On the History of Russian-French Cultural Ties: A French Mark on the Life and Artwork of the Composer Edison Denisov

Abstract

The subject of research in the article is the life and work of the composer Edison Denisov in the context of connections with French culture. The study of these over-the-half-century-long ties makes it possible to fill «white spots», first, in the broader subject of Russian-French cultural relations: Soviet and post Soviet contacts and influences studied on the representative material of musical art, second, in the topic of local but no less important: the role of France and its culture throughout E. Denisov’s life. The life and work of E. Denisov is a largely successful and multifaceted presentation of the French «footprint» in Russian culture in the second half of the 20th century. The material to be analyzed is multidimensional: biographical references to French art (music, literature, painting) and language; various contacts with French culture: writers, composers, musicians, ensembles and orchestras; Literary texts (B. Vian, G. Bataille) when writing music; the immersion in philosophical and humanitarian texts (R. Bart, M. Foucault, J.-P. Sartre); influence of mathematics and the structuralist method on the composer’s mastery (H. Poincaré, C. Lévi-Strauss) ; creative dialogue with works of a composer and theorist P. Bulez; the role of France in promoting Denisov’ music in the West; active educational activity of Denisov in promoting French music in Russia. A separate section of the article analyzes the influence of French composers on Denisov, and also highlights his participation in the restoration and orchestration of the unfinished opera of Claude Debussy «Rodrigo and Ximena». The article focuses only on the composer’s vocal works. The author thoroughly exqamines the works on poetry of French poets (Ch. Baudelaire, G. de Nerval, B. Vian, R. Char, H. Michaud, G. Bataille), the opera “Froth on the Daydream” based on the novel by B. Viana, the opera “Four Girls” on the play by Pablo Picasso.