TRUTH DAŽU SKAISTU ZIEDU AND OTHER PAGES OF THE LATVIAN CULTURE HISTORY

Abstract

The essence of this ‘memoire paper’ finds its origin in the ideas emanating from a conference organised by Bonn University some time ago (Das immaterielle Kulturgut Musik im Spannungsfeld von ‘Lebenswelt’ und ‘Monument’ / The Intangible Cultural Asset Music in the ‘Live-World’ and ‘Monument’ Field of Tension, 2009), such as, on the place and meaning of intangible culture in the society, the subjective and individually personal component of the history of music, and the supposedly parallel version of the academic study of human and societal experience, memory, observations and oral traditions. On the remembrance culture – the collection of individual experiences, which initially functioned only within the oral tradition, later – very slowly – gradually in parallel to it also becoming materialised (notes, letters, diaries) but nevertheless remaining a marginalized, peculiar phenomenon. Also – on the different, changing and relative, when it comes to individual or even societal perception, nature of fixed truth, researched and discussed in scientific literature. In any case – in the center of attention was placed the impulse: a view on what is and was taking place from the viewpoint of the I as the satellite of the great history but perhaps also a half-deliberate source and emotionally participatory factor. Alongside a few others I picked one main route for the article – the message on the fate and metamorphosis of the well-known, everyday life song Dažu skaistu ziedu [SomePretty Flowers] in the unfolding of the Latvian culture in the course of almost a century and a half, but particularly in connection with personal, individual experience and especially – when it comes to the hypothetical, the debatable, reading between the lines – exactly what constitutes the truth: imaginary and real, personal, societal, historic and legendary… I am not writing about the scientific-investigatory aspect of it but rather the mark of the personal memory. In reality – a mosaic in miniature in which, similarly to Gidon Kremer’s Shivers of a Childhood (Kindheitssplitter, 1993) more than merely the direct existence is reflected.