Mikas Petrauskas

Mikas Petrauskas (1873–1937) was a Lithuanian composer and choirmaster best known as the author of the first Lithuanian opera Birutė (1906). He was an elder brother of the singer Kipras Petrauskas.

Petrauskas learned to play church organ from his father and began working as an organist at the age of 15. He worked in Labanoras, Obeliai, and Hierviaty before enrolling at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory in 1901. As a student, he wrote and staged the first Lithuanian operettas. In 1905, he moved to Vilnius where he became leader of the choir of Kanklės of Vilnius Society and staged his opera Birutė in 1906. Trouble with the Tsarist police forced him to leave the Russian Empire first for Switzerland and then for the United States. There he organized various concerts and theater performances, opened a music school, and established and led choirs and other performing groups among Lithuanian Americans. He organized and led Birutė choir in Chicago and Gabija choir in Boston. Both choirs continued to perform until 1950s. His music school operated from 1910 to 1924 and had up to 130 students per year. By his own estimate, during the first 17 years in the United States, he taught music and singing to some 4,000 people. He returned to Lithuania in 1930 and died in 1937.

Petrauskas works include two operas, 19 operettas, and about 200 songs.

Birth and Death Data: Born October 13, 1873 (Palūšė), Died March 26, 1937 (Kaunas)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1913 - 1928

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, tenor vocal, arranger

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 51-75 of 76 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia 44957 10-in. approximately January 1917 Ilgu, ilgu, man ant svieto Mikas Petrauskas Male vocal solo vocalist, tenor vocal, composer  
Columbia 44958 10-in. approximately January 1917 Kur tas šaltinėlis Mikas Petrauskas Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal, composer  
Columbia 44959 10-in. approximately January 1917 Suktinis Mikas Petrauskas Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal, composer  
Columbia 44960 10-in. approximately January 1917 Prirodino seni žmonės man jaunam mergelę Mikas Petrauskas Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal, composer  
Columbia 44961 10-in. approximately January 1917 Valia, valuze Mikas Petrauskas Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Columbia 58957 10-in. approximately October 1917 Vai kad as isjojau Mikas Petrauskas Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, tenor vocal, composer  
Columbia 58958 10-in. either 1917 or 1918 Šią, naktelę per naktelę Mikas Petrauskas Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal, composer  
Columbia 58959 10-in. approximately October 1917 Atėjo ziemelė Mikas Petrauskas Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, tenor vocal, composer  
Columbia 58960 10-in. either 1917 or 1918 Ant kalno karklai siubavo Mikas Petrauskas Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal, composer  
Columbia 58961 10-in. approximately October 1917 Sią nedėlėlę Mikas Petrauskas Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, tenor vocal, composer  
Columbia 58965 10-in. approximately October 1917 Jau kad as augau Mikas Petrauskas Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, tenor vocal, composer  
Columbia 58966 10-in. approximately October 1917 Eisiu, mamei pasakysiu Mikas Petrauskas Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, tenor vocal, composer  
Columbia 58967 10-in. approximately October 1917 Bernuzėli nesvoliok Mikas Petrauskas Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, tenor vocal, composer  
Columbia 85108 10-in. approximately April 1919 Mielaširdystė Mikas Petrauskas Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Columbia 85109 10-in. approximately May 1919 Pavasaryj Mikas Petrauskas Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Columbia 85110 10-in. approximately May 1919 Piemenėlis Mikas Petrauskas Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Columbia 85111 10-in. approximately April 1919 Vai verčia-laužo Mikas Petrauskas Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Columbia 85112 10-in. approximately April 1919 Spraglių daina Mikas Petrauskas Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
Columbia 85113 10-in. approximately April 1919 Strazdelis Mikas Petrauskas Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, tenor vocal  
OKeh 8443 10-in. July 1923 Mazas mano yra stonas Kastas Sabonis Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
OKeh S-71099 10-in. Dec. 1922 Ant kalno karklai siubavo Operetés Choro Kvartetas Mixed vocal quartet, with orchestra composer  
OKeh S-71608 10-in. 6/7/1923 Ant kalno karklai siubavo Operetés Choro Kvartetas Mixed vocal quartet, with orchestra composer  
OKeh W400676 10-in. 5/16/1928 Saulelé raudona Joseph Bobrovich Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Edison 10734 10-in. 12/22/1925 Skamba kankliah ir trimintai Jouzas Suildauskas Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Edison 10735 10-in. 12/22/1925 Prirodino seni zmones Jouzas Suildauskas Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
(Results 51-75 of 76 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Petrauskas, Mikas," accessed April 25, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109981.

Petrauskas, Mikas. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 25, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109981.

"Petrauskas, Mikas." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 25 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109981

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