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MUSIC IN THE SOVIET ESTONIA.
Although soviet powers started reorganizing musical life immediately in 1940, especially in the field based on the activities of the societies, the time to carry out fundamental changes was too short. An important breaking point was the year 1944, when a lot of people playing an active role in the musical life fled the country (Olav Roots, Eduard Tubin, Juhan Aavik etc.). * The real reorganization of the musical life and education by the soviet way began, imprisonment and deportation (e.g. Riho Päts, Alfred Karindi, Tuudur Vettik - the organizers of the first Song Festival after the war), decision of 1948 and witch hunt and discharging of bourgeois nationalists (e.g.Karl Leichter, Aurora Semper). On the other hand: the soviet system provided the existence of some branches of the professional culture and function of institutions in every republic in spite of expenses (music schools, conservatory, opera and ballet theatre, philharmonic society, symphony orchestra, mixed choir and male choir conducted by G. Ernesaks established in the rear worked and developed on the professional bases). The Composer’s Union became a significant organization, quite generously financed by all-Union Musfond. From the point of view of the consequence of the Estonian musical culture it is really important that some years remained between the end of the war and the new massive deportation (1948) and the campaign of the bourgeois nationalists (in the field of music the witch hunt began with the decision about the opera «Velikaya druzhba» (The Great Friendship) by Muradeli on February 10, 1948 in Moscow, a bit later in Estonia). At first at the head of the reorganization were our own educated people, partly even the leaders of the Estonian period (e.g. Vladimir Alumäe , who had been in the rear, became Rector of the Conservatory, Karl Leichter, Riho Päts and Mart Paemurru were Deans, Heino Eller and Mart Saar taught composition). It was decisive from the point of view of the musical culture in general that before the beginning of the campaign against nationalism a Song Festival took place in 1947. With this, Song Festivals got back their preliminary ambivalent functions and were legalized, simultaneously the national singing choirs movement was restored. It’s not sure that later on the prohibiting of the Song Festivals charged in nationalism could be avoided.
*Avo Hirvesoo has tried to give an overview of the active participation in music life of Estonia and got 440 entries in 1939, from whom 26 resettled to Germany before the war, 15 got lost during the first soviet year, 80 were mobilized in the Soviet Army or deported to Russia (65 returned from the war or deportation), 25 musicians were among the Jews executed here during the German occupation, 10 died here during the war, among them those perished in bombings, the biggest amount escaped to West when the front got nearer, in total 173 persons left the local musical life; 161 i.e. 36,5% of the prewar musicians stayed here. ( Hirvesoo, Avo. Kõik ilmalaanen laiali. – Tln: Kupar, 1996.) In addition it must be mentioned at once that the wave of deportations and discharges of 1948-51 were ahead.
The following four decades in the musical culture are similar in some aspects:
(1) The unprompted organizations and enterprises were suppressed in every
possible way – it means that the professional and amateur musical life had to be related to some state or official establishments. Freelancers could be the members of creative unions, hereby composers, but the Composer’s Union itself was an important official institution and had a great influence on orders, purchases, performances (the significant buyer of creative works was the commission of the Ministry of Culture which members were the representatives of the Composer’s Union). The bigger professional music collectives were submitted to the Philharmonic Society or Radio (later Television and Radio). Musicians and singers worked in orchestras/theatres or as teachers and most of their paid concerts were arranged by the Philharmonic Society. There were practically no soloists on the payroll of the Philharmonic Society (only single ones on several periods), top-musicians worked as lecturers at the Tallinn State Conservatory, concertmasters or as soloists in the theatres (singers). It was difficult to establish a new professional collective on one’s initiative but when it existed it could well survive the artistic nadirs.
During the period of the Republic of Estonia, the manager of an amateur choir/orchestra was generally a society, now it was looked for an establishment. The well-known choirs of Tallinn and Orchestra of the Society of Worker’s Music went under the management of Central House of Worker’s Music in 1940, after the war, clubs and cultural palaces were established (most important in Tallinn: Palace of Culture named after J. Tomp, Youth Palace of Culture named after J. Kreuks, the Tallinn Pioneer’s and Youth Palace etc.). Good choirs and ensembles worked at them. Amateur choirs, orchestras and ensembles were related to enterprises. They performed at public ceremonies, presentations and parties, tours were arranged and instruments bought by the enterprise. When at the end of 1960s a lot of guitar ensembles spring up (officially called vocal-instrumental ensembles), a great imagination was shown in finding employers in clubs, even in housing authorities, not to speak about schools.
(2) Communication was really opened only towards the East and that comprehensively caused protest but also accommodation with the environment
(so much energy was lost in getting an overview of the music of the 20th century by fragments; radio, loaned records, notes, books). I bear in mind the accommodation with the existed musical life. The Russian traditional musical education was on high level, especially of the instrumentalists (here the parallels with theatre and ballet may be drawn). World level musicians worked as Professors of Conservatoires of Moscow and Leningrad, studying and competing for one’s place in the concert life was difficult. In reality, the spreading of the creative ideas differed from the officially predetermined aspects. E.g. Veljo Tormis studied in the Moscow Conservatoire during the most severe time 1951-56, but his teacher Vissarion Sebalin was wise talented professor of composition (discharged Rector after the decision in 1948) and among Tormis’ study mates (at the same time Ester Mägi, Anatoli Garsnek) were the later world famous Rodion Stsedrin, Edison Denissov and Alfred Snitke. This environment was professionally more inspiring than in Tallinn. An example from later period and an other field: at the beginning of 1970s, young people interested in old music had practically no opportunities to order notes, literature, study in the real centers of old music, indeed, it was possible to contact with the ensemble «Madrigal» of Moscow and study the collection of notes of Andrei Volkonski; many professional musicians performed here (e.g. Aleksei Ljubimov).
(3) The self initiated contacts between the Baltic countries in several fields of cultural life were established in 1960s to counterbalance the centralization and assimilation politics of Moscow. Although communication was carried out in Russian, the uniting problem was protection of the national traditions. Common to the Baltic states was also the tolerance of the official authorities towards modernism and various new ideas, so the underground movement as in Moscow didn’t arise here (foremost in music but rather in other fields also). When centralized events of the regions (e.g. district parts of all-Union competitions) gathered together the Baltic countries and Byelorussia, sometimes also Moldavia, then from the conferences of musicologists of the Baltic countries the Byelorussians were held consciously apart. All-Union standard of the music history determined that nothing essential could have happened before the Soviet time, the musicians in exile were ignored etc. At the meetings of the Baltic musicologists it was tried to deal with these themes and that significantly influenced the ideology (one of the initiators from Lithuania was the future President Vytautas Landsbergis, Vardo Rumessen was periodically very active from Estonians).
(4) It is constantly suggested that the prestige of art was very high in the Soviet Union because of the propagandistic aim, that it was tried to suborn artists etc. It is one aspect which we must take into consideration in rewriting the music history of the Soviet Estonia (fortunately it was not managed to end this volume of «Eesti muusikast»). From this aspect, an interesting object of study is Gustav Ernesaks. Was he used or did he himself use the powers? The soviet myth was made of him and spread by the info-channels of Moscow, but the Estonian nation made one itself calling him «father of singing».
The general pressure of everyday situation of that time helped to arise the prestige of the Soviet art life: creativity was restricted in many fields and interest in art was much wider than in the so called normal society (if such exists). Here we can draw a parallel with Germany after the WWI: although the living conditions were extremely hard, it was a very productive time in musical life (in art life generally). Comparatively more independent and significant work in the creative field brought many talented people into science and culture, who, when the situation changed, moved into business or politics.
Hereby I deal with some aspects how it revealed in musical life:
- the number of the people whose main work was connected with music grew enormously (teachers of children’s music schools, club conductors of houses of culture, every kind of instructors and editors, music classes were established at schools, the number of officials of the Estonian Radio and Television grew, the amount of professors in Conservatory was at maximum in about 1980, music department was also opened at the Pedagogical Institute etc.). It was safe to plan a career of a musician, work was guaranteed to all graduates (practically most of the graduates of the Conservatoire could find work in Tallinn). Although most of the professions didn’t afford the opportunity of rich living conditions but pleasant everyday duties and relatively freedom in undertakings compared with public offices or business. The net of children’s music schools was formed over the country establishing schools in small and market towns (e.g. in direction Tallinn Narva the music schools were in Viimsi, Kuusalu, Loksa, Rakver, Kunda, Sillamäe, Kohtla-Järve, Jõhvi, Narva). The guitar ensembles were formed in every second-third school at the second half of 1960s.
- the prohibiting of church essentially raised the sacral function of classical music. That brought along a vacuum of not only religious but also sacral emotions. I believe that this was fulfilled by «Credo» (1968) by Arvo Pärt and in the same way by « Ballad of Maarjamaa» (1969) by Veljo Tormis. The direct soviet persecution of church and performing in church brought along emotional pressure which often found expression in special interest in sacral and old music.
Church is an essential musical institution in traditional European culture:
organists and choirs work there, concerts are organized and in smaller centers churches are the only suitable places for performing classical music. At the end of 1930s the church choirs of counties took part in general social life and quite big concerts were arranged. During the Soviet times very few musicians with professional ambitions connected themselves with church because that meant endless persecution and restrictions in other public and concert activities (characteristic to the latest Soviet times, there were some exceptions who were widely exposed as an example of religious liberty, e.g. well-known musician, organist Professor Hugo Lepnurm). At first at the end of 1940s the organ department in the Tallinn Conservatory was closed, later on it was reestablished as additional specialty at the piano department. Obviously, the role of other institutions dealing with classical music grew due to prohibited church (more so in smaller places than in Tallinn, Tartu). Although it is impossible to show how, the numerousness of concert choruses in the Soviet time must be taken into consideration, but in some ways, the support to amateur activities (especially chorus singing) by the rich enterprises and kolkhozes-sovhozes served the interests of moral education.
The assimilated Soviet time was particularly full of essential changes and I will point out the differences:
- 1944-1956 shock state, the real Soviet time – continuation of the conservative national music as the notorious decision of 1948 demanded the use of national melodies in musical composing; the State Academic Male Choir was founded in 1944; the Mixed Choir of the Estonian Television and Radio in 1945.
1956-1968 the period of Estonian modernism – avant-garde: Concerto Grosso by Eino Tamberg, Chamber Concert by Jaan Rääts, «Necrology», «Perpetum mobile», «Collage», Symphony No 1, 2 by Arvo Pärt, «The Kihnu Wedding Song» and «Autumn Landscapes» by Veljo Tormis; first-rate performers from abroad visited Estonia – e.g. choirs from Sweden conducted by famous Eric Ericson and Klementti-oppisto choir from Finland, both introduced the newest repertoire and accurate clear chorus singing (it sounded as contrast to the size and enormous «roar» of local choirs); the Experimental Choir of the Composers’ Union was established, later on became the Tallinn Chamber Choir and after that many chamber choirs with new repertoire and sound ideals were formed, the renaissance music , spirituals and modern Estonians songs became an important part of the repertoire, but also Kreek; old music ensemble from Chile and modern music ensemble from Moscow (Aleksei Ljubimov performed «Volumnia» by Ligeti, Steve Reich was performed) paid a visit; it was started to organize touring to international music festivals (especially important was the festival of modern music in Warsaw, notes and records brought from tours were loaned and studied in groups; many chamber choirs paid a visit, also the big orchestra of the Lenigrad Philarmonic Society with Jevgeni Mravinski – world level orchestra at that time; discovering of Tubin by the younger generation – the State Symphony Orchestra performed the 5. Symphony conducted by Sergei Prohhorov in the concert hall of «Estonia» in 1956, which opening performance had been in Stockholm in 1947.*
At the period the Tallinn Jazz Festivals with guest performers from west also took place; taking an example of the «Beatles», many youth ensembles were formed which were different in jazz style from a bit older and educated groups; at first the popular west music was imitated, during the next decade the Estonian original rock music developed.
Tape recorders and TVsets became consumer goods besides radios and gramophones. Due to tape recorders it became possible to record music which was not officially accepted in the Soviet Union and brand-new pieces from radio stations abroad and spread it from hand to hand. Rewriting from tapes was the only fast way of getting the hot pieces of the world in the field of light music. The Tallinn department of the all-Union record firm «Melodija» was established which started to produce records of Estonian music (it was recorded in Tallinn, produced in Riga; better possibilities of recording were in Moscow and Estonian records have been produced there too). The Estonian Radio has got the biggest archives of the Estonian music.
- the interest in old and Estonian folk music, the Finno-Ugric and primitive nations in general, to the different cultures characterizes the period 1968-1970:
3. Symphony and «Stories of Tintinnabuli» by Arvo Pärt, «A Cruse Upon Iron» and long folk songs, four cycles of the series of «The Forgotten Nations« by Veljo Tormis; some kind of turning point in the writing style of music came about in 1967-68 - «Estonian Calendar Songs» by Tormis and «Credo» by Pärt united the
*Vladimir Alumäe played the Violin Concert by Tubin with the Estonian State Symphony Orchestra in the «Estonia» concert hall yet in July, 1946, conducted by Roman Matsov, at the same concert, other works by Tubin were performed; Alumäe and Matsov played the Violin Concert in Kiev in Dec. 1947 and in Vilnius in January 1948, after that ideological pressure started and the music by the composer living in exile disappeared until 1956. During the second «glacial age» at the end of 1970s the struggle of taking his works into repertoire went on . See: Valve Jürisson, (compiler). Eduard Tubin. Bibliograafia, II osa, 1944-1982. Eesti Rahvusraamarukogu, Tallinn, 1997. dissonance sound characteristic to the 1960s and turning into past and good sounding (triad) of 1970s; special trick of organizing was the establishment of the old music ensemble Hortus Musicus, especially bringing it on the state payment, recordings and tours abroad at the end of 1970s – it makes the complaints against censorship and paralyzing ideological control questionable and shows that a man of spirit (Andres Mustonen) could act effectively in those circumstances; Tõnu Kaljuste formed the Chamber Choir of Estonian Philharmonic Society (1981), a new professional choir from the Chamber Choir «Ellerhein» which was established at the beginning of 1970s.
Folk Festivals, Tartu Days of Popular Music, rock- ensembles got professional.
- the beginning of the decade 1979-1991 was the time of oppression, Neeme Järvi emigrated in 1979 and Arvo Pärt in 1980, Tormis wrote his dissident pieces (include.«The Estonian Ballads» ). Still, it must be mentioned that in musical life the oppression was weaker than in the other fields of culture. Naturally, performing Pärt was prohibited, the conductors name Neeme Järvi disappeared from recordings, less than before it was allowed playing and speaking of Tubin, some Tormis’s songs were prohibited. On the other hand, choirs and Hortus Musicus traveled more, musicians in all traveled more and more people from abroad visited Estonia (channel of communication through Finland was very important). The real opening took place fast in the second half of the decade; Neeme Järvi with the Göteborg Symphony Orchestra came to Tallinn in 1989 (festive concerts were held in elated mood including Trumpet Concerts by Eino Tamberg and Symphony No 3 by Arvo Pärt – very important works of the Estonian symphony music in the beginning of the 1970s).
Important organizations and collectives.
The State Artistic Ensembles of the Estonian SSR were established after the decision of Committee of Arts of the State Arts Board of the USSR in March, 1942 in Yaroslavl, to serve the front and rear, from musicians there belonged the symphony orchestra (conductor E. Kapp and R. Matsov), mixed and male choir (conductor G. Ernesaks, H. Kõrvits and J. Variste), variety company (conductor R. Merkulov), soloists (V. Alumäe, A. Arder, A. Klas, T. Koha, B. Lukk, O. Lund, M. Rungi etc.), composers E. Arro, G. Ernesaks, E. Kapp, B. Kõrver, H. Kõrvits, H. Lepnurm, L. Normet; the male choir formed the main part of the State Academic Male Choir and the Mixed Choir of the Estonian TV and Radio.
The State Philharmonic Society of the ESSR, concert organization, was established in Tallinn, 1941 for arranging concerts all over Estonia and the tours of the Estonian musicians outside, at the end of the 1980s the State Academic Male Choir, the Chamber Choir , Hortus Musicus, the Pld Town Studio, many vocal-instrumental ensembles (the number varied) worked there. The Philharmonic Society had practically the monopoly of organizing the concerts; other establishments (the Tallinn State Conservatory, choirs, amateur clubs) arranged their concerts free of charge.
The Folk Creation House of the ESSR was established in Tallinn, 1940 under the name of the National House of Amateur Art Activities, after the restoring in 1944 and later from 1979 the official name was the Scientific Methodological Center of Folk Creation and Cultural Work of the ESSR. It was established as a central state organization for directing and controlling club and amateur activities after the Singers Union and other societies on self initiative were dismissed. Song Festivals Bureau was subordinated to it (conductors and high officials belonged to the Central Committee of Song Festivals, in the Bureau there worked people who really organized the events).
The Composers’ Union of the ESSR (until 1957 the Soviet Estonian Composers’ Union) was established in Leningrad 1944, united composers and musicologists, belonged as the republican organization to the Composers’ Union of the USSR, worked in Tallinn and had a department in Tartu; 87 members in 1986. The Music Foundation was subordinated as an economic organization; at first under the name of the Estonian Republican Department of Musfond of the USSR, later simply the Music Foundation.
The Choir Society of the ESSR was established in 1982 in Tallinn, it united conductors of choirs and orchestras, music teachers, chorus singers and musicians, having departments over the country, approximately 25.000 members in 1986.
State Theatre and Music Museum of the ESSR (the Theatre and Music Museum until 1977) in Tallinn got its start from the Society of Peeter Süda in 1924 which was reorganized to the Society of Music Museum in 1931, the first exposition was opened in 1934, the Theatre- and Music Museum was founded in 1941. It collects, preserves, studies and introduces materials of the Estonian theatre and music life. It holds 550 instruments, approximately 17.000 original manuscripts of music, about 17.000 sketches of decorations, 87.000 photo negatives, 4400 records; professional library.
The State Symphony Orchestra of the ESSR (until 1975 the Symphony Orchestra of the Estonian TV and Radio) was formed from the Trio of Tallinn Radio-Broadcasting which grew into orchestra in 1930, was complemented again in 1944, 110 members in 1986.
The State Academic Male Choir of the ESSR was established in Tallinn in 1944, the main part came from the Male Choir of the State Artistic Ensembles of the ESSR, was subordinated to the State Philharmonic Society of the ESSR, title Academic awarded in 1953.
The Mixed Choir of the Estonian TV and Radio (until 1955, the Mixed Choir of the Estonian Radio) established in 1945 from the Mixed Choir of the State Artistic Ensembles; main task to record choral music for the Estonian Radio; later on became a main oratorio choir and with the State Symphony Orchestra performed vocal-symphony magnum opuses.
The Light Music Orchestra of the Estonian TV and Radio (Light Music Orchestra of the Estonian Radio until 1955) was established in 1944 on the bases of the Light Music Orchestra of the State Artistic Ensembles; the most important recorder of light music and accompanist of popular songs, also concerts, repertoire was large including operettas and beat.
The Chamber Choir of the State Philharmonic Society of the ESSR was formed in Tallinn, 1981, main part of the former Ellerhein Chamber Choir, conductor Tõnu Kaljuste.
Music theatres: the Estonia State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre in Tallinn has functioned as a purely musical theatre: opera, ballet, musical in repertoire; same genres were performed in the Vanemuine Theatre in Tartu but the repertoire was limited because of the smaller orchestra and number of soloists but there was a lot of live spirit and important music performances were staged from the mid 1960s up to mid 1970s.
Light music: the Light Music Orchestra of the Estonian TV and Radio and the ensembles of the Philharmonic Society were paid, besides them many other orchestras and ensembles during various times; jazz festivals were arranged in Tallinn 1949-1967, the first concert of rock ensembles took place in the Cinema «Kosmos» in 1968, the Popular Music Days of Tartu were important at the beginning of 1980s.
Musical education: The Tallinn State Conservatory (in 1944 State appeared into the name, during 1964/65 the official name was State Music and Theatre Institute of the ESSR), Tallinn Secondary Music School (established in 1961), Tallinn Music School (from 1975 named by G. Ots), Tartu Music School (named by H. Eller in 1971), music department was formed at the Tallinn Pedagogical Institute in 1960 and was brought to the Conservatory step by step at the beginning of the 1970s (music department remained at the faculty of culture); there were 47 children’s music schools in 1988.
Literature: 6 numbers of the magazine «Teater ja Muusika» was published in 1941; during the Soviet period music column was in cultural newspaper «Sirp ja Vasar»; magazine «Teater. Muusika. Kino» was established in 1982; it is the only place for publishing scientific articles on music in Estonian. The publishing was limited by the opportunities of cultural editorials of Eesti Riiklik Kirjastus/Eesti Raamat (popular books of the Estonian musicians, «Eesti Muusika» I, II compiled by Artur Vahter , 1968-1973, 5 volumes of «Muusikalisi lehekülgi» etc.). Music Foundation published also and mainly notes. The Tallinn State Conservatory hadn’t publishing right and during the later years educational literature was published by the editorial group of the Ministry (its opportunities were very limited).
Recording: the Estonian Radio – besides the music programs, its archives are the main place of preserving the Estonian music and interpretation. Record producing was extremely centralized. The all-Union recording firm «Melodija» was established in 1964 and the situation changedto better when its Tallinn recording studio started to work. Music was recorded and covers designed in Tallinn but record were produced in Riga. Musicians talk much about how most of the records of the Estonian music were sold at some other part of the Soviet Union. Although the recording of the Estonian music and interpretation advanced at the end of 1960s, texts on the covers were in Estonian and Russian, later in English. In Tallinn there was Cassette Factory, so the producing and selling of cassettes was more operative. The archive of the recording studio of «Melodija» has another important collection of the Estonian music.
Libraries: the main music libraries were the music department of the Fr. Kreutzwald State Library of the ESSR and the library of the Conservatory (only the State Library had the currency account; fortunately it was produced much classical music and sold dirt-cheap – so first and foremost there was lack of the rare very old and the newest music, also musical literature of that time.
The important amateur concert choirs: the Tallinn Chamber Choir (practically professionals but worked without pay); in 1960-70s the Female and Male Choirs of the Academy of Sciences (conducted by Arvo Ratassepp), the «Ellerhein» Children’s Choir (Heino Kaljuste), the «Noorus» Mixed Choir (conducted by Ants Sööt, later Ene Üleoja), choirs of the Tallinn Polytechnic Institute and the Tartu University etc.
Song Festivals: the first Song Festival of the Soviet time was XII and took place in 1947, the next 1950 and so on in every 5 years, excluding the biggest and the most liberal of the 100 anniversary in 1969 (XVII; the next was after 6 years in 1975). Officially the Song Festivals were connected with the anniversaries of the ESSR, at the same time a part of repertoire included national and patriotic songs and the festivals were considered national parties. The Central Committee of the Song Festivals worked permanently and between the Song Festivals local festivals of the School Youth and regions were organized, the preparation work of the Song Festivals united the choirs before the establishment of Choir Union. Before the Song Festival of 1969, a competition between the choirs of Estonia took place, under the name of the first Tallinn International Choirs Festival.
The Tallinn Piano Factory – Ernst Hiis (Ihse), a former piano manufacturer built
some concert pianos by hand as the pianos of the Tallinn Conservatory, the
theatre «Estonia» and the Estonian Radio had been burnt during the war; the Tallinn Piano factory was established by the decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR and under the direction of E. Hiis (head engineer) the production was started (concert and grand pianos), for some time pianos were made, also zithers. Later «Estonia» became the trademark of pianos.