| Abstract [eng] |
The professional Soviet estrada (stage music) was able to use the privileges of the official national cultural monopoly; however, it had to pay a price to the ideological censorship over the creative freedom. Amateurish music, operating on the margins of the official culture, could breath more freely under the wing of professional unions; however, the lesser attention of the controlling institutions transformed it into a cultural centre of alternative youth music. The constant public ideological conflict with the Western music, disregard of the amateur artists, inability to satisfy the musical needs of the youth determined the rise of the underground music: music enthusiasts and employees of the state culture sector created the alternative illegal concert economy and a semi-legal organizational infrastructure. The spread of the underground music was correlated with the movements of music lovers and disco goers, as well as with the network of the Magnitizdat. Because of the increased tension of the Cold War and the changes of the leaders of the USSR in the end of 1983, a disciplinary campaign against estrada and amateurish music was initiated. It was carried out in two directions: 1) legal-administrative: to eliminate financial infringements in the concert organizations; to halter amateur vocal and instrumental ensembles (VIA) performing illegally, thus stealing profit from the national philharmonics; and to eliminate the Magnitizdat; 2) ideological: tightened repertoire requirements and instructions provided for the VIA music, dress-code and stage culture. Even though loss could not be avoided during the 1983–1984 campaign (a couple of philharmonic ensembles, amateur bands and discos were disbanded), generally, its influence on the Soviet Lithuanian music stage was minimal. |
