Ritual folk vocal art of Ukrainians of Northern Moldova: Transformation and Modification Processes

Abstract

One of the most important tasks of modern Ukrainian ethnomusicology is fixation and study of traditional musical culture not only in our country but also abroad: in Ukrainian ethnographic lands aswell as in remote corners of other countries, where Ukrainians are compactly settled. Considerable scientific progress has already been made in this area.Today we have a number of scientific achievements on the materials of traditional music of Ukrainians in the north of Moldova. However, the problem of presenting a more detailed melotypological picture of traditional, in particular ceremonial and especially vocal creativity, that still exists in these areas in active or at least passive forms, remains relevant.Given this, most typical ritual melodies of Ukrainians of northern Moldova, recorded by O. Kharchyshyn and N. Pastukh during 2005-2009 in 41 villages and two cities of ten districts of the region and submitted to collection Folklore of Ukrainians in northern Moldova: songs and recitatives,arethe object of this research.Also considered is a number of melodies, which transcripts were provided for musical editing by the authors of this study, but were not included in the collection. Melotypes of folk vocal works, which serve the calendar and family-ritual genre cycles are subject of study. The main goal is to determine the modification and transformation processes in the analyzed melotypes, to identify what is common and different in comparison to the analogues of Ukrainian traditional music in general.Almost the entire genre spectrum of ceremonial folk vocal melodies inherent in Ukrainian traditional music culture has been recorded in Moldova: carols (kolyadka, shchedrivka), malanka, spring songs (haivkas), Kupala, baptismal, wedding, mourning and funeral songs. Ukrainians in Moldova have both child and adult folk music culture.The present state of life of folk vocal works of Ukrainians in the north of Moldova from the ethnomusicological point of view generally testifies to the typological commonality with the traditional folk music culture of the Ukrainian people. The unity of this culture is manifested even in common modification and transformation processes of typical musical-rhythmic forms and their components. Of course, there is a slight difference, as a result of assimilation transformations caused by foreign nation influences and, accordingly, the gradual loss of ethnic identity.Therefore, Ukrainians of Moldova were not only able to preserve the achievements of their nation in the development of traditional musical culture (often only in passive memory, however, and, of course, with minor elements of assimilative influence, which is manifested primarily in intonation melodic inversions and inter-ethnic community of melotypes), but also to multiply them through the assimilation and cultivation of foreign ethnic sacramental acquisitions. As a result, they were able to create their own unique multi-vector folk music style.