Tsiuri Beridze

Independet Researcher

ORCID:

a.chulukhadze@ug.edu.ge

Historical honours of Joseph Ratil instead of Georgian culture and in the musical knowledge of Georgian people
Abstract
In the second half of the 19th century, many famous Wroclaw stars shone on the opera stages of the world and Europe. Among them was Joseph Navratil (stage name-Ratil) -1840-1912-eminent Czech, singer-tenor. He sang in concerts in many countries. In 1880, Joseph Ratil with the St. Petersburg Marine Theater opera group traveled to Georgia to tour the Tbilisi Treasury Theater. At Tiflis (Tbilisi) Opera House, Joseph Ratil made a name for himself as a universal tenor, as he performed leading, first-rate plays in every opera. Ratil fascinated Georgian society and established great respect and love in Georgia.
Ratil himself was fascinated by the traditions of Georgian culture around him. He was greatly influenced not only by the beautiful nature and Georgian hospitality but also by the environment in which he found himself. In this environment, he got acquainted with prominent Georgian writers, poets, public figures, who introduced Ratil to the rich history, folklore and traditions of Georgia. After studying all this in depth, Joseph Ratil was convinced that he had to continue his life and work in Georgia and decided to make the most of the culture of this fabulous country, devoting his talent, knowledge and experience to the future of Georgia.
Joseph Ratil decided to stay in Georgia, brought a family of five children from the Czech Republic and settled in Georgia, to which he dedicated 32 years from 72 years his life and called it his second motherland.
Ratil was personally known to famous Georgian writers and public figures of the second half of the XIX century: Ilia Chavchavadze, Akaki Tsereteli, Paliashvili brothers, Niko Sulkhanishvili, Philemon Koridze, Sandro and Mikheil Kavsadze, Alexander Kazbegi, Sophrom Mgaloblishvili, Valeri Mesaloshvili, Valeri M. Balanchivadze, Zakaria Chkhikvadze, Lado Aghniashvili, who had a great influence on Joseph Ratil when they met together and discussed current issues of Georgia’s future. Joseph Ratil also took an active part in these discussions, whose clever views on the state and prospects of Georgian music were fully shared by his Georgian friends and colleagues. They were comrades.
Joseph Ratil was one of the first to record up to 40 Georgian folk songs in different parts of Georgia and thus saved them from oblivion. He then taught these songs to the choir and held a concert with them. In different cities and villages of Georgia, as well as outside the borders of Georgia (in the North Caucasus).
Joseph Ratil fell in love with Georgian folk songs so much that he himself performed with the choir dressed in Georgian costumes, which suited him very well, and his operatic voice and Georgian benevolence aroused great admiration and modest respect among the listeners. This is evidenced by the responses in the pages of magazines and roads of the time, which gave high praise to such a great love and appreciation of Ratil Georgian folklore. These responses came from the entrails of the people, from different parts of Georgia, where the Ratili team took them to concerts and for distribution.
Joseph Ratil worked in Aghniashvili’s team in 1885-1888, and in the second half of 1889 he formed a new, independent “Ratili team” (partnership) and continued his creative work in this direction, which shows his patriotic attitude, and devotion to Georgian folklore.
The pedagogical activity of Josef Ratil in the field of raising musical staff in Georgia is noteworthy. Here, too, he made a great contribution. The future legislators of Georgian professional music passed the school of his pedagogical mastery: Ivane and Zakaria Paliashvili, Ia Kargareteli, and brothers Kavsadze. His student was world-famous opera singer Vano Sarajishvili.
Ratil reluctantly shared his knowledge and experience with Georgian musicians and composers, giving them useful business and professional recommendations on the creation of Georgian opera (eg.: Z. Paliashvili’s opera “Absalom and Ether”). His advice was always taken with great care, as Georgian musicians greatly appreciated his talent, deep knowledge, including compositional skills, deep access to Georgian folklore, and his great contribution to Georgian musical culture and education.
The merit of Joseph Ratil is remembered and appreciated in Georgia, both in his era and today. This is evidenced by the facts, responses in the press and in the media to the gratitude of the great Czech singer and supporter of Georgian culture Josef Ratil (1840-1912) and the Georgian people.
Keywords: Ratil, Georgian folk song, Georgian opera, Georgian music