Музыкальное искусство России начала ХХ века: Альтернатива

The aim of the study is to identify the features of the evolution of the string (bowed) quartet genre in the works of composers of the Russian avant-garde of the early 20th century. The article examines the string quartets of A. S. Lurie, N. A. Roslavets, and A. V. Mosolov created in the 1910s-1920s – one of the most complex and contradictory periods in the history of Russian music. Through the prism of embodying traditional beginnings and innovative ideas, the features of their artistic concepts, form, dramaturgy, thematicism, and instrumental means of expression are determined. It is shown that avant-garde searches and experiments enriched the figurative-semantic and emotional field of quartet music, expanded the traditional forms of sounding of a bowed ensemble, pushed the academic boundaries of the aesthetic interpretation of the genre, and outlined the prospects for its further development. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the fact that, for the first time, string quartets by composers of the Russian avant-garde are presented in the context of the evolution of the genre in Russian music of the 20th century. The research determined that in the context of a radical rethinking of classical canons, characteristic of the aesthetics of the avant-garde, the string quartet demonstrated the resilience of the genre tradition. Experiments and transformations were aimed primarily at updating the sound of an ensemble of timbre-homogeneous instruments, led to new readings of the classical model of the genre and the creation of individual genre solutions, predetermining similar processes in the quartet music of Russian composers of the last third of the 20th – early 21st centuries: S. M. Slonimsky, A. G. Schnittke, S. A. Gubaidulina.

Reviewed by: Shostakovich: A Coded Life in Music by Brian Morton Cameron Pyke Shostakovich: A Coded Life in Music. By Brian Morton. London: Haus Publishing, 2021. [220 p. ISBN 978-1-913368-43-2. £9.99] The appearance of the first paperback edition of this 2006 volume is to be welcomed. Morton presents a clear overview of the composer's life while navigating and synthesising the key contours of the considerable scholarly literature. He draws upon a broad cultural understanding: there are perceptive references, for example, to Olivier Messiaen and Arnold Schoenberg as well as to Arshile Gorky and Boris Pasternak. While the author acknowledges that he is not a musicologist, a significant number of key works are discussed in terms of their music, as well as underlying meaning: this is particularly the case with the symphonies, which Morton identifies as 'the form in which his essence as a composer would be expressed' (p. 40), acknowledging that some works are 'capacious enough to sustain any number of contradictory interpretations' (p. 46). Morton's discussions of the opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District and Symphony No. 8 are particularly sensitive. Reporting the composer's excitement at the film version of Lady Macbeth (released in 1966–1967 as Katerina Ismailova), Morton comments that it was 'as if his entire musical history were somehow embedded in that great work's narrative of cultural paucity, betrayal, defiance, violence, and imprisonment' (p. 202). In contrast, Symphony No. 8 is viewed as 'a meditation on the whole idea of symphonism … a return to the modernist experiment of the equally unloved Fourth Symphony' (p. 124). Both arguments could be extended: the sympathetically drawn Katerina re-emerges in the tragic figure of Loreley in Symphony No. 14, while the composer's wider tendency to subvert symphonic form, as in the 'problematic' Symphony No. 6 (p. 105) culminates in Symphony No. 15, in the final coda of which, as the late Alexander Ivashkin argued, symphonic syntax is itself eroded. Morton himself notes 'a steadily deepening absorption in sound itself' in some of the late period works (p. 189). Morton correctly identifies the key characteristics of the composer's genius: his ability to write music, often under considerable psychological pressure, which could operate on different levels; his sardonic exploitation, drawn from Gustav Mahler and Nikolai Gogol, of the full potential of juxtaposition; his profound sense of social and ethical duty; and his stature 'among the very greatest exponents – and perhaps the last greatest exponent – of what we still uneasily call classical music' (p. 24). In presenting 'a straightforward narrative of the composer's life and the evolution of his music' (p. 22) and emphasising 'a basic consistency of attitude' (p. 14), more could have been made of what Edison Denisov called the 'arch' between the early and late works: for example, the 'unexpected revival' (Denisov) of percussion in the coda of the Cello Concerto No. 2 and subsequently. Indeed, the discussion of the 'late period' works is more cursory than that of the earlier and middle-period scores. Moreover, while Morton earlier acknowledges the 'intermingling of major works in his mind with smaller-scale works' (p. 150), it is in these final works that the cross-referencing becomes a significant stylistic feature in itself, as if the composer increasingly sought to create a personal narrative on his entire creative output, towards much of which he seems to have felt a profound dissatisfaction. I would not, then, agree that the works of the last decade are 'less obviously encrypted' (p. 199), particularly when one considers the chamber music, and notwithstanding the composer's partial return to word setting. I would also have valued acknowledgement of the influence of Gavriil Nikolayevich Popov (on Symphony No. 4) and of Mieczysław Weinberg (on the later string quartets). [End Page 347] The book is written in an accessible style, though on occasion sensationalist phrasing sits uneasily with its erudition and seriousness of purpose, and some will also find references to Shostakovich's numerology more convincing than others. The lack of footnotes and an index likewise do not do justice to the range and clarity of the book's cultural reference. Shostakovich's visit...

IN THE LIVES OF great artists, the late or last works are often considered to be the greatest, the flowering or crowning of all that came before. This phenomenon, the valuing of “late” creations, artistic creations in particular, is perhaps nowhere more obvious than in connection with Beethoven. The late works, especially the late quartets, late piano sonatas, and the last symphony (the Ninth), are much discussed, much performed, and highly prized. In the case of Beethoven’s String Quartet in C-sharp minor, Op. 131 (1826), this canonization is everywhere apparent. The work is not only firmly a part of the scholarly canon, the performing canon, and the pedagogical canon, but also makes its presence felt in popular culture, notably in film (for example, ...

The late Goethe: New directions

This interview with Elliott Carter, conducted on 30 May 2012, is among the last that he gave. Carter talks candidly about his past, the present, and what his legacy will be. While discussing his latest works – a series of short epigrams and a new setting of Wallace Stevens poems – Carter explains how each composition is a unique musical adventure; consequently, he does not repeat himself. Innovation is the essence of Carter's oeuvre, clearly manifested in his string quartets, which Carter still views as his grandest musical statements. He speaks openly about the difficulties of getting these and other works performed well, the lack of performances of his compositions on the West Coast, and the current trends and direction of composition today. Carter recalls important experiences and events in his life involving Nadia Boulanger, Ives, Cage, Boulez, and Stravinsky.

One of the composers of string quartets who confronted the ‘memory of the genre’ in the latter half of the 20th century and the early years of the 21st century was Rafał Augustyn. In the composer’s quartets one finds both classical influences (String Quartet No. 1, Do ut desfor string quartet, Dedication for Soprano and String Quartet) and references to tradition contrasted with modern solutions (String Quartet No. 2).Grand jeté. Quartet No. 2 1∕2 with electronics represents a collage of diverse musical idioms, quotations, instrumental sounds, and specific sonorities. In his final quartet, the Monadology (String Quartet No. 3), Augustyn makes a loose reference to Leibniz’s concept of monads, a term used to describe philosophical atoms. It consists of miniatures combined using static links. In the article, the author demonstrates, through the use of selected examples, how Rafał Augustyn reinterprets the string quartet genre while simultaneously remaining connected to the tradition via the ensemble.

Novejši slovenski godalni kvartet

The place of nature in Godard's late films

Стаття присвячена аналізу ладотональних та колористичних функцій гармонії у Оркестровій сюїті №2 з балету «Дафніс та Хлоя» французького композитора Моріса Равеля. Дослідницька увага зосереджена на унікальності гармонічної мови М. Равеля, яка стала невід’ємною частиною розвитку європейської музики початку ХХ століття. Доведено, що гармонія в цій Оркестровій сюїті №2 виступає як один із ключових елементів, що сприяє створенню різноманітних звукових образів. Визначено яким саме чином Моріс Равель використовує різноманітні гармонічні техніки для досягнення насиченого колористичного ефекту. Підкреслено, що використання розширених акордів, альтерованих гармоній, а також полігармонічних структур стає підґрунтям для формування унікального звукового ландшафту аналізованого твору. Осмислено вибір засобів музичної виразності, які використовує композитор для підкреслення головних музичних ідей та центральних образів. Підкреслено, що стилістичне мислення композитора включає активну роботу із різноманітними оркестровими колористичними ефектами, свідченням чого є долучення тембрової фарби мішаного хору, кастаньєт, альтова флейти, челести та двох арф для збагачення палітри оркестру. Проакцентовано, що колористичні ефекти впливають на гармонічне сприйняття твору та його емоційне забарвлення. Доведено, що саме гармонія у сюїті №2 з балету «Дафніс та Хлоя» є ключовим елементом, що формує музичну композицію та драматургію твору. Виявлено, що ладогармонічні та колористичні аспекти не тільки визначають звуковий образ, але й сприяють глибшому розумінню ідеї та естетики твору. Це підкреслює важливість дослідження гармонічної мови Моріса Равеля для розуміння його внеску в розвиток музичного мистецтва ХХ століття, а також для розширення сучасних підходів до аналізу музичних творів цього періоду.

One of the great advantages of Schenkerian theory for the analysis of sonata-form expositions is its focus on the comparatively few fundamental structural patterns that govern the vast majority of Classical sonata movements. By recognizing these pervasive patterns, the analyst is able to relate unique foreground and middleground features of an individual exposition to the relatively uniform background procedures. One thus gains insight both into the features that make a given exposition original and into those that tie it to the sonata-form genre. In this paper I shall study expositions from the first movements of three late Haydn works: the Symphony No. 96 (1791), the String Quartet op. 74/3 (1793), and the String Quartet op. 76/2 (1797). My aim is to demonstrate how the voice-leading of the foreground and middleground is related to structural patterns operating in the background, and how the different structural levels interact with the movements' formal organization.

One of the great advantages of Schenkerian theory for the analysis of sonata-form expositions is its focus on the comparatively few fundamental structural patterns that govern the vast majority of Classical sonata movements. By recognizing these pervasive patterns, the analyst is able to relate unique foreground and middleground features of an individual exposition to the relatively uniform background procedures. One thus gains insight both into the features that make a given exposition original and into those that tie it to the sonata-form genre. In this paper I shall study expositions from the first movements of three late Haydn works: the Symphony No. 96 (1791), the String Quartet op. 74/3 (1793), and the String Quartet op. 76/2 (1797). My aim is to demonstrate how the voice-leading of the foreground and middleground is related to structural patterns operating in the background, and how the different structural levels interact with the movements' formal organization.

One of the composers of string quartets who confronted the ‘memory of the genre’ in the latter half of the 20th century and the early years of the 21st century was Rafał Augustyn. In the composer’s quartets one finds both classical influences (String Quartet No. 1, Do ut desfor string quartet, Dedication for Soprano and String Quartet) and references to tradition contrasted with modern solutions (String Quartet No. 2).Grand jeté. Quartet No. 2 1∕2 with electronics represents a collage of diverse musical idioms, quotations, instrumental sounds, and specific sonorities. In his final quartet, the Monadology (String Quartet No. 3), Augustyn makes a loose reference to Leibniz’s concept of monads, a term used to describe philosophical atoms. It consists of miniatures combined using static links. In the article, the author demonstrates, through the use of selected examples, how Rafał Augustyn reinterprets the string quartet genre while simultaneously remaining connected to the tradition via the ensemble.

A new reading of the finale of Beethoven's String Quartet in C# Minor, op. 131, taking as point of departure the theme in "doublet" form introduced in mm. 22-29. This theme recalls (or retrieves) the fugue subject of the first movement in peculiar ways, analyzed here in perhaps painstaking detail. Over the course of the movement the peculiarities dissipate; the theme recurs in different forms until, in a beautiful passage near the end, it seems less uncanny than reconciliatory, an authentic return at the end of the quartet to the ethos of the great fugue that began it. Meanwhile as the doublet theme develops and grows more expressive, the finale's "heroic" first theme decays. Yet the finale is the only movement in op. 131 to follow sonata-like procedures, strikingly evocative of the "Burnham canon" of middle-period works. Sonata-form narrative is undercut here by a counter-narrative tracing the transformations of the doublet theme, suggesting an overall cyclic rather than teleological dynamic. For Adorno, critique of the heroic ideal was at the heart of Beethoven's late style. Although Adorno did not think so, critique is more explicit in the finale of op. 131 than in many other late works, it is suggested, and more vivid, because the heroic accents of the symphonic style are evoked so deliberately within the movement itself.

It would seem that the string quartet as a genre is not central to Nielsen’s oeuvre, at least if we consider the F major Quartet op. 44 as his only mature work for the medium. But this picture changes as soon as we count not merely his early apprentice works but also the three further quartets to which Nielsen himself assigned opus numbers and which he had published. After the early quartet studies, in which his familiarity with the classical repertoire may be seen, the following quartets – op. 13, op. 5 and op. 14 – show a progressive emancipation from tradition, which is particularly evident in their harmonic relationships. As the texture becomes far more complex, so the harmonic language achieves an increasing differentiation, going as far as bitonal passages in the E flat Quartet op. 14 (1897-98). The F major Quartet op. 44, composed in 1906, appears as a logical consequence, in that it unites the transparency of the early studies with the fluctuating tonality that thereafter becomes the basis for Nielsen’s output. From this perspective the string quartets acquire a central position, since they reflect his development more clearly than other genres. Moreover, they occupy a unique position when viewed not just against the background of Nielsen’s late works but in the context of the general history of the genre before 1900.

I. String Quartet II In the summer of 1996, the Kronos Quartet was scheduled to present Morton Feldman’s String Quartet II (1983) at the Lincoln Center Festival in New York. The performance was being promoted as the centerpiece of a much larger Feldman tribute and retrospective that was to go on for several days. Feldman’s legendary quartet had never before been given in its entirety, which, if faithfully done would last, uninterrupted, around six hours. Shorter versions had been performed in the 1980s—in Toronto, in Darmstadt—abridged by Feldman himself to fit specific programs, or to accommodate the pleas of musicians, but the composition in all its intended dimension had not been heard. Like a well-concealed object, the complete string quartet’s non-performance seemed only to heighten the anticipation and the uniqueness of the upcoming event, the silence surrounding this monumental piece contributing to its growing aura. No one had heard it, and yet much had been heard about it. More than any other contemporary composer, Feldman over the years had become known for the length of so many of his pieces, their extreme duration seen as both a compositional strategy and a recognizable signature statement of his late work. Asked about it, he would sometimes cryptically justify the unusual length of his music as his way of adding “a little drama” to the work, or that he was “tired of the bourgeois audience” and their conventional expectations, or, more seriously perhaps, he would quote Varese’s comment that people “don’t understand how long it takes for a sound to speak” (Give My Regards 44). And though much of Feldman’s music of the late 1970s and 1980s ranged from one hour to four (breaking what he saw as the stale durational mold of