THE CORRESPONDENCE OF RUSSIAN MUSICIANS WITH JĀZEPS VĪTOLS AFTER HIS DEPARTURE FROM ST. PETERSBURG (REGARDING RARE VĪTOLIANA SOURCES AT THE LATVIAN ACADEMY OF MUSIC)

PAR RETIEM VĪTOLIĀNAS AVOTIEM LATVIJAS MŪZIKAS AKADĒMIJĀ

Abstract

The focus of this paper is the important epistolary aspect of the heritage of Jāzeps Vītols, which today is stored at the Latvian Academy of Music, in the composer’s memorial room. They are letters from Russian musicians – Vītols’ former colleagues at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, friends, and students – to their authoritative and beloved professor, written after Vītols’ departure from Russia in August of 1918. In accordance with the very decision by the St. Petersburg Conservatory (the corresponding meeting minutes from the artistic council meeting on August 14, 1918 are stored at the St. Petersburg Central State Literature and Art Archive), Vītols was granted leave without pay until January 1919 so, as was stated, that he could participate in the founding of the “Latvian National Opera”. However, unexpected events intervened. On November 18, 1918, the independent Latvian nation was proclaimed, and, at the same time in Russia, civil war forced many of the members of the intelligentsia to emigrate. Vītols himself believed that his relationship with the St. Petersburg Conservatory was only concluded ex officio, in other words, de facto it still existed, since “as long as at least one of my friends and colleagues still works there, then I will still feel attached to my alma mater” (Jāzeps Vītols. Manas dzīves atmiņas [Jāzeps Vītols. Memories of My Life] (edited by Jānis Rudzītis). Upsaala: Daugava, 1963, p. 91). Even in the 1930s, when writing about his life in Riga in his memoirs, paradoxically, he used the term open-ended leave (!).