Muzikantai katalikų laidotuvėse Vakarų Lietuvoje: tradicijos kaita XX-XXI a. sandūroje

LTKatalikų laidotuvėse vakarų Lietuvoje meldžiantis už mirusįjį giedojimui dažnai pritariama muzikos instrumentais, o laidotuvių apeiginių papročių atlikėjai vadinami muzikantais. Šiame straipsnyje analizuojami 2011 m. autorės atliktų ekspedicijų duomenys, siekiama nustatyti, kaip vakarų Lietuvoje keitėsi muzikavimo katalikų laidotuvėse tradicija XX-XXI a. sandūroje. Daroma ir patvirtinama prielaida, kad muzikavimo katalikų laidotuvėse gyvybingumo priežastis – muzikantų gebėjimas laikantis vietos tradicijų, prisitaikant prie kintančių sąlygų muzikavimo forma atliepti žmonių poreikius. [Iš leidinio]Reikšminiai žodžiai: Katalikų laidotuvės; Muzikantai; Muzikantai, katalikų laidotuvės, tradicijos kaita, Vakarų; Tradicijos kaita; Vakarų; Catholic funerals; Musicians; Musicians, catholic funerals, tradition changes, West Lithuania; Tradition changes; West Lithuania.

ENBand of a few wind instruments (brass) has been the element characteristic of the funeral rites’ customs of Catholics in western Lithuania since the sixth decade of 20th C. When tracing the history of playing music at Catholic funerals, we can distinguish four generations of musicians. The traditional ones, belonging to the first generation, would chant or perform Kalvarijos kalnai in the form of dialogue together with the leading chanter. The musicians of the second generation recorded and preserved local chants and the melodies of Kalvarijos kalnai, which they would perform. The musicians of the third generation still take part at Catholic funerals with the intention to maintain the long-standing musical traditions. The changes of the tradition at the turn of 20th-21st CC. were predetermined by the needs of the time: musicians started chanting themselves, their number in a group diminished, they started using other instruments at the wake and would silently perform the rites’ customs in the room where the corpse was laid, also, the time of chanting at the wake was shortened. The characteristic feature of the ensembles belonging to the fourth generation is professional performance allowing the choice of the client. The tradition of playing wind instruments at Catholic funerals, started in the sixth decade of the 20th C. and continued nowadays/ until the beginning of the 21st C. has been preserved due to the efforts of both musicians and clients: the initiative of the former and the means of the latter.Thus, the change of the tradition is predetermined, on the one hand, by the possibilities of musicians, and on the other hand, by the requests of clients. The vitality of the tradition depends on the balance and agreement between the two parts. At the beginning of the 21st C. in the centre of western Lithuania, they pay attention to the tradition of rites’ customs, while in bigger cities and on the outskirts, also, in the company of young people they emphasize professional performance and aesthetics. [From the publication]