Page 169 - Weiss, Jernej, ur. 2020. Konservatoriji: profesionalizacija in specializacija glasbenega dela ▪︎ The conservatories: professionalisation and specialisation of musical activity. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 4
P. 169
the visions of lithuanian musical education
individuality? Is it possible that a free creator can be foreign to the
spirit of his country? It is difficult to determine where the national
peculiarities of our music begin and end. Because each person is a
different individual, the artistic paths of the creators of a nation are
thus very different. Restricting the artist by the so-called common
laws of national music would deprive him of his ultimate creative
factor, of his individuality. If the creator does not follow his inner
inspirations, but seeks mechanical correspondences with popular
music, with his environment, he will not be able to translate sub-
stantially the characteristics of the Lithuanian soul.17
These words marvelously connect, but with more maturity, the ideas of
M. K. Čiurlionis, cited above.
Vytautas Bacevičius was even more radical, strongly influenced by Al-
exander Scriabin, Edgard Varèse, André Jolivet and marked by ‘universal
thought’. He said: “I developed fully the concept of cosmic music;”18
I wanted to capture those elements of life that characterise the spi-
rit of our 20th century […]. Machinism should be considered here
not only as an outward phenomenon of our life but as its inner
element;19
For Bacevičius,
original creativity could bow to no external pressure (the tastes of
the audience, the demands of the market, the limitations imposed
by commissions); the freedom of the artist consisted in his sover-
eignty and manifested itself in his independence in bringing to life
his own vision.20
He said: “I can’t imagine composing without my own satisfaction.” 21
17 Ona Narbutienė, Muzikinis Kaunas 1920–1940 [Musical Kaunas in 1920–1940]
(Kaunas: Šviesa, 1992), 74.
18 Ona Narbutienė, “The Fate and Spread of Vytautas Bacevičius’s Artistic Vision,” in
Vytautas Bacevičius in Context, eds. Rūta Stanevičiūtė and Veronika Janatjeva (Vil-
nius: Lithuanian Composers’ Union, 2009), 29.
19 Ibid., 25.
20 Ibid., 121–122.
21 Krzysztof Droba, “Vytautas Bacevičius in Amerika, or an Artist in the Cage,” in Vy-
tautas Bacevičius in Context, eds. Rūta Stanevičiūtė, Veronika Janatjeva (Vilnius:
Lithuanian Composers’ Union, 2009), 122.
167
individuality? Is it possible that a free creator can be foreign to the
spirit of his country? It is difficult to determine where the national
peculiarities of our music begin and end. Because each person is a
different individual, the artistic paths of the creators of a nation are
thus very different. Restricting the artist by the so-called common
laws of national music would deprive him of his ultimate creative
factor, of his individuality. If the creator does not follow his inner
inspirations, but seeks mechanical correspondences with popular
music, with his environment, he will not be able to translate sub-
stantially the characteristics of the Lithuanian soul.17
These words marvelously connect, but with more maturity, the ideas of
M. K. Čiurlionis, cited above.
Vytautas Bacevičius was even more radical, strongly influenced by Al-
exander Scriabin, Edgard Varèse, André Jolivet and marked by ‘universal
thought’. He said: “I developed fully the concept of cosmic music;”18
I wanted to capture those elements of life that characterise the spi-
rit of our 20th century […]. Machinism should be considered here
not only as an outward phenomenon of our life but as its inner
element;19
For Bacevičius,
original creativity could bow to no external pressure (the tastes of
the audience, the demands of the market, the limitations imposed
by commissions); the freedom of the artist consisted in his sover-
eignty and manifested itself in his independence in bringing to life
his own vision.20
He said: “I can’t imagine composing without my own satisfaction.” 21
17 Ona Narbutienė, Muzikinis Kaunas 1920–1940 [Musical Kaunas in 1920–1940]
(Kaunas: Šviesa, 1992), 74.
18 Ona Narbutienė, “The Fate and Spread of Vytautas Bacevičius’s Artistic Vision,” in
Vytautas Bacevičius in Context, eds. Rūta Stanevičiūtė and Veronika Janatjeva (Vil-
nius: Lithuanian Composers’ Union, 2009), 29.
19 Ibid., 25.
20 Ibid., 121–122.
21 Krzysztof Droba, “Vytautas Bacevičius in Amerika, or an Artist in the Cage,” in Vy-
tautas Bacevičius in Context, eds. Rūta Stanevičiūtė, Veronika Janatjeva (Vilnius:
Lithuanian Composers’ Union, 2009), 122.
167
