M. K. Čiurlionis: kūrėjas ir žmogus
LTTai žinomo lietuvių išeivijos veikėjo, kunigo S. Ylos (1908-1983) knyga apie kompozitorių ir dailininką M. K. Čiurlionį. Knygoje nagrinėjamos M. K. Čiurlionio kūrybos ištakų, raidos problemos, siejant jas su kompozitoriaus ir dailininko svarbiausiais biografijos momentais bei gyvenamos epochos bruožais. Nemažai dėmesio skiriama M. K. Čiurlionio kūrybinio palikimo pripažinimui tiek mūsų, tiek pasaulinės kultūros kontekste. Su šia knyga mūsų skaitytojas supažindinamas pirmą kartą.
ENThat the reader would come to know both the „artist and the man" was the wish of the Reverend Stasys Yla, author of this book, who, because of his untimely death, was fated never to see in print the fruit of his endeavors. Such a psychological approach - the attempt to the innermost being of a man - is characteristic of the works of Yla, a prolific writer, author of a dozen studies and nume rous articles, who was both a journalist and a poet and also an amateur artist. Thus it is not simply a skeletal figure of Čiurlionis that emerges from these pages but Čiurlionis the artist and the man who comes to life here with his dreams, his motivations, his inspirations, and his thought processes. This is the portrait of an astonishingly well integrated personality, one who looked at Man, Nature, and the Universe with a most perceptive glance, a man who struggled cou rageously against the obstacles in his way as he strained to attain his artistic goals. The creative artist is ofttimes doomed to be unappreciated by his contemporaries, for he is several generations ahead of his times. Such artists are understood only by future generations. The name of Čiurlionis was for a long time familiar only to a narrow circle of family members, his closest friends, and a few of the most percep tive persons in the world of art. Since his death, his achievements have become recognized throughout the world, and the name oi Čiurlionis is now well-known at the better art museums of the western world. He is known yes, but he has yet to take his righiful place, for there is still much controversy as to who he is - whether a phenomenon, prophet, or sphinx. It was as a composer-musician that Čiurlionis began his trek to the heights of the artistic world. This long and arduous journey in search of the best means of artistic self-expression Čiurlionis under took with an ardent, uncompromising, and persevering heart.The family into which Čiurlionis was born was a musical one. His brothers and his sisters - all nine of them - would argue as to whose turn it was to play the prized piano. He himself was extraor dinarily gifted. His first music teacher was his father, an organist. The boy who could play complicated pieces by ear when he was five years old soon began to fill in for his teacher at the church organ. Regular piano lessons followed from a nearby music teacher, who realized before long that she had nothing further to teach her talen ted pupil. The eager young musician was sent to the town of Plungė to a music school sponsored by Duke Oginskis, where he learned to play other musical instruments and joined the school's orchestra. Here he also learned how to perfect orchestrations. Duke Oginskis took an interest in this promising young musician and granted him a scholarship. Soon Čiurlionis began further musical studies at the Warsaw Conservatory of Music. His talent for compo sing became evident, and Čiurlionis began to compose musical pieces with great enthusiasm. His compositions were praised by his profe ssors, applauded by his friends, encouraged by his sponsor, but at times public honors escaped him because of various intrigues and the fact that he was a Lithuanian - a foreigner. Short pieces for the piano, such as fugues and preliudes, were followed by a symphonic poem, Miške (In the forest). At last the coveted diploma was attained, and there was jubilation among his friends and his family members, but Čiurlionis strove onward; he began to attend the music conser vatory of Leipzig and broadened his musical education due to the different musical climate at this school. His work was once again rewarded with a diploma, attesting to his talent, his abilities, and his creativity.He then returned to the Warsaw Conservatory of Music, but this time as a teacher, and while teaching others, he himself continued to compose music, gradually freeing himself of others' influences and beginning to create truly original music. It seemed to his friends and his relatives that he had achieved his goal, that now he had only to apply himself to fostering his musical talents and creating musical works of note, but Čiurlionis had reached a turning point in his life. He had previously done some sketching while studying music in Plungė and during trips to Palanga, a resort town, with the school orchestra. Resolutely, convinced that his future lay in the world of art rather than music, he devoted himself to a brush and a palette. This changeover was accomplished with much soul-searching, for he had to decide whether to begin anew, this time studying art, or to be only an amateur painter. His music teachers and colleagues were amazed, his sponsor was totally opposed, his friends did not approve; but Čiurlionis was accustomed to listening to an inner voice, and disregarding all ob stacles "chose the world of colors as my aim in life". Returning to Warsaw, Čiurlionis earned his keep by giving music lessons and began taking art lessons and attending the Academy of Art. Some time later he returned to Lithuania, to Vilnius. His interest in his roots led him to participate in the Lithuanian National Rennaisance movement. While working as a choir master, Čiurlionis exhibi ted his paintings in the first and the second exhibitions of Lithuanian art. They got a varied reception. Most cf his countrymen failed to understand his work, and some of the critics were harsh. After vaca tioning in Palanga and a short sojourn in Druskininkai, Čiurlionis went to Petrograd, Russia. It was here that his art received the most favorable reception by a group of modern Russian artists. [...].
