the correct
mother tongue, to get acquainted with the basics of acting and directing,
and to mature the idea of establishing their own professional theatre. It was
merely dissatisfaction with a high membership fee that led to the establish-
ment of a third organisation, the Lithuanian Society for Mutual Assistance
for the Indigenous, or the Society of the Indigenous (1903–1918), which unit-
ed workers and representatives of the left-wing intelligentsia. In this way,
the Lithuanian community was as if divided into social groups: the bene-
factors were equated with the aristocrats, the Mutuals with the bourgeoi-
sie, and the Indigenous with the proletariat. Artists and musicians accept-
ed invitations from all societies and went on stage where they had greater
opportunities to perform. All the societies held Lithuanian evenings, which
mainly consisted of performances and choral music. Amateur choirs be-
came a laboratory for young Lithuanian performers and composers, where
they could carry out their creative experiments. Therefore, it was no coin-
cidence that the newly created songs by Česlovas Sasnauskas, Stasys Šimk-
us, and Juozas Tallat-Kelpša were first performed in St. Petersburg, and op-
erettas by Mikas Petrauskas were also staged there.
The choirs belonging to the societies sought to represent their commu-
nity in the international arena. On 22 January (4 February) 1910, they par-
ticipated in the concert of 14 nations, and on 27 December (9 January) 1912,
at an ethnographic event. The aim was to emphasise the uniqueness of their
country through cultural activities – the uniqueness of the language and
folk songs, and the old traditions of the GDL. Gradually, the idea of rais-
ing the issue of Lithuania’s autonomy at the political level began to develop.
At the time, it seemed a particularly bold idea, as it was too early to think
about complete secession from the Russian Empire.
Lithuanian Societies in the United States of America
The most favourable environment for societies to operate was in the United
States, and the greatest number of them were active there. The first societies
to form were the ones of mutual aid as well as joint associations with Poles.
The first Lithuanian society was founded in New York in 1875, and the sec-
111
which had not been submitted to the censors, but which had been very
much awaited by the Lithuanian audience.
Following the emergence of undemocratic moods within the charity
society, those who separated from it founded the Lithuanian Mutual Aid
Society (1899–1917), with a drama circle and a permanent troupe of actors
established under it. It was a stimulus for Lithuanians to learn the correct
mother tongue, to get acquainted with the basics of acting and directing,
and to mature the idea of establishing their own professional theatre. It was
merely dissatisfaction with a high membership fee that led to the establish-
ment of a third organisation, the Lithuanian Society for Mutual Assistance
for the Indigenous, or the Society of the Indigenous (1903–1918), which unit-
ed workers and representatives of the left-wing intelligentsia. In this way,
the Lithuanian community was as if divided into social groups: the bene-
factors were equated with the aristocrats, the Mutuals with the bourgeoi-
sie, and the Indigenous with the proletariat. Artists and musicians accept-
ed invitations from all societies and went on stage where they had greater
opportunities to perform. All the societies held Lithuanian evenings, which
mainly consisted of performances and choral music. Amateur choirs be-
came a laboratory for young Lithuanian performers and composers, where
they could carry out their creative experiments. Therefore, it was no coin-
cidence that the newly created songs by Česlovas Sasnauskas, Stasys Šimk-
us, and Juozas Tallat-Kelpša were first performed in St. Petersburg, and op-
erettas by Mikas Petrauskas were also staged there.
The choirs belonging to the societies sought to represent their commu-
nity in the international arena. On 22 January (4 February) 1910, they par-
ticipated in the concert of 14 nations, and on 27 December (9 January) 1912,
at an ethnographic event. The aim was to emphasise the uniqueness of their
country through cultural activities – the uniqueness of the language and
folk songs, and the old traditions of the GDL. Gradually, the idea of rais-
ing the issue of Lithuania’s autonomy at the political level began to develop.
At the time, it seemed a particularly bold idea, as it was too early to think
about complete secession from the Russian Empire.
Lithuanian Societies in the United States of America
The most favourable environment for societies to operate was in the United
States, and the greatest number of them were active there. The first societies
to form were the ones of mutual aid as well as joint associations with Poles.
The first Lithuanian society was founded in New York in 1875, and the sec-
111
