Jānis Cimze (3 July/21 June 1814 — 22 October/10 October 1881) was a Latvian

pedagogue Pedagogy (), most commonly understood as the approach to teaching, is the theory and practice of learning, and how this process influences, and is influenced by, the social, political and psychological development of learners. Pedagogy, taken a ...

, collector and harmoniser of folk songs,

organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists. In addition, an organist may accompany congregational h ...

, founder of Latvian

choral music A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which s ...

and initiator of professional Latvian music. He is buried at the Lugaži Cemetery.

Early life

Cimze was born at the Rauna Manor's Cimze dairy farm (hoflage) in the family of a manor's dairy farm overseer Andreas (Ansis) Cimze and his wife Anne as the first child of 8 for his parents. His initial education came from Rauna Parish School where he also learned to play the organ. From the age of sixteen he worked as a private tutor; later he was a teacher at Valmiera Parish School and an organist.

Education

In 1836 Cimze went to Germany to study at Weissenfels Teachers' Seminary which he finished in 1838. This was where he learned to play the violin and piano and improved his skills as an organist. In 1838—39 he was an external student at

Berlin University Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (german: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a German public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin. It was established by Frederick William III on the initiative o ...

where he attended lectures on mathematics,

didactics A didactic method ( el, διδάσκειν ''didáskein'', "to teach") is a teaching method that follows a consistent scientific approach or educational style to present information to students. The didactic method of instruction is often contr ...

and the theory of music. His music professor was Ludwig Christian Erk, a collector, harmoniser, publisher and researcher of German folk songs.

Vidzeme Teachers' Seminary

Upon returning from Germany, from 1839 and to the end of his life, Cimze headed Vidzeme Teachers' Seminary where he taught future teachers the conducting of choirs and harmonisation of folk songs. Cimze followed the principles of

Johann Pestalozzi Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (, ; 12 January 1746 – 17 February 1827) was a Swiss pedagogue and educational reformer who exemplified Romanticism in his approach. He founded several educational institutions both in German- and French-speaking r ...

and

Adolph Diesterweg Friedrich Adolph Wilhelm Diesterweg (29 October 1790 in Siegen7 July 1866 in Berlin) was a German educator, thinker, and progressive liberal politician, who campaigned for the secularization of schools. He is said to be precursory to the reform ...

and all education was conducted in German. During his forty-two years of work at the Teachers' Seminary Cimze educated more than four hundred students who subsequently became Latvian and Estonian teachers. Being a teacher in the 19th century meant being also an educator, a musician, a literary and public figure. In the second half of the 19th century teachers organised choirs and worked with them and cultural societies.

Musical legacy

Jānis Cimze promoted the development of Latvian choral singing and the cultivation of '' a cappella'' performance. His collection of songs for choirs "''Dziesmu rota''" (''A Garland of Songs'') was published in eight parts in 1872–84. This first ever professional collection of songs for choirs in Latvia formed the foundation of Latvian choir culture. Parts II (1872), III (1874), IV (1875) and VII (1884) of "''Dziesmu rota''", which go under the title of "''Lauku puķes''" (''Wild Flowers''), are the first collections of Latvian folk songs arrangements and represent a number of folk song genres: songs of seasons and family customs, work songs, farewell songs of recruits and conscripts, songs of orphans as well as songs for games and lullabies. Jānis Cimze was the first prominent Latvian figure in music, whose example inspired extensive collection, publishing, arrangement and research of folk music. It fostered the development of the choir-singing movement and the creation of new original compositions. Thanks to the activities of Cimze and his students, the first All-Estonian (1869) and All-Latvian (1873) Song Festivals were held. Cimze was among those who conceived the idea of the event, while his student and associate Indriķis Zīle was one of the chief conductors at the Song Festival. The programme of the Song Festival included several arrangements of folk songs by Cimze and his brother Dāvid. Cimze's German sentiments surfaced as he compared the three brothers making the dowry-chest for their sister in the song "'' Rīga dimd''" (''Riga resounds'') to the German nobility, the Lutheran Church and the German Riga. For this he was severely criticised by Atis Kronvalds.

References

Sources

External links

Jānis Cimze at the Latvian Music Information Center
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cimze, Janis 1814 births 1881 deaths People from Smiltene Municipality People from Kreis Wenden Latvian composers Latvian educators Latvian musicians Latvian folk music Composers from the Russian Empire Educators from the Russian Empire Musicians from the Russian Empire 19th-century composers 19th-century Latvian educators 19th-century Latvian people