Establishment of the Lithuanian State Opera Theatre in Kaunas: the experiences of Juozas Žilevičius

Juozas Žilevičius (1891–1985) – vargonininkas, chorvedys, kompozitorius, pedagogas, muzikos istorijos tyrinėtojas ir puoselėtojas. Pirmaisiais Lietuvos nepriklausomybės metais aktyviai darbuodamasis visuose muzikos baruose jis padėjo nacionalinės kultūros pagrindus. Vienas iš tų barų – operos teatro kūrimas Kaune. Šis muzikas ne tik matė, kaip vyko pirmųjų spektaklių rengimas, bet ir prisidėjo prie jų statymo. Jis buvo ir jų recenzentas, ir daugelio straipsnių operos tema autorius. Šiame darbe yra analizuojama dviejų pirmųjų Lietuvos operos, tuomet vadintos Operos vaidykla, veiklos metų istorija – pradedant nuo idėjos užgimimo iki jos realizavimo. Publikacijoje apžvelgiamas Žilevičiaus indėlis į operos meną darbuojantis Lietuvos meno kūrėjų draugijoje, einant teatro administratoriaus ir Švietimo ministerijos Meno skyriaus viršininko pareigas, taip pat gilinamasi į jo recenzijas, straipsnius ir atsiminimus.Juozas Žilevičius (1891–1985) was an organist, choirmaster, composer, pedagogue, researcher, and nurturer of Lithuanian music history. In the first years of Lithuania’s independence, he was active in all fields of music, laying the foundation of the national culture. One of those fields was the establishment of the Lithuanian Opera House in Kaunas. Not only did Žilevičius watch the preparation of the first performances, but he also contributed to their production. He was a reviewer and an author of numerous articles on the subject of opera. Therefore, the aim of the paper is twofold: a) to evaluate Žilevičius’ contribution to the foundation of the Opera House in Lithuania; and b) to reveal the beginning of the development of the Opera House, based on Žilevičius’ articles, memoirs, and archival sources. The following facts were revealed: 1. The production of performances took place under particularly difficult conditions: the premises of the City Theatre were neglected, and there was a lack of sheet notes, costumes, decorations, and even performers. Žilevičius described this period as one of the most difficult in his life, yet over the years he forgot the experienced hardships – only the bright picture of the Kaunas Opera remained in his memory. 2. While working as the head of the Art Department at the Ministry of Education, Žilevičius contributed to the development of the Statute and Regulations of the Opera House and played an active role in sending musicians abroad, raising their salaries, dismissing them from military service, and taking care of their well-being. His publications on the theme of the Opera House were valuable in several respects: they a) revealed the conditions of the period during which the theatre was established and complemented the history of the Lithuanian theatre art; and b) testified to the situation of music criticism in interwar Lithuania, the fields of critics’ interests, and their relationships with theatre people. 3. In America, Žilevičius was among the greatest proponents of opera art. He published articles introducing the former stars of the Kaunas Opera House who arrived in the United States, always remembered to commemorate Kaunas Opera anniversaries, shared his memories with readers, and raised the idea to establish a Lithuanian Opera House in America