Dmitrii Bortniansky’s authentic voice: musical sound and theological meaning in his sacred choral concertos

Abstract

Relevance of the study. This article is based on a talk given at the Kyiv Conservatory, October 2016, marking the publication of the new Carus Verlag edition of the thirty-five Bortniansky sacred choral concertos. The author discusses her new edition, which restores the ornamentation and various detailed markings found in archival sources from the 1780s to the 1830s . Many of these fine details are altered or are absent from the Tchaikovsky edition (1880s ), which has long been used as the basis of performance and critical discussion of the choral concertos. Although the recent Grigoriev edition (2003) provides a more authentic reading of the concertos, it is somewhat problematic in that it is based on fewer sources and realizes all ornaments instead of presenting them as such.Main objectives of the study and how the study was done. The author-editor argues that the various idiosyncratic markings found in early sources and regarded as erroneous or inappropriate by previous editors such as Lvov and Tchaikovsky, upon closer consideration appear to be intentional. The composer’s detailed markings at times reveal how clearly Bortniansky – himself a singer and chorusmaster – understood the practical needs of his singers and the acoustics of Eastern Orthodox churches. They also reveal Bortniansky’s effort to underscore the meaning of sacred text in his choral concertos. Beyond the micro-level of accents, ornaments, and phrasing, Bortniansky’s rhetorical intent can also be perceived on the macro-level of choral texture, dynamics, and even musical form. The author provides musical examples from several concertos, principally from Concerto No. 32.Results. Examining the corpus of the concertos as a whole, the author submits that the genre of the choral concerto, which Bortniansky adopted and developed, by its very nature serves a rhetorical purpose. The obligatory contrasts of texture, dynamic, and tempo standard to the genre are employed by Bortniansky not merely for the sake of aural amusement. In his concertos, Bortniansky confronts the contradictory nature of the Judeo-Christian god – a god of majesty whose power lies, paradoxically, in compassion. The Psalm verses that he chooses often juxtapose words related to milost (mercy) with words related to velichie (greatness). Hence, contrast and paradox are both musically and theologically central to his concertos.The author traces her own process of research and discernment regarding the concertos over several decades. Her recent observations probe a deeper understanding of Bortniansky’s artistic intention. This understanding contradicts Bortniansky’s critics who have long regarded his music as false due to its Italianate style or spiritually shallow due to the formal constraints of the choral concerto genre. The author’s close and broad consideration of his concertos from minute detail to overall genre uncovers Bortniansky’s deeper and fuller creative «voice».In many of its liturgical prayers, the Orthodox faith expresses the notion that the act of singing brings humans closer to God. Bortniansky’s music acknowledges this principle and fulfills a theological objective. His choral concertos make the contradictory nature of the Judeo-Christian God – a god of both majesty and mercy – abundantly manifest to singers and listeners alike.