S. Kymantaitė-Čiurlioniene

Sofija Čiurlionienė née Kymantaitė (13 March 1886 – 1 December 1958) was a Lithuanian writer, educator, and activist.

After studies at girls' gymnasiums in Saint Petersburg and Riga, she studied philosophy, literature, art history at the Higher Courses for Women and Jagiellonian University. She returned to Lithuania in 1907 and joined the cultural life of Vilnius. In January 1909, she married painter and composer Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, but he died in April 1911 leaving her with an infant daughter. Until the start of World War I, she taught Lithuanian language and literature at teachers' courses established by the Saulė Society in Kaunas. She lectured at the Vytautas Magnus University from 1925 to her retirement in 1938. Čiurlionienė was also active in public life – she was a delegate to the Assembly of the League of Nations in 1929–1931 and 1935–1938, leader of the Lithuanian girl scouts in 1930–1936, an active participant in various women's organizations, including the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and the Lithuanian Women's Council. During World War II, she helped save Jews from the Kovno Ghetto and was recognized as Righteous Among the Nations in 1991.

In her essays on art and literature, influenced by ideas of fin de siècle and Young Poland movements, she criticized realism and supported symbolism. However, some of her own literary works are good examples of realism. Her most popular works are theater plays, in particular comedies Pinigėliai (Money; 1919) and Vilos puošmena (Decoration of a Villa; 1932). She also wrote dramas, plays for school theaters, poems. Most of her novels explore the Lithuanian press ban and the Lithuanian National Revival.

Birth and Death Data: Born January 1, 1888 (Joniškis), Died December 1, 1958 (Kaunas)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1928

Roles Represented in DAHR: author

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

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BVE-47594 10-in. 10/3/1928 Knygnešys Stasys Pilka Monologue, unaccompanied author  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Kymantaitė-Čiurlionienė, S.," accessed April 17, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104508.

Kymantaitė-Čiurlionienė, S.. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 17, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104508.

"Kymantaitė-Čiurlionienė, S.." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 17 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104508

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