<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>The project of modernisation, which emerged as the central idea in the course of 20<sup>th</sup>-century Lithuanian music, predetermined many creative orientations and discoveries by Lithuanian composers of various generations, as well as critical reflection on their works. At the root of Lithuanian projections of musical modernism lies a central concern with questions of national identity, affected by crucial historical changes and political processes. In this paper, I explore issues of relationship between construction of national identity and the modernity, focusing in particular on public discussions concerning national and modern elements in music, which appeared in the musical press of the 1930s and became emblematic of subsequent Lithuanian music history. Among the most active participants of the debates were young composers and musicians who had set up the Society of Progressive Musicians in 1932 and the iscM Lithuanian Section in 1936: Vytautas Bacevičius, Jeronimas Kačinskas, and Vladas Jakubėnas. Their opinions marked a significant turning point in the national music discourse, updating and expanding the understanding and use of the concepts of modern and national music in Lithuania. The interwar polemical observations, insights and statements were effectively elaborated in later reception and served as basis for a reinterpretation and revision of the Lithuanian music modernisation discourse.</p>
</abstract>

The project of modernisation, which emerged as the central idea in the course of 20th-century Lithuanian music, predetermined many creative orientations and discoveries by Lithuanian composers of various generations, as well as critical reflection on their works. At the root of Lithuanian projections of musical modernism lies a central concern with questions of national identity, affected by crucial historical changes and political processes. In this paper, I explore issues of relationship between construction of national identity and the modernity, focusing in particular on public discussions concerning national and modern elements in music, which appeared in the musical press of the 1930s and became emblematic of subsequent Lithuanian music history. Among the most active participants of the debates were young composers and musicians who had set up the Society of Progressive Musicians in 1932 and the iscM Lithuanian Section in 1936: Vytautas Bacevičius, Jeronimas Kačinskas, and Vladas Jakubėnas. Their opinions marked a significant turning point in the national music discourse, updating and expanding the understanding and use of the concepts of modern and national music in Lithuania. The interwar polemical observations, insights and statements were effectively elaborated in later reception and served as basis for a reinterpretation and revision of the Lithuanian music modernisation discourse.

“Let Us Create a Modern Lithuania!” Confrontations of National Identity with Modernity in the Lithuanian Music Modernisation Discourse of the 1930s

Polski Rocznik Muzykologiczny

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

The project of modernisation, which emerged as the central idea in the course of 20th-century Lithuanian music, predetermined many creative orientations and...

“Let Us Create a Modern Lithuania!” Confrontations of National Identity with Modernity in the Lithuanian Music Modernisation Discourse of the 1930s

Published Online: Feb 12, 2022

Page range: 118 - 133

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/prm-2021-0008

Keywords
Lithuanian music modernisation, national identity, Vytautas Bacevičius, Jeronimas Kačinskas, Vladas Jakubėnas

© 2021 Rūta Stanevičiūtė, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

“Let Us Create a Modern Lithuania!” Confrontations of National Identity with Modernity in the Lithuanian Music Modernisation Discourse of the 1930s

Published Online: Feb 12, 2022

Page range: 118 - 133

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/prm-2021-0008

KeywordsLithuanian music modernisation, national identity, Vytautas Bacevičius, Jeronimas Kačinskas, Vladas Jakubėnas

© 2021 Rūta Stanevičiūtė, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Lithuanian music modernisation, national identity, Vytautas Bacevičius, Jeronimas Kačinskas, Vladas Jakubėnas