Laiko ir stiliaus ženklai Balio Dvariono operoje „Dalia“
Signs of style in Balys Dvarionas’ opera “Dalia”

Summary/Abstract: During the sixth decade of the 20th century – the period that was historically complicated for the Lithuanian musical culture – an intensification in Lithuanian scenic music is obvious, as some new operas of Lithuanian composers were staged one after another. Every direction has its own history marked by the ideological considerations and creative compromises. Therefore, the signs of that time could be found in every opera staged during the period. Especially expressively they unfold in the opera “Dalia” by B. Dvarionas. Its authors, composer Balys Dvarionas and librettist Jonas Mackonis, were under the sway of the cultural and historical situation, and were pressed to revise, expurgate the opera so that the work would be approved and could reach the stage. Eventually, the opera matched most of the requirements of the Soviet ideologists: a heroic-historic libretto was created, which reflected the moment of fight; the folk fighters are portrayed, and the members of nobility and clergy are cartooned.As the sign of that time, the musical stylistics by itself could be approached. “Dalia” continues the tradition of romantic operas, its musical speech is essentially romantic and the influence of Russian composers is appreciable in it, which was eminently desirable by the Soviet ideologists at that time. The opera is full of intense, memorisable melodies, the heroic and lyrical spring intermingles in its music, and all this relates with the publicly propagated stylistics of social realism.Nevertheless, most of these components can be treated as signs of the composer’s style. The universally declared demand of “coherent to people” music, which was compensated by citation of folk melodies in the works of many composers, offered no creative problems to B. Dvarionas. The style of this composer is essentially romantic and abundantly predicated on the intonations of Lithuanian folk music. This is reflected in the opera music as well. The other features of B. Dvarionas’ style such as melodiousness, kaleidoscopicality, episodicality and an excellent knowledge of orchestral colours are also reflected in it.Repleted with the signs of the time and style, the opera “Dalia” was staged several times (two times at the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre in 1959 and 2004) and was filmed in a television movie in 1985. Therefore, we can analyse the reception of this creation and the peculiarities of its artistical mistakes in the nowadays’ environment. The latter direction, which attained an incisive evaluation of reviewers, encourages to question the realization peculiarities of such type of creations on the stage. In a creation, inevitably signs of various times, different ideologies and styles interlace, therefore it is hardly purposeful to update or somehow modify it. It is treated as a representative sign of the sixth decade of the 20th century in Lithuanian music stylistics and in B. Dvarionas’ creative style.

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