This article focuses on the role and fate of some outstanding and creative intellectuals-choir leaders and composers in the Movement of the Estonian Song Celebrations. The position of song celebrations and that of the creative intellectuals – choir leaders in socio-political processes are examined in this research, looking at the years before and after WWII period and the years of Soviet annexation. One of the most remarkable personalities during this period was the conductor, composer and music teacher Tuudur Vettik. The article researches the way of becoming a leader of the popular cultural movement and tries to answer a question – did Tuudur Vettik become such kind of a leader of Song Celebrations through his methodological activity or pure charisma. This paper also tries to find out what kind of circumstances helped or obstructed him on this way. The article helps to fill a gap in the research of Estonian post-WWII choral music history, since the cultural policy of the period has been studied mostly from the aspects of literature, theatre and art.
Archive sources
EAA. 1229-1-173:245 [EELC Simuna congregation birth records for 1897]; 1232-1-247:101 [EELC Väike-Maarja congregation personal records], EAA. 3585-1-92, l 105–106 [population list of Pudivere rural municipality 1885–1910].
ERAF, 130-1-6465. L 4–5 [arrest warrant No 166 of the ESSR State Security Ministry]. 18 February 1950.
ERA.R-130-1-6465. [Letters congratulating Tuudur Vettik on his 50th birthday from the Tallinn State Conservatoire and the ESSR State Philharmonics].
ETMM, M 347:1/50. L 32-37. [Letter by Tuudur Vettik to professor Jüri Variste on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Tallinn State Conservatoire in 1969] Professor KunoAreng remembers that the relations between Vettik and Variste were very bad, with both occasionally making snide remarks about each other in public.
ETMM, M 347:1/58. L 1-11. [Manuscript by Tuudur Vettik on song festival grounds and stages. “Lauluväljakud ja laululavad”], 1947.
ETMM, M 347:1/97. L 48. [Files on Tuudur Vettik]
ETMM, M 347:1/112; 116. [Tuudur Vettik’s correspondence with Roland Laasmäe and other students].
ETMM, M 347:1/155. L 18-27. [Handwritten notes on Tuudur Vettik by Mart Saar].
Interviews granted to the author – Ants Leis, 8–9 January 1988; Olev Henno, 4 March 1988; Ülo Vares, 11 October 2010; Jüri Randjärv, 16 December 2010; Kaljo Reidla, 1 May 2011; Lennart Jõela, 6 June 2011. (Author’s archive).
Photo collections in private archives.
Newspaper sources
Kapp, Artur (1931) “T. Vettiku ‘12 laulu meeskoorile’”. [T. Vettik’s 12 songs for male choirs.] Muusikaleht 11.
Karindi, Alfred (1947) “Tuudur Vettik saab 50-aastaseks”. [Tuudur Vettik’s 50th Birthday] XIII üldlaulupeo teataja [Newsletter of the 13th All-Estonian Song Celebration] 1, 18–19.
Must, Aadu (2008) “Kas Eesti väärib algupärast hümni?”. [Does Estonia deserve an original Anthem?] Postimees, 16 January.
Raud, Mart (1947) “Ühe laulu puhul”. [On Tuudur Vettik’s melody for the poem Surematus by Mart Raud.] Rahva Hääl, 5 April.
Vettik, Tuudur (1928) “IX laulupeo kontserdid”. [Concerts of the 9th Song Celebration.] Muusikaleht 6/7.
Vettik, Tuudur (1929) “Kas tunned maad?”. [Do you know the country?] Muusikaleht, 6, 11.
Vettik, Tuudur (1929) “Laulupühi, -pidusid ja -päevi kuni aastani 1869”. [Song Celebrations, festivals and fests until 1869.] Muusikaleht, 5/6, 199–206.
Vettik, Tuudur (1931). Laulupidude asjus. [On Song Celebrations] Muusikaleht, 1.
Vettik, Tuudur (1957) “Et kuulda laulu hiilgust. Teemal ‘Missugust lauluväljakut vajame?’”. [To hear the magnificence of a song. What kind of song stage do we need?] Sirp ja Vasar, 17 May.
Vettik, Tuudur (1969) “Mis on praegu teisiti?”. [What is different now?] Õhtuleht, 27 September.
References
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https://doi.org/10.7592/MT2016.63.rebas
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Vettik, Tuudur, ed. (1942) Eesti XII tänu-üldlaulupeo segakoori laulud. [Songs of the 12th Estonian Thanks giving Song Festival.] (Eesti Lauljate Liidu toimetused, 2.) Tallinn: Eesti Kirjastus.
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