[THE PSEUDONYM NOT CHOSEN BY THE POETS THEMSELVES (REGARDING THE LYRICS FOR TWO SOLO SONGS BY JĀNIS IVANOVS)]

Abstract

The article The Pseudonym Not Chosen by the Poets Themselves (Regarding the Lyrics for Two Solo Songs by Jānis Ivanovs) focuses on the publication of Ivanovs’ songs for voice and piano from 1959, Latgales līdumos (On the Plains of Latgale) and Manas dzimtenes pusē (In My Native Land).2 The publication mentions the author of the lyrics as being A. Eglājs, which could seem to indicate Augusts Eglājs, a poet who was, like Ivanovs, from Latgale. However, Ventis Zilberts’ research concludes that two different poets are hidden behind this pseudonym: Andrejs Eglītis and Kārlis Baltpurviņš, both of whom fled from Latvia as refugees at the end of the Second World War, shortly before the second Soviet occupation. The publication of songs with these men listed as the authors of the lyrics would not have been possible during the Soviet period in Latvia, as evidenced by the memoirs of musicologist Oļģerts Grāvītis delivered to Zilberts (Grāvītis participated in the editing of the above-mentioned 1959 publication). The article is a testimony to the means by which Soviet-era musicians and music publishers sought to avoid unofficial ideological censorship.