GALICIAN MUSIC SOCIETY IN LVIV IN MEASURING OF PUBLIC PRESTIGE

Abstract

In the nineteenth century, belonging to one or another singing, musical, artistic society was not only pleasant and useful for spiritual development or aesthetic education – it defined the person who was part of such an association, moreover – of its board, as a representative of the intelligentsia or higher social spheres, distinguished among others generally. Among the numerous functions of musical societies in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, quite a place occupied the function of «public prestige». This metaphor indicates that participation in musical societies not only developed and enriched spiritually, but was also sufficiently honored, pointing to the proper level of culture, education, and the interests of the individual. For Lviv society, that in the nineteenth century still suffered from a somewhat disgraceful attitude of the Viennese metropolis to the province, that was annexed to the Habsburg Empire only at the end of the 18th century, any mean of elevating its socio-cultural significance was seen as over important. If for Lviv aristocrats such as Potoccy, Rzewuscy, Sapiehi, Szymonowiczowie, Baworoscy and others, participation in musical societies was so prestigious as to allow them to show themselves as creatively gifted patrons, then for the intelligentsia there was an opportunity to show itself as a fully developed personality and to impose contacts with representatives of the aristocracy, which was also very prestigious. For merchants and industrialists, music societies gave the opportunity to expand the circle of acquaintances and expand the range of intellectual and spiritual interests. For all the participants, musical societies became a place of creative self-affirmation – and, therefore, prestige. One of the most important aspects of each Society is the rank of its members. Since the founding of the GMS in 1838, they were divided into two main categories: «helping» and «active [current] members», which were the executive body of the GMS. At the beginning of activities, they were the financial backbone of the Society. On the size of their annual contributions depended the execution of many serious musical works, the payment of full-time functionaries (artistic director, teachers, support staff, etc.), as well as rent and maintenance of premises. Each of the Statutes accurately determines the amount of annual and other contributions, as well as the consequences for violators of financial discipline. Among the helping members were mostly those who took a high position in Galician society – aristocrats, directors of various institutions, heads and officials of the judiciary, police, the Galician administration, intellectuals: university, polytechnics and gymnasiums professors, law doctors (these were in majority), doctors, musicians, who at all times represented the majority of the active members. Helping members, besides a one-time monthly contribution, sometimes assigned significant amounts to GMS development. These contributions comprised a fund that was supposed to cover the costs associated with the purchase of instruments, notes and their transcription, for the lease of premises, for rehearsals and concerts, for the remuneration of the work of the librarian, archivist, etc. Often, heritage and donations were recorded in favor of the Society, which, together with other grants, increased the base capital, which allowed to begin construction of its own premises later. Mostly from the aristocrats and helping members of the Society, the protectors and chairmen of the GMS were elected. The recognition of GMS at the highest state level guaranteed the protectorate of Galicia governor (who was always a representative of the ruling Habsburg dynasty) and membership in its governing bodies of the supreme authority representatives. By the example of the highest rank officials, their subordinates were enrolling as the helping members, who, in the vast majority, as well as their superiors, together with family members, were filling the concert halls during the exercises, rehearsals and concerts of the current members of the Society.