From the contexts of the musical life during the war years (1941-1944): Religious music hours

Šis eseistinio pobūdžio straipsnis apžvelgia karo ir vokiečių okupacijos laikotarpio (1941-1944) muzikinio gyvenimo kontekstuose plėtotą Religinės muzikos valandų (ar Religinio susikaupimo valandų) žanrą. Jis nebuvo tik vokietmečiu susiformavęs darinys, nes ir anksčiau bažnyčiose skambėjo jose susibūrusių chorų ar vargonininkų atliekama muzika, tokie koncertai buvo rimtai vertinami, recenzuojami. Straipsnyje pasitelkiami to meto amžininko kompozitoriaus Jono Nabažo dienoraščiai bei įvairūs muzikos kritikų atsiliepimai spaudoje, - visa šie autentiški paliudijimai nusako Vilniaus ir Kauno bažnyčiose plėtoto muzikinio gyvenimo spektrą ir reikšmę. Tuo tarpu vokietmečiu šie koncertai dar įgijo ir dvasinės rezistencijos pobūdį, bažnyčios tapo lietuviškosios kultūros ir meno židiniais.This essayist article explores the genre of religious music hours (or religious concentration hours) developed in the context of the musical life during the War and the German occupation (1941-1944). This genre did not appear during the period of the German occupation because in the past choirs, soloists, or organists performed music in churches, and such concerts were taken seriously and reviewed in the Press. The present article uses fragments of the diary of composer Jonas Nabažas written during the interwar period, the Soviet occupation (1940-1941), and the German occupation (1941-1944); it also quotes the reviews by German critics written in the Press, and this testifies that significant and mature concerts took place in churches, and they were given not only by the choirs of these churches, but also by members of the opera house, opera or radiophone groups, and well-known conductors. Such works as Requiem by Česlovas Sasnauskas or Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart could be mentioned. Quite a large number of Lithuanian works by Konradas Kaveckas, Česlovas Sasnauskas, Juozas Gruodis, Julius Sinius, Juozas Naujalis, Jonas Bendorius, Antanas Budriūnas, Jonas Dambrauskas, or Aleksandras Kačanauskas as well as world classics by Mozart, Luigi Cherubini, Cezaro Francko, Theodore Dubois, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Anton Bruckner were performed. It should be noted that mature recitals in churches were prepared by our notable organists: Zenonas Nomeika, Zigmas Aleksandravičius, and Konradas Kaveckas. Their performances did not go unnoticed by reviewers. Such concerts also acquired the character of spiritual resistance during the German occupation, and churches became the focal points of Lithuanian culture and art. For instance, in February, 1944, one can read in Vilnius daily newspaper Naujoji Lietuva (New Lithuania): "In Vilnius, the great helpers of cultural work are (...) our clergy. They have concentrated real fireplaces of culture and art at their churches"