ABOUT LITERATURE AND MUSIC MUSEUM
Short history
The beginnings of Literature and Music Museum (RMM) in Latvia should be linked to 1925 when teacher of sciences Jānis Greste founded – as he called it – Pedagogical Museum at Teachers Union. In this museum, separate displays, traditionally known as corners of writers, were arranged to honour the most famous Latvian writers. During 85 years the museum has undergone several reorganisations and structural changes with tendency to grow and incorporate different collections: including those of literature, theatre and music. For about 50 years it was a large union of memorial houses devoted to a range of writers. The latest reorganisation in 2009 has resulted in more simple and recognizable establishment – Literature and Music Museum.
RMM has its mission formulated as “to convince the modern people that interpretation of literature and music history is useful and profitable when trying to understand the contemporary reality”.
Within frame of this goal RMM is striving to develop and improve it enormous collection of original documents and objects covering history of literature, theatre, music and the related aspects of cinema, art, photo and sound and video records (altogether more than 8 000 000 items).
RMM is especially proud of the recognition given to its collection by UNESCO programme World Memory – Rainis and Aspazija Correspondence (collection of letters exchanged by two outstanding Latvian poets) was enlisted in the National Register of World Memory. 
EXHIBITIONS
The Great Little Song Festival
Exhibition is devoted to Latvian School Youth Song and Dance Festival that is often called ‘the little song festival’ compared to ‘the big one’ which is the nickname to Nationwide Song and Dance Festival. The school festival takes place for the 10th time and celebrates its 50th anniversary.
UNESCO has honoured the X festival by including it on the list of 2010-2011 world holidays to mark, which shows the great importance of the event in the canvas of human culture.
The exhibition addresses mainly the memories of the people: those who used to be school children and took part in the festival as dancers, singers, winders etc. So that the flavour of the week spent in the capital, where the festival takes place, is vivid in the display, it starts with a school sport hall as children from the regions usually are hosted in Riga schools. The environment of having possibility to spent nights out of home, stay together with coevals for a week – it is another part of the award attributed to the youngsters next to the official trophies gained for the victory in competitions organised as drafts before the festival.
As human memories rarely follow the chronology, the display features each festival of the ten not through the official data of the festival organised by the government, but seeking to name the emotional peak of each year. Be it heavy rain or kindergarten toddlers taking part, singing together with the national superstars or necessity to move a concert due to unplugged electricity in circumstances of the economical crisis – none is too minute to create the history. Surely, as many of the festivals took place during the Soviet occupation, the exhibition also touches the attempts to politicize the youth festival in order to direct the children minds in the right bed.
Exhibition of Musical Instruments
Abundantly decorated and expensive, or outwardly undistinguished but crafted with incredible skill and imagination – all about two hundred objects displayed in Musical Instruments in Latvia are invaluable artifacts of the time period. This features a unique collection of musical instruments that offer a glimpse into the history of instrument construction in Latvia. Alongside professionally made and performed musical instruments (pianos, organs, harmoniums, strings, winds, and percussion instruments), one will also find instruments (trejdeksnis or jingle stick, bells, strings, and wind instruments) that were made by resourceful amateur musicians for their own pleasure. The display also shows mechanical musical instruments (music boxes, organ grinders, pianolas), various interesting sound recording devices and players (gramophones, phonographs), and different storage mediums – everything from wax music rolls to LPs and CDs.
Room of Baumaņu Kārlis
This exhibition is devoted to a unique piano that used to belong to the author of Latvia anthem God, bless Latvia! (Dievs, svētī Latviju!) – to composer and poet Baumaņu Kārlis. It tells a story of the time when an independent Latvia was just a far dream, but the song to be chosen as the anthem about 30 years later on, had already been written.
The exhibition explains the importance of songs and music in developing and guarding national self-confidence during the periods of occupations as Song Festivals were nearly the only possibility to gather and express oneself in the native language. The room also gives a short insight into the history of censorship in a great deal affecting the biography of the national anthem.
Room of Gretchen
Gretchen as a heroine of Goethe’s tragedy Faust has given a title to this display as motives of the world-known story were so important and popular to composers of the 19th century. Romanticism, music and brilliant musicians met in Riga proving it a centre of music life.
In the 19th century, by diligence in the beginning and by train from the middle of the centenary on, travelling was getting faster and faster, which provided the Rigans with performances of the world famous musicians of the time period. The number and the quality shown by the guests was a new and astounding phenomenon in the 19th century Riga. Conductor Hector Berlioz, pianist Ferenz List, violinist Ole Borneman Bull, conductor Richard Wagner, aesthete Robert Schumann, along with his wife and pianist Clara Wieck Schumann, violinist Pablo Sarasate – all the mentioned highly significant composers as well – this is but a short list of those having come by in our Riga.
At that time Riga was the second biggest piano building city after St. Petersburg. There were about 80 piano builders. The craft of piano building was clearly prospering. This was the time where a saying ‘In jedem Haus ein Kliperkasten’ (In German: No house without a piano) came from.
The 19th century Riga heard the art of sounds created both by amateurs and dilettantes, and remarkably talented guests making their way through our city to St. Petersburg. Riga and its people learned music through their very direct experience.
Room of Folk Music (Room of Players)
This exhibition introduces those idiophones (music instruments creating sound primarily by way of the instrument vibrating itself, without the use of strings or membranes), percussion, wind and string instruments that have been of the most importance in Latvian traditional music. Along with the reconstructions of the instruments used in the turn of 19th and 20th centuries, the display also characterizes the modern trends of folk and world music in Latvia.
How to find us?
Postal address:
Pils laukums 2, Riga, Latvia, LV-1050
The museum is situated in Old City of Riga, very opposite to the President Castle (Riga Castle). Just follow the logotype of RMM – a splash of ink scattering letters and notes.
How to contact us?
| Information and booking | komunikacija@rmm.lv
(+371) 67227782 |
| Director | ilze.knoka@rmm.lv
(+371) 67216430 |
Opening hours
Wednesday 1:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Thursday – Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Tickets
| Exhibition | 1 LVL |
| Guided tour (per person)
(English, Russian) BOOKING REQUIRED |
3 LVL |
| Family ticket
(1-2 adults and 1-4 children up to age of 16) |
2 LVL |
