Listening Journal Week #4

Title of piece: 

Lylio Lelijo

Performer(s): 

Bitula Folklore Company

Culture or Origin: 

Lithuania

Orchestration: 

Sutartine -  trejine – 3 part women’s choir

Context:

Lylio Lelijo is a Sutartine trejine (3-part vocal piece) from Lithuania.  Originally sung by women at festivals, weddings and other occasions, Lithuanian vocal music was intended to mimic the sounds of instrumental music performed by men.  The dense polyphonic lines include the harmonic dissonance of major and minor seconds.  The beats created by the dissonances are considered beautiful in this style of music and are an attempt to replicate the sound of bells.  These pieces typically include syncopated rhythms and the use of vocables in addition to poetic lyrics.

This particular performance is by a group of Lithuanian high school students who have prepared for a Sutartines competition.  Today, most Sutartines are performed for these competitions and festivals rather than as a part of daily life.

Since the performers are striving to replicate the music in an historically accurate way according to the traditions and expectations of their culture, this performance could be considered authentic under the first of Peter Kivy’s two aspects of Historical and Personal Authenticity.  I’m not sure if this music is being performed for the same reasons as originally intended by the performers, but the music is being performed in an historically accurate manner.