Lithuanian Music in America, 1870–1920
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LITHUANIAN MUSIC IN AMERICA, 1870-1920 Danute Petrauskaite, Klaipeda University, Lithuania hile it is known that small numbers of Lithuanians emigrated to W America as early as the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, massive emigration to the New World began only after the second half of the nineteenth century, especially after the abolition of serfdom (Michelsonas 3- 4). If the first arrivals in America included a number of nobility, a greater part of the later emigrants were peasants, mainly men, who later invited their sisters, wives or fianc6es to come to the New World. Among the reasons which persuaded people to leave Lithuania were the repressions which followed the anti-Russian uprising of 1863, the country's poor economic situation, the new Tsarist conscription law of 1874, and the suppression of the revolution in 1905. After 1859 Lithuanians flooded into America, creating proportionately one of Europe's largest diasporas. In 1899, about 275,000 Lithuanians lived in the United States, while on the eve of World War I the number increased to 500,000 (Michelsonas 14). After the war the number of newcomers from Lithuania significantly decreased, as a strict immigration quota was introduced by the US administration, according to which, only 382 Lithuanians could enter the country per year (Lietuviq enciklopedija 420). As a consequence, Lithuanians began searching for a better life in Canada, Brazil, and Argentina, although a number entered the United States illegally. Lithuanian emigrants did not initiate their cultural and musical activities immediately upon arrival. The first emigrants were mainly village people, not influenced by either the first Tsarist schools in Lithuania or the first Lithuanian-language newspapers. Most of them had little, if any, education. The data indicate that about half of the Lithuanians who came to the US before the Great War could neither read nor write. Quite a number of them Downloaded by [Vilinius University] at 07:31 08 November 2011 could not clearly identify their nationality and called themselves simply "Catholics" (Pasaulio lietuviai 42). They were inclined to unite with the Polish emigrants to establish common organizations, unions and parishes. As the educational level of Lithuanians rose, so did their national consciousness. Soon Lithuanians started to establish their organizations, build churches, publish periodicals, educate their children, and even provide them with a university education. Among the first emigrants were musicians, singers and dancers. Some of them brought their violins, concertinas and clarinets; they would arrange evening parties in their dorms after a hard day's work. Others would have a good time at home, still others, with a business bent, opened inns where JBS, Vol XXXI, No 1 (Spnng 2000) 60 Lithuanian Music in America 61 Lithuanian customers could sing and dance. Thus, village musicians were pioneers who began spreading Lithuanian music among their compatriots and even among other nationalities. It was hard to imagine any important Lithuanian meeting, be it entertainment or a wedding, without musicians. Of course, evening parties were not regulated or coordinated but were arranged spontaneously; nonetheless, they provided a kind of embryonic stage in the development of musical life, an introductory stage to a new epoch which began with the establishment of Lithuanian parishes, societies, choirs and orchestras. Eventually, these former village musicians were to lead orchestras and choirs. They worked as organists or teachers and laid the foundations for Lithuanian-American culture. Their role in the life of Lithuanians in America can be compared to the role of the contemporary "book" smugglers who resisted the Tsarist press ban in Lithuania- They were pioneers: the history of the musical activities of the Lithuanians who settled in America begins with them. Societies Virtually all Lithuanians who came to the United States felt the need to become members of one or another immigrant society, with the hope of "getting assistance in case of an illness, and a nice burial in case of death" (Alyva, "Kas link"). The ethnic societies took an interest in cultural activities. The beginnings were slow since few people had any experience in fostering culture. The first society named after St. Vaitiekus was established in Shamokin, Pennsylvania in 1871 but soon disbanded. Societies which actively propagated music did not appear until later. The first organization of that type was established in Chicago in 1895: DraugystO muzikantq ir giedoriq po globa Dovydo karaliaus (The Society of Musicians and Singers under the Protection of King David). This society acted mainly as a credit union, but for some time it also had a choir. When the choir broke up, a group of its musicians remained active performing at Lithuanian Downloaded by [Vilinius University] at 07:31 08 November 2011 evening parties. Eventually, societies appeared which were primarily concerned with musical activities. One of the first was established in Chicago in 1895, called the Dainininkq draugystO dr. V. Kudirkos (The Dr. V. Kudirka Singers' Society). Its main goal was to "learn to sing Lithuanian national songs" (Ambrose 256), and it proved quite successful. The members of that society later founded a successor choir, the Birut6, in 1908. Three years later, the LietuviJka teatraligka Rf-tos dainininkt/ galpos draugija (The Lithuanian Theatrical Rfita Singers' Mutual Aid Society) was established, also in Chicago. Other such organizations followed: in 1914, the Susivieno'imas lietuviq socialistq dainininkq Amerikoje (Union of Lithuanian Socialist Singers in America); and, in 1912, in Waterbury, Connecticut, Aido 62 Danute Petrauskaite teatraligka draugija (The Echo Theatrical Society). In 1915, on the basis of the Dainos, dramos ir muzikos draugija (The Society of Song, Drama and Music), and on the initiative of the noted composer Stasys Simkus (1887- 1943), the choir Daina (The Song) was formed, achieving more fame than the original association. There was also the Philadelphia children's society Vyturiukas (The Little Lark). In Detroit the Dail~s myldtoj9 draugija (The Society of Art Lovers) with its own choir and in Brooklyn, New York, a music and drama society Vytur~lis (The Tiny Lark), were also founded. In 1914 a Boston youth group established the music and drama society Gabija. Before the Great War, these kinds of organizations appeared in virtually all Lithuanian-American communities. These cultural societies united lovers of music who lived in the region, but organizational coordination of musical activities was weak. Organists were among the first to tackle this problem. Organists Organists became the centre of Lithuanian immigrant musical life. They were active in fostering religious as well as secular music. The organists worked with young people, arranged concerts and song festivals, and due to a shortage of hymns and songs, actually composed music themselves. At the beginning, not all of their compatriots appreciated their efforts; sometimes th e organists were ridiculed. According to the Lithuanian music historian, Juozas :~ilevi~ius, the organist was a Jack-of-all-trades: after playing the organ for the service, he would tidy up the church, sweep the street around it, mow the grass, shovel the snow, heat the stoves, look after the priest's liturgical robes and ring the church bells when required. But even if they worked hard, the organists could hardly make ends meet, especially in the coal mining regions, so that some of them opened shops or worked as photographers, barbers or watchmakers. The first Lithuanian organist, Domininkas Ba~kauskas, came to the United States in 1879 and was soon followed by Andrius Di~kauskas, Stasys Downloaded by [Vilinius University] at 07:31 08 November 2011 Rakauskas and Jonas ~emaitis. With the establishment of new parishes, there was a shortage of organists, and priests employed people of other nationalities or taught hymns by ear. Having learned of this dire need, Antanas Pocius, Jonas ~i~auskas, Vladas Dauk~a, Vincas Nickus, Antanas Visminas, Jonas Brundza, Ksaveras Strumskis, Juozas and Justas Kudirka, Juozas Stulgaitis, Antanas Radzevi~ius, Jonas Banys and others arrived in America at the beginning of the twentieth century to rectify the situation. Some of them had sufficient musical education, having attended courses for organists or taken private lessons. But a number of them had little education and failed to perform the organist's duties in a proper way. In order to deal with the many professional, organizational and f'mancial issues, the organists decided to establish an association. Lithuanian Music in America 63 In 1905 Polish organists invited Lithuanians to join the St. Cecilia Polish-Lithuanian Organists' Union. Lithuanians joined and cooperated with Poles for several years. But in 1908 quarrels erupted and Lithuanians chose separation. On 31 May 1911 they held the first convention of Lithuanian organists in Baltimore and established The Union of American Lithuanian Organists (the UALO). Its stated aim was to foster national feelings via hymns and songs, to standardize hymns in Lithuanian churches, to cultivate religious and secular music, to arrange common concerts, to publish music and assist colleagues in the profession. The UALO was governed by a board elected at the conventions which were usually held annually. During 1911- 1920 the UALO Board was chaired by Ksaveras Strumskis and Aleksandras Aleksis (Aleksandravi~ius). As minutes of conventions were not recorded until the sixth convention, some information about the first meetings can be found in the memoirs of Union members or their periodicals. Sources reveal that during the conventions delegates would listen to reports, solve practical problems (for example, relations between organists and priests, issues of organists' salaries, etc.), discuss plans for the future and listen to concerts arranged by local organists. A special event at an extraordinary convention of organists on August 30-31, 1915, in Newark, New Jersey, was the lecture of the composer Stasys ~;imkus on "How to Teach Choirs." In 1916 the UALO had forty-eight members.