On the organization of sound space in "The Tidings brought by Mary" by Paul Claudel, 1912 edition

Abstract

The article examines the words and the meaning, as well as the dramaturgy of sound in the first edition of the mystery "The Tidings brought by Mary" by Paul Claudel. Understanding the synthesis of verbal and vocal intonation leads the author of the article to discover new ways of solving the problem of stage music in mystery drama by Claudel. The discrete nature of the design of the sound space of the mystery in the first edition represents the concept of separately performed fragments, in which the episodes integrated into the action in liturgical Latin are united by a common spiritual meaning. At the same time, the design of the sound space in the 2nd scene of Act III (the dramatic climax, the sacred space of the mystery) is characterized by novelty. Based on the interaction of theatrical-dramatic and musical structural elements, the composition of the scene is subordinated to the principle of end-to-end, continuous vocal-dramatic development of the action. Conclusions are drawn: during the 1910s, Claudel's idea of music in mystery drama was transformed - instead of musical fragments of an "applied" nature, a new compositional idea of stage music arose. The lyrical intonation of the author's voice is found in the sound space of the work. The mirror of Claudel's mystery reflects the principles of sound design of dramatic productions of traditional Japanese theater (Bunraku, Kabuki, Noh), as well as images of poetry of China and Japan. In the sound of the "The Tidings brought to Mary", the semantic and dramatic functions are performed by the verses of the songs "Oriole sings" and "Margarita, clear May!" performed by children's voices. Claudel's mystery drama formed a new understanding of the universal meaning of the mystery in the twentieth century.