THE IMAGE OF ODYSSEUS IN THE BALLAD OF HANS SOMMERTHE SOMMER
O.A. Kubasova, E.V. Pankina
Abstract. TThe article is devoted to the interpretation of the image of Odysseus in the eponymous vocal ballad by the German composer Hans Sommer (1837–1922) to poems by Felix Dahn (1834–1912). Both Sommer and Dahn, who belonged to the university environment by their professional occupation and who were active in public life on a large scale, at the same time realized their intellectual quests in artistic creation. Sommer's turn to Dahn's poetry resulted in several vocal compositions, including the ballad “Odysseus”, which belongs to the genre of orchestral songs. The orchestral and piano versions of this work, which is being considered for the first time, are the material for the study of this work. Dana's ballad consists of four quatrains; its musical form is derived from the poetic form – strophic and, at the same time, transversal. The change of sections is marked by changes in thematic material, texture, dynamics and tonal plan. In the quite traditional composition of the orchestra, the parts of wind instruments and harp are emphasized, performing special functions in the formation of the images of Odysseus and the sea voyage. The instrumental plan of the ballad is characterized by vivid sound-imagery (the strings of the lyre, the waves of the sea, heroic cries, signals, fanfares and the mountain peaks of Ithaca). The vocal part gravitates towards declamatory intonation with features of improvisation. Sommer's ballad traces the Romantic interpretation of this genre as a lyrical and epic narrative, combining it with pictorial picturesqueness and the composer's deep intellectual immersion in the imagery of Dahn's poem.
Keywords: Hans Sommer, Felix Dahn, ballade, Odysseus, Homer
Conflict of interest. The authors declare the absence of conflict of interests.
For citation: Kubasova, O.A., Pankina, E.V (2024), “The image of Odysseus in the ballad of Hans Sommer”, Journal of Musical Science, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 9–18. DOI: 10.24412/2308-1031-2024-3-9-18.
TROMBONE PARTS IN BEETHOVEN'S SOLEMN MASS: HISTORY OF CREATION AND STYLISTIC INFLUENCES
Zhang Songao
Abstract. Numerous studies devoted to L. van Beethoven's work rarely focus on the problems of orchestral writing, in particular, on the analysis of trombone parts in symphonic and vocal-choral works. The article highlights the important moments of the creation of the Missa Solemnis, the features of the composer’s work on the trombone parts, their editing in the process of repeated rewriting and preparation for publication. The practice, widespread in Beethoven's time, of placing trombone parts in separate appendices to the score led to the loss of their autographs. The composer introduced them again when the main score was completed and rewritten, which created confusion and discrepancies in the trombone parts. The latest critical edition of the mass (2000) allows us to examine the final edition verified by the composer, demonstrating the expanded role of the trombones. Analysis of representative episodes of trombone parts in the mass leads to the conclusion about Beethoven’s commitment to the tradition of Austrian church music – in general, and about the musical and stylistic influence of W. Mozart’s Requiem – in particular. In addition to the noted elements of similarity in the interpretation of the trombone by Mozart and Beethoven, documentary evidence is provided confirming Beethoven’s careful study of Mozart’s Requiem. At the same time, the examined examples of the score demonstrate the progressiveness of Beethoven’s late style, using trombones not only to increase volume, but also as an indispensable tool for timbre dramaturgy.
Keywords: Beethoven, Mozart, Missa solemnis, Requiem, trombone, orchestral part, Viennese sacred music
Conflict of interest. The author declares the absence of conflict of interests.
For citation: Zhang Songao (2024), “Trombone parts in Beethoven's Solemn Mass: history of creation and stylistic influences”, Journal of Musical Science, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 19–31. DOI: 10.24412/2308-1031-2024-3-19-31.
QUARTET AS A TYPE OF ENSEMBLE MUSIC-MAKING
G.A. Demeshko, K.S. Khrapov
Abstract. This topic was chosen for study because of at least two main reasons. Firstly, the history of the quartet genre in the 20th–21st centuries is understudied compared to other classic genres. Secondly, as a rule, musicologist focus their attention on either compositional principles of quartet or the style of authors’ employment of its musical expressive means. The article is aimed at studying quartet from the perspective of ensemble musicmaking. Quartet is essentially represented by specific character of statements made by instruments as its voices, with each of the instruments both performing a solo part and being a part of the ensemble at the same time. The grounds for development of quarter music-making were formed during the era of polyphonic instrumentalism and definitively established in the creations of Viennese classics. This very characteristic of quartet proved to be the most stable in time that allows it to be considered as a basic attribute of the genre. The article emphasizes that the principles of ensemble music-making determine the characteristics of the quartet music score and, above all, the polyphonic organization of ensemble. However, the main difference between quartet and other types of instrumentalism might be its ability not only to communicate with listeners but also to establish communication between musicians. To focus on this quartet characteristic, the authors use the term “autocommunication". One of the main trends of the genre renewal, among others, is the search for new expressiveness of voices and new expressive forms of ensemble dialogue.
Keywords: quartet, quartet polyphony, quartet ensemble, ensemble music-making, genre archetype, equal
proportion of voices, autocommunication, dialogue
Conflict of interest. The authors declare the absence of conflict of interests.
For citation: Demeshko, G.A., Khrapov, K.S. (2024), “Quartet as a type of ensemble music-making”, Journal of Musical Science, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 32–39. DOI: 10.24412/2308-1031-2024-3-32-39.
ROMANCES, ОP. 38 BY S.V. RACHMANINOFF AS A CYCLE OF VOCAL MINIATURES
M.V. Utkina
Abstract. The purpose of the article is to identify in the Romances, op. 38 by S.V. Rachmaninoff, the relationship of vocal miniatures, which provides characteristic signs of cycle in the structure and dramaturgy of the vocal collection. The author discovers a commonality of tonal, intonation-thematic components, an original solution to the composition of the opus as a whole. The arguments and tables demonstrating the comparison of the figurative characteristics, tempos, and tonalities of the neighboring romances of the opus are proposed, aimed at identifying in their interrelations the features inherent in various musical genres and forms: the ancient instrumental suite, three-part and sonata forms, and the symphonic cycle. Referring to the opinions of well-known musicologists, the author of the article notes: in a mixed form, the synthesis of various structural principles can comprehensively and more richly express an artistic idea. As a result of the work, the conclusion is formulated: the multivariate picture of the interpretation of structure and drama, with its multiplicity of views on one phenomenon, the presence of interrelation of phenomena and universal unity allow us to consider this opus as an integral form with a single idea. This approach demonstrates the importance of the performer's analytical work on the opus, contributing to a more accurate understanding and embodiment of the composer's ideas, deepening interpretative thinking.
Keywords: chamber and vocal works of S.V. Rachmaninoff, Marietta Shaginyan, poems for voice and piano, vocal collection, vocal cycle
Conflict of interest. The author declares the absence of conflict of interests.
For citation: Utkina, M.V. (2024), “Romances, оp. 38 by S.V. Rachmaninoff as a cycle of vocal miniatures”, Journal of Musical Science, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 40–50. DOI: 10.24412/2308-1031-2024-3-40-50.
ON NEO-ROMANTIC TRENDS IN THE CLARINET CONCERTO AND PIANO TRIO BY B.I. TISHCHENKO
G.P. Ovsyankina
Abstract. The article is devoted to the characterization of the Clarinet Concerto and Piano Trio by Boris Ivanovich Tishchenko (1939–2010). The work has hardly attracted the attention of researchers yet, although it was created in 1990. It is considered in the aspect of neo-romantic trends – one of the iconic trends in music at the turn of the century. The connection with neo-romanticism is largely due to the musical content of the work. The history of its creation is revealed, the connection with deeply personal children's memories, which gives the images the features of lyricism and confession a typical semantic component of romanticism. The romantic is also manifested in the choice of means of musical expressiveness, among which the beauty of melodic thematism dominates, the personification of timbres, transforming the chamber performing composition into a trusting polylogue of four heroes. However, this did not prevent the manifestation of many innovative features in the drama of the threepart cycle, and in its compositional solutions, and in saturation with polyphonic structures. It is emphasized that due to circumstances, the performing composition of the Concert is addressed to O. Messian's Quartet at the End of Time. However, Tishchenko interprets it from the point of view of the concept in his own way, writing that the quartet is "at the beginning of life". The work stands apart among Tishchenko's instrumental concerts and embodies one of the style trends of Russian music in recent decades.
Keywords: neo-romanticism, traditions of Schubert, Brahms, lyrical confession, free individualized forms, personification of timbres
Conflict of interest. The author declares the absence of conflict of interests.
For citation: Ovsyankina, G.P. (2024), “On neo-romantic trends in the Clarinet Concerto and piano trio by B.I. Tishchenko”, Journal of Musical Science, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 51–57. DOI: 10.24412/2308-1031-2024-3-51-57.
N.Yu. Volobuev
Abstract. The article analyzes the dialogue with tradition in T. Smirnova's "Mystery Sonata" – an example of artistic stylistic play of the 1990s. The study of the author's interpretation of the genre through the identification of the features of style and the demonstration of specific techniques of composer's writing from the standpoint of the socio-cultural and musicological approach determines the purpose and novelty of the article. The range of themes and images expanded in Russian culture of the 1990s. Many attempts were made to build "new bridges" between pre-revolutionary Russian art and modern culture, to present new artistic concepts of the historical process. The feeling of a «break of eras», a sense of the catastrophic nature of current events become an important theme of statements in art. T. Smirnova chooses figure of I. Bunin as a representative of Russian culture, seeking to express in an imaginary conversation with him the feeling of a "turning historical point". Neo-romantic set of expressive resources is symptomatic for the works of academic music of the 1990s. The poem dramaturgy, the polystructural organization of the form, the appeal to the program music testify to the kinship of the composer's techniques with the principles of the Romantic era. On the other hand, the prevalence of the meditative mode, the repetitiveness, the choice of expressive means of the "music of ritual", a kind of serial principle of musical composition indicates the combination of Romantic and modern tendencies. The composer uses primarily the techniques of pianism of the Russian Silver Age: the "bell piano" sound colors and the bright pictorial textures characteristic of S. Rachmaninoff’s work, the brief textural symbols of Scriabin's mystery piano experiments, as well as the vocal interpretation of the piano, including references to Russian romance intonations and choral singing. These components of a “thesaurus” of Russian piano music transforming into recognizable symbolic themes and interacting with each other allows the composer to recreate the image of Russian culture on the threshold of a new cultural turning point.
Keywords: piano sonata, Tatyana Smirnova, neo-romanticism, poem dramaturgy, synthesis of forms, Russian piano music, bell ringing
Conflict of interest. The author declares the absence of conflict of interests.
For citation: Volobuev, N.Yu. (2024), “Sonata-Mystery for piano no. 2 by T. Smirnova in the mirror of the traditions of Russian pianism of the Silver Age”, Journal of Musical Science, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 58–69. DOI: 10.24412/2308-1031-2024-3-58-69.
“BODY THROUGH WHICH THE DREAM FLOWS”: ABOUT JOHN ADAMS' VIOLIN CONCERTO
E.A. Churilova
Abstract. The article is devoted to a relevant and little-studied topic in the work of the modern American composer, John Coolidge Adams (b. 1947) in the genre of the Violin Concerto. The author analyzes the features of Adams's musical language in the field of form, harmony, rhythm, and establishes the leading role of the polyphonic principle in the work under study. Particular attention is paid to J. Adams' innovative approaches to orchestration. Based on a sequential examination of the three parts of the Concerto, the author comes to the conclusion that the work widely uses individual Baroque idioms, modified as a result of interaction with elements of the musical language of the late 20th century. Such features of the musical outline are revealed as an appeal to minimalist principles, rehearsal, refraction through the prism of the modern composer's vision of the baroque genres of chaconne and toccata. The influence on Adams' creation of the Violin Concerto is clarified by the works of such composers as I. Pachelbel, A. Berg, S. Barber, R. Wagner, A. Copland, as well as the poetic work of R. Hess. Exploring the musical fabric of the Violin Concerto, the author turns to the literary heritage of the composer, supporting the conclusions drawn with quotations from interviews and memoirs of J. Adams.
Keywords: John Coolidge Adams, form-building, postminimalism, minimalism, Violin Concerto
Conflict of interest. The author declares the absence of conflict of interests.
For citation: Churilova, E.A. (2024), “«Body through which the dream flows»: about John Adams' Violin Concerto”, Journal of Musical Science, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 70–82. DOI: 10.24412/2308-1031-2024-3-70-82.
RUSSIAN MUSICAL IN THE CATEGORIES OF ARCHAEOMODERN
Yu.V. Antipova
Abstract. The article is devoted to the domestic musical, the specificity of which began to manifest itself already in the first experiences of familiarization with Western traditions in the late 1990s. The processes taking place in it, and the very character of the Russian musical, are explainable from the standpoint of archeomodern – a paradigm that, according to the Russian philosopher A. Dugin, is fundamental for understanding Russian society and its structure: archeomodern appears as a meeting and resistance Western and Russian ideological constants, rejection of the structures of modernity imposed from outside, the clash of «operating systems». The author proves that the Russian musical in the categories of archeomodern combines many features of modernity (approach to the genre as part of the cultural industry, show business and its technologies, appeal to current trends of the time, presentation of material in accordance with the features of «clip thinking», close connection with the traditions of light genre forms) and archaism (serious attitude to literary primary sources, appeal to non-entertaining plots, existence in the bosom of state theaters, concern for social, educational, educational, artistic significance, reduced role of external technological effects, appeal to a diverse «vocabulary» classical music, multi-element style synthesis). And if the first example of a domestic musical (“Nord Ost”, 2001) demonstrated an obvious ability for Westernization, then quite quickly Russian authors showed a special approach to the genre: resistance to management and show business technologies, reliance on the traditions of Soviet operetta, musical films of the 1970s–1980s, musical and dramatic performances, which significantly influenced all components of this genre phenomenon, synthetic in nature.
Keywords: archeomodern, Alexander Dugin, musical, Russian musical
Conflict of interest. The author declares the absence of conflict of interests.
For citation: Antipova, Yu.V. (2024), “Russian musical in the categories of archaeomodern”, Journal of Musical Science, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 83– 92. DOI: 10.24412/2308-1031-2024-3-83-92.
TOUCHES ON THREE CONCEPTS FROM MUSIC THEORY
A.P. Mentyukov
Abstract. The article discusses a range of issues related to the interpretation of three musical theoretical concepts – harmony, polyphony, mode. The relationship with a number of other terms and concepts is considered. The need for this is acutely felt not only by music science itself, but also by music education. Particular attention is paid to the reasons leading to undesirable errors of grammatical and textual order. Harmony in music is usually associated with the chord vertical (Isidore of Seville, G. Riemann), although this category covers all levels of sound relationships without exception. The work proposes a method that confirms the decisive role of relationships. Polyphony means polyphony, however, this term is often incorrectly used as a synonym for counterpoint (E. Kurt). This can be seen thanks to the tradition that has developed in domestic practice of calling the counterpoint course polyphony (S. Skrebkov, V. Protopopov, etc.). The article makes an assumption as to what is causing this renaming. Serious difficulties arise with the use of the word “mode” in Russian music theory (M. Rezvoy, B. Yavorsky, Yu. Tyulin, Yu. Kholopov). The reason is that the word used as a specialized term coincides in meaning with the concept of harmony of Greek origin. To substantiate the above questions, documentary materials, numerous references to sources, as well as selective information on musical acoustics are used. According to the author, the problem of musical terminology requires special research.
Keywords: terminology, language, history, harmony, vertical, horizontal, polyphony, counterpoint, mode, melody, synonymy, metaphor
Conflict of interest. The author declares the absence of conflict of interests.
For citation: Mentyukov, A.P. (2024), “Touches on three concepts from music theory”, Journal of Musical Science, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 93–108. DOI: 10.24412/2308-1031-2024-3-93-108.
SOMAESTHETIC MARKERS IN MUSICAL TEXT: PROBLEM STATEMENT
T.A. Kornelyuk
Abstract. The article raises the issue of interaction between two types of research reflection: analytical and interpretative. The somaesthetic approach, which studies the bodily aspect in sensory and aesthetic experience, is considered to be of an interpretative type and is positioned as offering new opportunities for understanding musical art. The dual nature of corporeality and its understanding – the body as a subject / the body as an object – gives rise to diverse contexts of somaesthetic reflection in the research activities of philosophers and art critics. The purpose of the article is to propose a hypothesis about three somaesthetic markers in musical texts. The first marker is the interrupted harmonic sequence; the second – intertextual processes of musical thematicism; the third is the phenomenon of non-classical types of mirror symmetry. The interrupted harmonic sequence is seen as a symbol of reflection. The possibility of somaesthetic understanding of intertextuality is explained by the assumption that allusions and quotations in musical texts are associated not only with composers’ rational logic, but also with his/her irrational and sensible experiences. In such cases, the texts not only bear visible similarity (graphic embodiment of the texts), but are also characterized by similar experiences of composers, coinciding in something that does not have a graphic embodiment, is invisible. The somaesthetic aspect of mirror symmetry is associated in the article with the phenomenon of “inner speech”, the ideas of psychoregulation and ordering. In substantiating the third somaesthetic marker, the author relies on the ideas of M.M. Bakhtin about the author expressing himself for himself, the text as an expression of consciousness. Somaesthetic markers are defined by the author of the article as meaning-concentrated zones of a musical text, through which the author’s bodily feelings and sensory experiences open up for perception and study. Using the example of somaesthetic markers discussed in the article, the author identifies non-verbal concepts of tension, heaviness and folding associated with the bodily-perceptual level of musical texts.
Keywords: musicology, somaesthetics, physicality, R. Shusterman, V.V. Nalimov, interrupted cadence, intertextuality, Weltschmerz, mirror symmetry, interpretative type of research reflection
Conflict of interest. The author declares the absence of conflict of interests.
For citation: Kornelyuk, T.A. (2024), “Somaesthetic markers in musical text: problem statement”, Journal of Musical Science, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 109–120. DOI: 10.24412/2308-1031-2024-3-109-120.
N.Yu. Katonova
Abstract. The four-handed keyboard duet on one and / or two keyboard instruments is a unique performing tradition in European musical culture. Developing non-linearly in the context of the formation of organ and keyboard art, the duet type of performance at its very genesis manifested itself in various musical genres without forming a stable tradition at this stage. The earliest known pieces labelled "for two to play" date from the second half of the sixteenth to the beginning of the seventeenth century, and belong to the greatest representatives of the English school of composition: J. Farneby, N. Carleton, T. Tomkins and J. Bull. The small corpus of works intended for playing for two at one and two claviers, preserved in manuscript (”My Ladye Nevells Book”, “Fitzwilliam Virginal Book”) and early printed collections of keyboard literature (“Parthenia or the Maydenhead of the first music that was ever printed for the Virginalls”), includes arrangements of consort music, arrangements of popular songs and parts of the mass, variations on the theme of cantus planus and so on. The article explores the context of the emergence of four-handed practice and reviews the array of resources in comparison with the data contained in catalogues and monographs devoted to the history of the keyboard duet published in the second half of the twentieth century in order to expand and clarify the list of the earliest pieces intended for two performers and to draw a more complete picture of the genre genesis of piano-duet art.
Keywords: Virginal school, keyboard duets, duet of two Virginalists, four-handed practice, English keyboard school
Conflict of interest. The author declares the absence of conflict of interests.
For citation: Katonova, N.Yu. (2024), “The first keyboard duets: origins and context of the emergence of fourhanded practice in keyboard art”, Journal of Musical Science, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 121–131. DOI: 10.24412/2308-1031-2024-3-121-131.
ON CONDUCTING AND INTERPRETATIVE APPROACHES TO THE PERFORMANCE OF L. VAN BEETHOVEN'S FIRST SYMPHONY
Qu Xin, O.A. Yuferova
Abstract. At conducting practice the first symphony of L. van Beethoven is very popular. It performed by different conductors – famous and beginners. During two centuries the first symphony sounds in a different countries of the world and since the end of the twentieth century – in China. At the same time in the scientific works there are no information about the conducting of this composition. That determines the relevance of this article. The purpose of this article is to identify the features of the conductor's performance of L. van Beethoven's First symphony. The authors are consider two tasks. The first is links with the issue of a pace, and the second is related with the conductor’s work in its orchestra. It is noted that the selection by conductor of optimal speed values for this symphonic cycle is necessary to ensure the integrity, unity of this composition, for comfortable listener’s perception. The conductor and orchestra are interconnected components of a single performing act. The orchestra leader needs to work on the sound quality, the feeling of the ensemble and the overall balance of the sound. If there are no author's instructions in the score, the conductor can make his own performance additions and adjustments. Moreover, they can be justified only for the correction the author's intention.
Keywords: conductor, pace, symphony, orchestra, L. van Beethoven
Conflict of interest. The authors declare the absence of conflict of interests.
For citation: Qu Xin, Yuferova, O.A. (2024), “On conducting and interpretative approaches to the performance of L. van Beethoven's First Symphony”, Journal of Musical Science, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 132–139. DOI: 10.24412/2308-1031-2024-3-132-139.
PERFORMING ACTIVITIES OF RUSSIAN EMIGRANTS IN CHINA: HISTORY OF THE FIRST QUARTET ENSEMBLES
Wang Zhang
Abstract. Over the course of more than a century of Chinese history, the Russian diaspora, which formed at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, has always occupied a special position and was distinguished by great activity in the field of culture and art. It was thanks to visiting musicians from the Russian Empire that the Russian musical heritage began to spread and popularize in China. In recent years, more and more studies have appeared in Chinese academic circles on the musical culture of the first Russian emigrants, namely performance, pedagogical activity, cultural integration, manifestations of national identity and many other aspects. As an important representative of Russian musical culture, the string quartet genre also appeared in China, primarily in the north of the country, thanks to Russian emigrants. It was they who created the tradition of quartet performance in Harbin and other cities of the country. The article is devoted to the study of the formation of the first quartet ensembles, their repertoire preferences and first public performances. The author uses a large amount of factual material dedicated to the first decades of the twentieth century in the cultural history of China, which gives the study historical and practical value.
Keywords: Russian diaspora, string quartets, music schools in China, musical enclave, CER
Conflict of interest. The author declares the absence of conflict of interests.
For citation: Wang Zhang (2024), “Performing activities of Russian emigrants in China: history of the first quartet ensembles”, Journal of Musical Science, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 140–147. DOI: 10.24412/2308-1031-2024-3-140-147.
L.I. Appazova
Abstract. The article focuses on the implementation of the traditions of the genre of Uzek classical song art, characteristic of the Fergana Valley region and Tashkent katta ashula, in the chamber and vocal works of modern composers of Uzbekistan Kamil Kenzhaev (b. 1939) and Oydin Abdullaeva (b. 1976). The purpose and objectives of the article are to identify and disclose the musical features of the katta ashula genre in the romances “Bitta uzim bilaman...” (“I alone know...”), “Rozimasman” (“I disagree”) by K. Kenzhaeva, “Nur misoli” (“Ray of light”), “Khizhron kunlarida” (“In the days of separation”) by O. Abdullayeva. Each of these works is a high artistic example of the implementation of katta ashul traditions in modern romance. Based on the use of a comparative method of analyzing these works, the author of the article identified the features of the katta ashula genre, which were clearly manifested at various levels: close connection with the primordial traditions of the people, the figurative world of the poetic text and its interpretation, techniques of phase musical development, improvisation, ornamentation and melodiousness vocal melody, the use of subtle vibrations and melisma decorations. In the process of considering the romances of K. Kenzhaev and O. Abdullaeva, the individual approaches of composers to the interpretation of the features of the katta ashula genre and the search for an organic synthesis with modern trends in the development of musical thought are revealed. The author of the article summarizes the research experience of analytical observations on the development of Uzbek romance at the turn of the 20th – 21st centuries and comes to the conclusion about the significance of the revival of national spiritual values in the progressive development of the musical culture of Uzbekistan.
Keywords: romance, katta ashula, tradition, intonation, image, high register, genre, sound world, style, singing, expressiveness, volume of breathing, poetic word, improvisation
Conflict of interest. The author declares the absence of conflict of interests.
For citation: Appazova, L.I. (2024), “Implementation of the traditions of katta ashula in the romances of composers of Uzbekistan (on the example of the works of Kamil Kenzhaev and Oydin Abdullaeva)”, Journal of Musical Science, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 148–155. DOI: 10.24412/2308-1031-2024-3-148-155.
THE GENRE OF THE "FOLK CONCERT" IN THE WORKS OF CHINESE COMPOSERS
Zhang Cheng
Abstract. The article considers the genre of instrumental concert in China called "folk concert" from the historical and cultural positions. Its peculiarity is an appeal to traditional instrumentation – a Chinese folk instrument acts as a soloist. Nowadays "folk concerto" is one of the most popular genres in the works of national composers in China, as it unites the traditions of Western and Eastern musical cultures most successfully. The article reveals the peculiarities of the genre's development in the context of the modern stage of Chinese musical culture. After decades of tireless search, Chinese composers came to realize the special importance of the national instrumentation. In this context, erhu and guzheng, which have become peculiar symbols of the country's national culture, have gained great popularity among Chinese composers and performers. The article makes numerous references to works by contemporary Chinese composers, which most vividly embody the principles of the new type of concert genre. "Folk concerto" has demonstrated stability in the context of synthesizing elements of Chinese and Western European music, which has provided fertile ground for young Chinese national composers to search for their own authorial style.
Keywords: folk concert, traditional Chinese instruments, guzheng and erhu, typology of concert genre, types of symphonic development
Conflict of interest. The author declares the absence of conflict of interests.
For citation: Zhang Cheng (2024), “The genre of the «folk concert» in the works of Chinese composers”, Journal of Musical Science, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 156–163. DOI: 10.24412/2308-1031-2024-3-156-163.
“CHANGSHA”: THREE SONGS BASED ON MAO ZEDONG’S POEM
Pan Tongwei
Abstract. Mao Zedong is known not only as a prominent political figure, but also as an extraordinary poet. Mao's poetry is distinguished by deep ideological and artistic content, lyricism of images, strength of heroism and love for the homeland. It combines ancient Chinese traditions of poetry with innovative ideas and techniques. The article addresses the topic of Mao Zedong's poem "Changsha" and its musical embodiment in the songs of Li Jiefu, Meng Yong and Zhan Maohua. The poem, filled with philosophical ideas of freedom, power and the fate of humanity, inspired the artist Lee Kezhan to create a series of paintings based on one line, "Look, thousands of mountains are covered with forests painted red". Composing music to Mao's poems became a fashionable trend during his leadership of the People's Republic of China. Over the years, songs and large-scale choral works by Li Jiefu, Tian Feng, He Luting, Yang Ke, Lu Yuan, Shen Yawei, Meng Yong, Zhan Maohua and many others were based on his poems. The poem "Changsha" served as the basis for three composers to create songs of different genres and characters – the song in a folk style, lyrical song and mass revolutionary song. The article analyzes the presented songs and draws conclusions about the artistic and expressive means that different composers use to embody the images of one poem.
Keywords: Mao Zedong, Li Jiefu, Meng Yong, Zhan Maohua, Lee Kezhan, Chinese vocal music, songs based on Mao Zedong’s poems, Changsha
Conflict of interest. The authors declare the absence of conflict of interests.
For citation: Pan Tongwei (2024), “«Changsha»: three songs based on Mao Zedong’s poem”, Journal of Musical Science, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 164–172. DOI: 10.24412/2308-1031-2024-3-164-172.
LITTLE-KNOWN PAGES OF WU ZUQIANG'S VOCAL WORK
Zhao Yun
Abstract. For the first time, the article examines, from historical, social, genre and semantic perspectives, the chamber vocal compositions of the classic of the Chinese school of composition, the authoritative teacher and musicologist Wu Zuqiang (1927–2022), which are actually unexplored by Russian musicology. The personification of the composer's small-scale song heritage in the context of his biographical data (studies at the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory, ideological, semantic and genre positions projected on a difficult period in the history of musical culture of the People's Republic of China (1950–1960s)), helps to determine the place of song heritage Zuqiang has a huge array of contemporary Chinese compositional products. A review of the few articles devoted to Wu Zuqiang's songs, published in Chinese scientific journalism, revealed a stable vector of evaluation of his work in his homeland that had developed by the XXI century: patriotism, aesthetic perfection of verbal text, beauty of melos, sharpness of shaping, soil of origins and impeccable mastery of the genre palette of the era. Immersion in the figurative-textual and musically expressive elements of Wu Zuqiang's patriotic and revolutionary songs made it possible to determine the reasons for their amazing longevity in the musical, educational and performing spheres of the country's academic musical practice, and their representativeness on the modern concert stage of China.
Keywords: Wu Zuqiang, genres of Chinese song composition, art song, patriotic song
Conflict of interest. The author declares the absence of conflict of interests.
For citation: Zhao Yun (2024), “Little-known pages of Wu Zuqiang's vocal work”, Journal of Musical Science, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 173–183. DOI: 10.24412/2308-1031-2024-3-173-183.
A.N. Zimina
Abstract. The article is in line with the issues related to the visualization of non-stage music. The author focuses on two performances: "St John Passion" by J. S. Bach (Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris, 2007) and "Adam’s passion" by A. Pärt (Tallinn, Estonia, 2015). The productions were performed by the American director Robert Wilson, whose works since the 60s of the XX century began to attract the attention of the public all over the world and havea significant influence on the formation of the image of the modern theater. He has developed an individual and original handwriting of his directorial vision, which is characteristic of all his theatrical works. This is determined by the reliance on the structures of simple movement and plasticity, the solution of the stage space, a special way of using time, light and color, symbols and the unusual make-up. The article pays special attention to the personality of Robert Wilson and the study of the phenomenon of visualization, in line with which theater critics study his directorial style. It is emphasized that the productions of "St John Passion" and "Adam’s passion" are not only vivid examples of visualization of a musical text that is not intended for stage embodiment, but also demonstrate the features of Robert Wilson's directorial theater.
Keywords: St John Passion, Adam’s passion, visual theater, visualization of non-stage music, Robert Wilson
Conflict of interest. The author declares the absence of conflict of interests.
For citation: Zimina, A.N. (2024), “«St John’s Passion» by J.S. Bach and «Adam’s Passion» by A. Pärt: on the problem of visualization of non-stage music”, Journal of Musical Science, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 184–193. DOI: 10.24412/2308-1031-2024-3-184-193.
IDEAS OF SCANDINAVIANISM IN THE ARTISTIC CULTURE OF DENMARK HALF OF THE FIRST 19th CENTURY
E.A. Khoniakina
Abstract. In the first half of the 19th century, active processes of formation of national identity took place in Denmark. One of the great ideological trends of the Golden Age period was Scandinavianism, associated with the socio-political and cultural unity of the three Scandinavian countries – Denmark, Norway and Sweden. In modern scientific literature, a substantive description of Scandinavianism in Denmark in the 19th century is presented mainly in historical works, while its artistic coverage remains on the sidelines. This article aims to partially fill this gap. The points of view of foreign and domestic scientists about Scandinavism are introduced into scientific use, the prerequisites for the emergence of Scandinavism, the stages of development and its implementation in the artistic culture of Denmark in the first half of the 19th century are considered. Attention is focused on the main areas of embodiment of the ideas of Scandinavianism – literature and music. In particular, turning to national ancient poetic sources is typical for the work of A.G. Oehlenschläger, E. Tegner, P.G. Ling, A.A. Afzelius, activities of V.H.F. Abrahamson, K.L. Rahbek, R. Nyerup, A.P. Berggreen is associated with the collection and publication of Scandinavian folk poetry. Created by H.C. Andersen in 1839, the poem “I am a Scandinavian,” recognized as the anthem of Scandinavism, formed the basis for the choral works of J.K. Gebauer and O. Lindblad, which became widespread in Scandinavia. In conclusion, a conclusion is made about the role of Scandinavianism in the formation of the artistic culture of Denmark in the first half of the 19th century.
Keywords: Danish art, Scandinavianism, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, 19th century, Danish Golden Age Conflict of interest. The author declares the absence of conflict of interests.
For citation: Khoniakina, E.A. (2024), “Ideas of Scandinavianism in the artistic culture of Denmark half of the first 19th century”, Journal of Musical Science, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 194–206. DOI: 10.24412/2308-1031-2024-3-194-206.
ON THE HISTORY OF THE CREATION OF THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
Luo Yang
Abstract. This article is devoted to the study of the history of the creation of the National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA 国家大剧院). It is an important cultural object, the construction of which was initiated by the Chinese government. The National Center for the Performing Arts reflects the expectations of three generations of Chinese national leaders in the field of cultural construction, embodies dreams of large-scale stage performances by Chinese artists and demonstrates the wisdom and diligence of the builders of the new Chinese theater. The design and construction of the National Center for the Performing Arts is undoubtedly a significant event in the history of modern Chinese theater. Almost half a century has passed since the development and appearance of the first project of the theater building in 1958 until its official commissioning in 2007. What is the reason for such a long delay in construction, and what are the prerequisites for the birth of the idea of creating a large-scale national project? The stages of the creation of the National Center for Performing Arts, which was originally conceived as the Grand National Opera House, coincided with the dramatic pages of the country's history. The process of its creation requires reflection not only in the context of the historical period of the New China, but also interpretation in the light of modern realities of the XXI century. The widespread appearance of "big theaters" in China, on the one hand, is associated with the development of musical and theatrical activities, and on the other hand, it represents the reverse side of the process, giving rise to a number of urban planning, economic and personnel problems. In modern scientific thought, these issues remain insufficiently covered. In the works written in China from 1958 to 2007, the topic of the creation of the NCPA is mentioned only briefly, without a deep dive into its history. As a leading actor of the opera house of this institution, the author relies on reference and archival materials provided to him by the Center for Artistic Information of the National Center for Performing Arts. The whole course of the research is based on the principle of historicism. As a result, the article consistently presents the history of design and construction stages. As a result, the historical prerequisites for the creation of a landmark cultural institution for China are revealed.
Keywords: Beijing National Center for the Performing Arts, New China, The Great Leap Forward, Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, Chen Ping, Paul Andreu
Conflict of interest. The author declares the absence of conflict of interests.
For citation: Luo Yang (2023), “On the history of the creation of the National Center for the Performing Arts”, Journal of Musical Science, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 207–215. DOI: 10.24412/2308-1031-2024-3-207-215.
