Opening Ceremony 1

The presentation examines the symbolism of various types of archaic Lithuanian traditional creation and provides insights into the therapeutic effects of polyphonic singing, sashes ornamentation and ritual choreography.
The name of Lithuanian polyphonic songs sutartinės is derived from the verb sutarti “to agree”, associated with the harmony of the music and the singers themselves. The sutartinė is born thanks to the high spiritual concentration of all the singers. Musical harmony is based on the sounding of dissonant intervals and the “beating” of voices. Concord is not only about creating harmony of sounding, but also about cosmic harmony. The sutartinės are characterized by a cyclical concept of time. The uninterrupted flow of music and the repetition of onomatopoeic words immerse performers and listeners in a meditation.

The sashes are an element of folk costume; a customary gift and apotrope. Their decoration has a great variety of pattern type variants and combinations, including specific constantly changing multi-patterned ornaments which are one of the most sophisticated ornamental systems. The universal features of this ornament are evident in parallels with musical composing in Čiurlionis' paintings. The mathematical, harmonious structure of ornament is linked with systemic thinking, evolutionary logic and sacred geometry. The exploring of ornament makes you concentrate, calm down and develops patience. The folk names of the signs expand the understanding of the visual-poetic-mythological integrity of the world elements.
Ritual choreography can be divided into two groups in accordance with the meaning of movements: the first group is associated with the power of harmony and vitality; the second expresses the opposition of two different forces, the process of transformation. Each group reflects a different state. The main choreographic symbol of the first group is a circle, supplemented by other choreographic motives such as spinning cross, spiral, up and down movements, clapping hands, coupling of participants, turnings, etc. The second group is characterized by the opposite movement and by some ordeal actions. In most rituals the first group is a dominating group, and the second group is typically concentrated only to the rites of transformation, but their ends are often marked by the first group – thus restoring the state of mental balance and spiritual harmony.

Daiva Raciunaite-Vyciniene (1962), PhD (habil.) of Musicology, Professor. The head of the department of Ethnomusicology at Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. D. Raciunaite-Vyciniene published numerous scientific articles, presented reports at conferences in Lithuania and abroad. She is the author of books: “Sutartinių atlikimo tradicijos. The Traditions of Performing the Sutartinės” (2000); “Sutartinės. Lithuanian Polyphonic Songs” (2002); “Sutartinių audos. ‘Woven sutartinės” (2018). D. Raciunaite-Vyciniene is the singer and leader of sutartinės performers group “Trys keturiose” and organizer of International Folklore Festival „Skamba skamba kankliai”.
Scientific interests: sutartinės; European polyphony; traditional singing in contemporary culture; ethno linguistics; world-view.

Recent publications:
1. Daiva Raciunaite-Vyciniene. Sutartinių audos. ‘Woven sutartinės.’ Mokslo monografija. Vilnius: Lietuvos muzikos ir teatro akademija, 2018. 600 p.
2. Daiva Raciunaite-Vyciniene. Sound Instrumentation in Lithuanian Multipart Music Practice: The Relationship between the Individual and the Collective in Music-Making Processes. In: European Voices III: The Instrumentation and Instrumentalization of Sound. Local Multipart Music Practices in Europe. Ardian Ahmedaja, comp. [CD-ROM with 65 audio and 32 video examples included]. Wien: Böhlau Verlag, 2017. P. 161–182.
3. Daiva Raciunaite-Vyciniene. Relics of Lithuanian Polymusic: An Analysis of Three Cases. Res Musica, 12, 2020. P. 39–73.
4. Daiva Raciunaite-Vyciniene. Illusion of monophonic melodies in Lithuanian traditional instrumental polyphonic compositions: notation and perception of sound. In: The Ninth International Symposium on Traditional Polyphony, Proceedings, 23 October – 3 November, 2018, Tbilisi Vano Sarajishvili State Conservatoire. Tsurtsumia, Rusudan, and Jordania, Joseph, Editors. Tbilisi: International Research Center for Traditional Polyphony of Tbilisi Vano Sarajishvili State Conservatoire, 2019. P. 465–481.
5. Daiva Raciunaite-Vyciniene. Today's Singing Tradition of Lithuanian Polyphonic Songs Sutartinės: Relations of Western and Eastern Cultures. In: Проблеми етномузикології / Problems of Music Ethnology. Vol 14. Kiev: Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine, 2019. P. 77–85.

Vytautas TUMĖNAS

Vytautas TUMĖNAS (1965). After the graduation from Vilnius Academy of Arts (art history, theory and criticism) he worked at the National Folk Culture Center at the department of Folk Art (1988 – 1991). Since 1990 he works at the dept. of Ethnology and Anthropology of the Lithuanian Institute of History; 1998 PhD in Humanities at the Vytautas Magnus University and LIH. Vice-Chairmen of the Lithuanian Folk culture Safeguarding Council by Lithuanian Parliament (2009 – 2016). Scientific interests: ornamental and visual signs of the Lithuanian identity, folk art symbolism and mythology. Publications include 5 monographs and studies; 60 scientific articles in journals and books, including: Lietuvių tradicinių rinktinių juostų ornamentas: tipologija ir semantika, Lietuvos etnologija, T. 9 [The Ornament of Lithuanian Traditional Sashes] (2002); Šiuolaikinė lietuvių tautodailė=Lithuanian Contemporary Folk Art (2007); Folk Art in Punskas – Seinai Region (2007); Zarasų krašto gyvieji tradiciniai amatai. I dalis [Living traditional crafts in Zarasai region] (2009).

Recent publications:
1. Čiurlionio dailės muzikalumo ir liaudies tekstilės ornamentikos tradicijos paralelės, Estetikos ir meno filosofijos tyrinėjimai: Čiurlionis ir pasaulis [The Paralels Between Čiurlionis art musicality and the Ornament Tradition of Lithuanian Folk Textile, Studies of Aesthetics and Art Philosophy: Čiurlionis and the World], Vol. VI. Vilnius: Lietuvos kultūros tyrimų institutas, 2019, p. 306-332.
2. Signs of Morning Star Aušrinė in the Baltic Tradition: Regional and Intercultural Features, Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry. 2018, Vol. 18, No. 4, p. 379 – 388.
3. Lietuvių kalviškųjų „saulučių“ simboliai skirtybių ir bendrybių priešpriešos lauke [A Sun-like Cross Symbols of the Lithuanian Smithery in the Field of Confrontation of Cultural Differences and Commonalities], Logos, 2017, Nr. 93, p. 109 – 116; Lietuvių kalviškųjų „saulučių“ simboliai skirtybių ir bendrybių priešpriešos lauke, Logos, 2017, Nr. 93, p. 109 – 116.
4. The Common Attributes Between the Baltic Thunder God Perkūnas and his Antique Equivalents Jupiter and Zeus, Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry. 2016, Vol. 16, No 4, p. 359 – 367.

5. Baltų ir slavų tekstilės geometrinių raštų pavadinimų ir pavidalų (formos) bendrybės [Commonalities of names and forms of the Baltic and Slavic textile geometric patterns], T. Civjan, M. Zavjalova, A. Judžentis (sud. ir red.), Baltai ir slavai: dvasinių kultūrų sankirtos / сост. и ред. Т. В. Цивьян, М. В. Завьялова и А. Юджентис, Балты и славяне: пересечения духовных культур [Balts and Slavs: Intersections of Intangible Cultures]. Vilnius: Versmė, 2014, p. 384-402.

Dalia URBANAVIČIENĖ