Emotional Intelligence of a Pianist-Accompanist (on the Example of C. Franck's Violin Sonata Performed by Martha Argerich)

Abstract

The purpose of the research is to identify the regularities of emotional intelligence in the process of concert activity of a pianist-accompanist. Emotional intelligence is a powerful means of communication between a pianist-accompanist and a soloist. Understanding the mechanisms of such psychological activity and their implementation in the creative process is an essential condition for the professional literacy of the accompanist. The research methodology. The main tool in the research is the method of analytical observation, which is based on the comparison of stationary and variable data. The fixed data are a piece of music and a pianist e. g. violin sonata by C. Franck and M. Argerich. The variables are different soloists, musical instruments, years of performance, and the presence of the audience. The scientific novelty of the research. The article considers 15 performing versions of the sonata. The analysis of interpretations focuses on two semantic planes: general parameters of the work and strategic places in the sonata. The general parameters are the tempos of the sonata’s parts, the integrity of the work from the point of view of the thorough development, the distribution of roles in the ensemble, and the degree of contact between the accompanist and the soloist. The strategic points of the sonata include piano entrances and losses, culminations, leitmotifs (the degree of flexibility of the intonation in relation to the soloist’s presentation), and some pianistically and ensemble difficult places. Conclusions. The interpretations are classified by the degree of inclusion of the accompanist in the artistic process. Depending on the strictness of following the author’s text and the intensity of the soloist's individuality, 3 types are distinguished: classical (the lowest degree of inclusion of emotional intelligence), romantic (the average degree of activity), and expressionist (the highest activity of emotional intelligence).