Compositional and dramaturgical analysis of Mykola Lysenko’s Concert polonaises Op. 5 and Op. 7 and specificity of their performing interpretation

Abstract

The relevance of the article. Mykola Lysenko’s creativity attracts the attention of the world music community. This is confirmed by the availability of CD albums with the composer’s music created by Ukrainian and foreign musicians. The composer’s piano opuses are of considerable interest, but among them there are pieces that, despite their artistic value, are performed relatively infrequent. The purpose of the article is to identify the compositional and dramaturgical features of two Concert polonaises Op. 5 and Op. 7 by M. Lysenko and analyze their performance versions. Taken in combination, this will allow us to better understand the specifics of the composer’s interpretation of the polonaise genre and identify approaches to the interpretation of these works that are common in contemporary piano performance practice. The methodology is based on an integrative approach, and involves the use of systematic, analytical, structural-functional, inductive and comparative methods. The results. In his two Concert polonaises, M. Lysenko presents different approaches to the understanding of the genre, which is manifested at the level of their composition, musical dramaturgy, and the embodiment of the virtuoso-concert principle. In addition, the study examines the performing versions of polonaises created by contemporary Ukrainian pianists, which helped to identify trends in their performing interpretation. Conclusions. The compositional structure of the first Concert polonaise is proportional, while in the second Concert polonaise the composer does not keep the symmetry of the form of the sections, expanding the middle section and shortening the reprise. The musical dramaturgy of the first Concert polonaise is marked by the contrast of musical images, while the second Concert polonaise is dominated by lyrical imagery. These pieces embody opposite aspects of virtuosity, which is manifested at the level of texture and dynamic palette. Interpreting these Concert polonaises by M. Lysenko, the pianists reveal different aspects of their musical and figurative sphere: lyricism or poetry, bright dancing or heroics. An interesting trend in the performing interpretation of the works is the reduction of the middle section (episode), which is possible due to the repetition of the thematic material. The practical significance. The material of the article can be used in the further study of the specifics of the performance interpretation of M. Lysenko’s music, as well as in the study of the artist’s work in a special piano class, courses “The analysis of musical forms”, “The history of music”.