The songs my father sang

Paulius Rutenis (Rutkauskas)

19 March 1919 – 28 August 1983

Singer, soloist, actor, director, journalist.

A man who was seen on and off stage in Adelaide, Melbourne and later Sydney.

He was born in Liepaja, Latvia, to Lithuanian parents who travelled there to work.  When he was around three years old, the family returned to Lithuania.  His father loved to sing and would encourage the whole family to sing together.  They would open the windows and hear the applause from their neighbours.  His father was tenor, his brother was a strong bass, his mother an alto and sister soprano, in a word, a full choir.  Friends, all singers would gather and sing, Lithuanian folk songs in their home.

 Paulius finished Kaunas Aušros boys school and then studied at Vytautas Didžiojo University.  He became a soloist with the Kaunas National theatre.  In 1943 he moved to Vienna where he studied at the Theatre Wissenshaft, then the following year moved to Austria where he joined the Innsbruck Opera. He then moved to Stuttgart where he sang on radio and would perform for Lithuanians in Displaced Persons Camps.  He was able to sing in five languages.

 Migrating to Australia, he arrived in Adelaide having traveled on the General Black on 3 June 1948.  He was sent to work on the railways at Peterborough, South Australia.  While in Peterborough he gave a concert at the Peterborough Town Hall with two other Baltic artists, a classical ballet dancer from the Berlin Wintergarten, Borys Schinkow, and Stasys Liaksas, piano  accordionist formerly of the American Army Officers' Club band.

 He actively involved himself in the Adelaide Lithuanian community and local music scene.  He could often be heard singing on the radio.  He organised the Lithuanian theatre group, where he acted and directed numerous plays.  He studied at the University of Adelaide for two years, leaving to move to Melbourne.  From 1966 he joined the Australian Opera where he had minor roles and sang in the Opera Choir. He retired in 1981.

In 1977 he moved to Sydney and joined the Sydney theatre group, Atžala where he acted and directed plays.  Shortly before his death, he formed the Sydney Lithuanian women’s ensemble Sutartinė. He commenced teaching them the songs he had learnt as a child from his father, long forgotten folk songs.

References

Australijos Lietuvis December 6^th 1948 Nr.7

The Argus Thu 17 Jun 1948, page 3,  Three Baltic artists to give concert

Adelaide Lithuanian Theatre Group

I have posted before on the theatre group, but from 1956, this post should go before that one.

Adelaide Theatre group

Lithuanian theatre in Australia began in Adelaide in March 1949 on the initiative of Paulius Rūtenis and Elena Danienė, when they formed a Lithuanian theatre appreciation group. That same year in August the group was strengthened by including Povilas Kanas a theatre director and administrator and decorator Aleksandras Marčiulionis.  The group called themselves “Adelaidės Lietuvių Teatro Mylėtojų Grupė” (Adelaide Lithuanian Theatre Lovers Group).  

The group’s first spectacular was in September 1949, “Pirmas skambutis” (first bell) by Genecke Koolen.  Directed by Rūtenis it attracted about 450 spectators.  

That year the group comprised of Elena Danienė, L. Giniotytė, Sofija Kanienė, Paulius Rūtenis (Director), Vitalius Ancevičius, Henrikas Butvila, Antanas Černius, Algis Gutis, Leonas Karmazinas, Viktoras Ratkevičius, Nikodemas Skidzevičius, Bronius Bakšinskas, Bronius Rainys and Algimantas Petrikas. 

After two further performances of ‘the first bell’ on 2 and 3rd June, 1950, for Lithuanian National Day on 8 September 1950 “Paslaptingoje Zonoje’ (Secret zone) about fight for freedom by Laucius.  Directed by E. Daniene.

25 November 1950 “Sudrūmstaja Ramybėje”( troubled peace) by P. Vačiunas. Director E. Danienė, decorations Marčiulionis.  Attendance 400.  At that time Eddie Taparauskas joined the group.  

1951 January 19 and 20th, the group took the performance of the first bell and troubled peace to Melbourne where over 1000 people watched.

In March 1951 the group approached Juozas Gučius, Lithuanian National radio announcer and director.  At this time the name changed to ‘Lietuviu Teatras Studija’.  Further members joined, Genovaitė  Matulevičienė,  Zita Petkunaitė, Zenonas Kučinskas, Aldefas Trinka, Virginijus Užubalis, Paulius Stimburys and O. Pridotkaite.  

In November 1951, Povilas Kanas finished as theatre administrator, replaced by Leonas Žygas.

Friends of Lithuanian Minor Adelaide Branch

Adelaide Mažosios Lietuvos Bičiulių Draugijos

Lithuania Minor is a historical ethnographic region of Prussia, later East Prussia in Germany, where Prussian Lithuanians or Lietuvininkai lived.  Lithuania Minor enclosed the northern part of this province and got its name due to the territory's substantial Lithuanian-speaking population. Today a small portion of Lithuania Minor is within the borders of modern Lithuania and Poland while most of the territory is part of the Kaliningrad Oblast of Russia. 

On 25 January 1953, over 200 people gathered in the Excelsior hall in Adelaide for a Klaipėda region commemoration.  The event was to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Klaipėda Revolt. The region was detached from the East Prussia of the German Empire by the Treaty of Versailles and became a mandate of the League of Nations.  It was placed under provisional French administration until a more permanent solution could be worked out. Lithuania wanted to unite with the region (part of Lithuania Minor) due to its large Lithuanian-speaking minority of Prussian Lithuanians and major port of Klaipėda – the only viable access to the Baltic Sea for Lithuania.  The Lithuanians organized and staged the revolt. The rebels established a pro-Lithuanian administration, which petitioned to unite with Lithuania citing the right of self-determination.  The League of Nations accepted the fait accompli and the Klaipėda Region was transferred as an autonomous territory to the Republic of Lithuania on February 17, 1923.  After prolonged negotiations a formal international agreement, the Klaipėda Convention, was signed in May 1924. The convention formally acknowledged Lithuania's sovereignty in the region and outlined its extensive legislative, judicial, administrative, and financial autonomy. The region remained part of Lithuania until March 1939 when it was transferred to Nazi Germany after the German ultimatum.

The commemoration began with Dorothy Oldham playing the Australian and Klaipėda region national anthem.  The event was opened by the Friends of Lithuania Minor president Valentinas Zalkauskas.  He honoured those who had died for Lithuania and the Klaipeda regions freedom. Mr Reinke gave a speech which was followed by a concert.  Eglė Rūkštelienė and Paulius Rūtenis sang a folk song.  They have a flair for interpreting songs and their song choice was very apt.  The songs beautifully showed their love of their homeland.  They sang ‘Sėdžiu prie langelio’ (Sitting by a window) and ‘Giedu giesmelę’ (I sing a song).

Adelaide theatre student Kučinskas gave an impressive recital of Prosčiunaitės “Vėjai iš rytų’ (wind from the east).

Dorothy Oldham was an outstanding Adelaide pianists, she is not Lithuanian but would often play piano for members of the community. 

Paulius Rutenis

Singer Paulius Rutenis on November 6th 1948 gave his first large concert which was heard by several dozen Adelaidians. He sang an assortment of English, German and Italian songs and opera arias as well as three Lithuanian songs “Tamsioj naktelej”, “Da nepaketinau” and “Pamylejaų vakar”. Those gathered enjoyed the concert so much they asked for an encore. On Novemebr 27th Rutenis gave a concert in Kangaroo Island.

Australijos Lietuvis December 6th 1948 Nr.7

RUTKAUSKAS Paulius arrived in Melbourne on the General W M Black on the 27 April 1948He is also known as RUTENIS.

Independence Day 1949

The first Lithuanian Independence day commemorated in Adelaide was held on the 19th of February, 1949. It was held at the St Ksavero Cathedral, where a mass was given by Father Reardon. An eleven man choir led by organist A Giniotis sang Lithuanian hymns.

The commemorations moved to the Cathedral hall where A. Šliužas spoke in English about Lithuania to their Australian guests. Further performances by violinist Pranas Matiukas and singer P. Rutenis were performed as well as three dances by the National Folk Dancing group. Accordionist V. Čepauskas performed and J. Pareigis conducted the men’s choir singing four folk songs.

For many Australians this may have been the first time they experienced aspects of Lithuanian culture and after this event many more followed. Matiukas and Rutenis were asked to perform on radio, the dancing group began receiving invitations to perform at concerts, in hospitals and many different organizations.

Metrastis I (Australian Lithuanian Year Book)