Prominent teacher-concertmaster of the chamber singing Zoia Yukhymivna Likhtman

Abstract

Relevance of the study. One of the main features of the Ukrainian vocal school is close partnership, collaboration between a concertmaster and a soloist, and active participation in the creation of new vocal art performances whose research is always timely.Main objective of the study. The article presents the outstanding creative-pedagogical and scientific-methodological achievements of the chamber singing teacher-concertmaster Zoia Yukhymivna Likhtman (1919–2002) for the first time. We aim to determine the contribution of Z. Likhtman in the formation of the modern paradigm of the Ukrainian national chamber singing school. Methodology of the study. Biographical, narrative, typological methods of comparative stylistic characteristics within the framework of cultural approach to the definition of personal phenomena in national musical art have been applied.Main findings of the study. It has been determined that the search for criteria of intellectual influence on vocalists in the domain of the epistolary heritage of pianists-concertmasters is rare and extremely productive and deserve to be studied. It is investigated, that, having formed as a concertmaster under the guidance of renowned maestro Everardi, B. Yavorsky had never abandoned working with singers: the concertmaster activity with singers became an important foundation of his scientific research and identified the dominant of his creative work as a composer and performer: it was vocal music. The professional criteria of the pianists-concertmasters of vocalists have been identified. They include the ability to translate the orchestral score into a clavier, emphasize and bring the individual beauty of the voice of the soloist across to the audience, ensure live pulsation of musical fabric, present conductor’s and souffleur’s initiative in the ensemble. It has been proved that in the accompaniment art singers realize such important components of the creative activity of the instrumental musician as selfless service to the beauty and self-denial in the name of the soloist’s voice. A good concertmaster must have musical sense, artistic sense, hearing well-developed in all respects, creative imagination, ability to capture the figurative essence and form of the work, ability to figuratively and inspiringly embody the author’s idea in a concert performance. It is proved that all the above qualities were inherent in Z. Likhtman, who laid the foundations for a unique author’s school of chamber singing during her 60 years of creativity and pedagogical activity at P. Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Sciences. It is noted that the important page of Z. Likhtman’s fruitful work is scientific-methodical and musical-educational activities. Her printed works contain invaluable advice to performers (singers and concertmaster-theaters) and vocalists.The study of the creative experience of the leading pianists-concertmasters obviously shows which high criteria this art must meet – which is definitely not minor in the vocal-artistic process. The work of these professionals in musical art is a selfless service and has a profound educational content. A more detailed study of the history of the formation of the art of instrumental accompaniment of the singer’s voice convinces of the existence of national concertmaster schools which accumulate knowledge and traditions of individual prominent masters. Performance and pedagogical principles of each such school are approved and implemented nowadays by numerous musicians.