Fire Hunt with Beaters

Fire Hunt with Beaters ({{lang|lt|Ugnies medžioklė su varovais}}, Hunt with Beaters for Fire) was the first Lithuanian theatre musical. Formally, its plot is a traditional love triangle, however with unexpected twists, evolving in the environment of Soviet Lithuania.[https://www.15min.lt/kultura/naujiena/kinas/miuzikle-ugnies-medziokle-su-varovais-meiles-trikampis-4-4246 Miuzikle „Ugnies medžioklė su varovais“ – meilės trikampis],27 August 2025 The music is by Giedrius Kuprevičius,Agnė Kriščiukaitytė, Beatričė Laurinavičienė,[https://www.vz.lt/archive/article/2014/2/15/ugnies-medziokle-nr-2 Ugnies medžioklė Nr. 2], February 15, 2014 the libretto is by Saulius Šaltenis (songs) and {{ill|Leonidas Jacinevičius|lt}} (prose).[https://www.rasyk.lt/rasytojai/saulius-saltenis.html Saulius Saltenis]

Lithuanian theatre critic {{ill|Audronė Girdzijauskaitė|lt}} explained the title as follows: "Fire is living human feelings, aspirations, desires. The chorus commenting on the actions and events are the beaters who help in the fire hunt".

Plot

Monika and Rolandas study together in Vilnius and have a romance. After the studies Monika was assigned to teach in a small town, while Rolandas stayed in the city.{{efn|

In the Soviet Union, the graduates of higher education were usually subject to a "distribution" ({{lang|ru|распределение}}) to work for several years in prescribed locations.

}} At the train station during the farewell they get into a quarrel, a discharged soldier Julius intervenes and Ronalndas injures his arm. Monika takes care of him and lets him live in her home. Monika expects a child from Rolandas, but agrees to marry Jonas, and after some time she starts having feelings towards him, forgetting the past. here comes Rolandas full of jealousy and demands Monika to make a decision about her feelings return. Tormented, Monika dies at the childbirth without revealing whom she actually loved. Rolandas demands the child, but Julius refuses.

History

Answering at the question how he came up with the idea of a musical, Kuprevičius said that at the time he was writing music for theatre. The play Fire Hunting seemed "too declarative, with too much pathos" to him, and he decided to soften up it with music. But gradually he got enthusiastic, and over 30 musical numbers were created. To put up a musical was unusual in the Soviet times, but Jesus Christ Superstar had already become very popular in the West, and it was encouraging.

The musical was premiered in 1974, at the drama theatre in the small Latvian town of Valmiera.[https://www.delfi.lt/veidai/muzika/senjorai-pirmieji-isgirs-ugnies-medziokle-su-varovais-5558189 Senjorai pirmieji išgirs "Ugnies medžioklę su varovais"] In 1975 the Soviet state record label Melodiya produced an LP, where the musical was titled {{lang|lt|Ugnies medžioklė}} / {{lang|ru|Загонщики огня}} ("Fire Beaters").[https://melody.su/catalog/estrade/49008/ Гедрюс Купрявичюс: Загонщики огня] The first production in Lithuania was staged by {{ill|Dalia Tamulevičiūtė|lt|Dalia Tamulevičiūtė (1940)}} in the {{ill|Lithuanian State Youth Theatre|lt|Valstybinis jaunimo teatras}}, Vilnius. It was translated into five languages: Estonian, Moldovan, Ukrainian, Russian, and Latvian.

The first trio of actors who played the main characters were Vytautas Kernagis (Rolandas), Gintarė Jautakaitė (Monika), and Arvydas Navalinskas (Julijus).

After the premiere it was played for about six years. In 2004 it was rebooted, premiering at the Vilnius Cinema Theatre Pergalė on November 30, the first time with live music, with several new songs from the composer.[https://www.delfi.lt/veidai/muzika/ugnies-medziokle-su-varovais-pirma-karta-nuskambes-gyvai-5462564 "Ugnies medžioklė su varovais" pirmą kartą nuskambės "gyvai"], November 11, 2004The instrumental parts were performed by the symphonyu orchestra and known Lithuanian rock musicians. The choir part will be performed by the youth chamber choir "Aidija" with the Vilnius Youth Orchestra.

In 2014 it was staged at the Alytus City Theatre,[https://alytausteatras.lt/spektakliai/ugnies-medziokle-su-varovais-3/ „UGNIES MEDŽIOKLĖ SU VAROVAIS“], at the Alytus City Theatre and Klaipėda "Taškas" theatre in 2019.[https://taskoteatras.lt/spektakliai/ugnies-medziokle-su-varovais/ Ugnies medžioklė su varovais], "Taškas"

The song "Kregždutės, kregždutės" ("Swallows, Swallows") from the musical gained popularity, and its cover by Andrius Mamontovas and Atlanta was voted best in 2003 at the {{ill|Bravo music awards|lt|Bravo muzikiniai apdovanojimai}}.[https://www.delfi.lt/veidai/lottery/ugnies-medziokle-su-varovais-jaunystes-himnas-meilei-pasibaiges-zaidimas-5465021 „Ugnies medžioklė su varovais“ – jaunystės himnas meilei (pasibaigęs žaidimas)], delfi.lt, November 11, 2004

Kernagis was including the song "Kaip mažas paukštukas" in his solo concerts.

Fire Hunt with Beaters

Plot

History

Notes

References

Further reading