From the Correspondence of Musicologist Ona Narbutienė: Letters from Composer Jeronimas Kačinskas

Abstract

This paper deals with studies into the personal archive of the musicologist Ona Narbutienė (1930–2007), including a number of previously unpublished documents. Narbutienė’s musicological heritage, which has been little investigated so far, consists of books, articles, lectures, radio and TV shows, musical evenings, texts for record sleeves and CD inlays as well as the conceptual framework, the programme, and texts for the International Thomas Mann Festival in Nida. Within the context of this heritage, her lessons and lectures stand out for their special role in shaping the views, attitudes, and professional choices of the musicologists of the younger generation. The evidence of all these activities can be found in Narbutienė’s private archive compiled over many years and thus displaying the content of great historical and musicological value. The paper examines Narbutienė’s musicological interests as revealed in her personal correspondence and their relationship to certain professional imperatives. Narrative, interview, historical-analytical, and empirical research methods were employed in this study.