Professional training of Lithuanian organists in the beginning of the 20th century

Straipsnyje pasitelkiant istorinį bei komparatyvistinį tyrimo metodus tyrinėjama vargonininkų profesinio parengimo raida pirmaisiais XX a. dešimtmečiais. Pagrindinis dėmesys skiriamas vargonininkų draugijų veiklai, jų organizuotiems kursams ir periodinei spaudai. Straipsnyje pateiktų ir analizuojamų istorinių faktų visuma atskleidžia dar netyrinėtas vargonavimo tradicijas, egzistavusias Lietuvoje aptariamuoju laikotarpiu.Professional training of organists in Lithuania had several periods, it was successive and guiding; it reflected the level of musical education in Lithuania. Organ music in Lithuania, like in other countries in Europe, was closely connected with church. Consequently, many musical works for the organ, educational programs and the training of organists in Lithuania were closely connected with the development of sacral music and church service. This close connection had a positive. influence on the training of organists: organists used to improvise; Lithuanian musicians, who had a limited repertoire of sacral music, had a possibility to write works of Lithuanian church music. Its initiator was J. Kalvaitis, one of the professional and famous organists, who wrote the first Lithuanian Mass. The courses for organists and choir conductors, which were organized by different musical societies, were a very important part in the training of organists in Lithuania. Consequently, the professional training of organists was not limited by higher educational institutions. All musicians from various Lithuanian parishes could have a possibility to improve their knowledge. Lithuanian musical periodical press greatly influenced the professional training of Lithuanian organists The first publication of "The Organist" in 1909 was the first publication of Lithuanian musicians. The analysis of musical works in these publications encouraged a deeper perception of musical pieces. National Lithuanian music was of great value in musical press. Organists could cooperate, get information, share their experience; the world’s music literature was generally available. The first period in the professional training of organists in Lithuania ended in 1933. We could assess it as a period of musical practice of organists, but not as a period of professional development of organists. There was a common educational program of training of organists in J. Naujalis music school, National music school, in many musical societies. The traditions of the training of organists came from Germany. Traditions of French school in training the organists were presented only theoretically. Professional training of organists in Lithuania of the 30s of the 20th century met the requirements of other European higher music schools