The Guitar Sound Image in the Creativity of Sabikas

Abstract

The author proves that the concept of sound image appeared in musicological literature at the beginning of the 20th century. The defined phenomenon is characterized as a set of sound (speech, music, noise) elements that create, with the help of associations, a generalized image about material object, phenomenon, historical event, human character. In modern musicology, scientists consider the concepts of "sound image of an instrument" and "performance style" to be related, where these concepts are interpreted as an individual stylistic perspective in the perception of expressive possibilities of a musical instrument: timbral, dynamic, register characteristics and associated artistic semantics. The basis of the sound image of the Sabikas guitar was formed thanks to the environment of prominent representatives of flamenco - R. Montoya, A. Chacon, M. de Huelva and others, and the method of A. Marin was taken as the technological foundation. The author presents the main parameters of the sound image of Sabikas' guitar, which are based on the intonation dictionary of R. Montoya's era, as well as compositional, interpretive and technological innovations of Sabikas. It was found that the compositional innovations of Sabikas consisted in the use of traditional falsettos in other forms of flamenco (Sevillanas, Zambra, Garrotín, etc.), as well as the creation of a composition in the form of a theme with variations based on folk melodies. The virtuosity and purity of the intonation of the new sample, the timbre richness of the guitar texture, the use of artificial flagolets and chromatic scales during the solo performance were noted in the interpretive aspect. Technological innovations of Sabikas focused on innovation in the alzapúa technique, the rationality of the maestro's performance technique with the help of open strings and well-chosen left-hand fingering. The author proves this statement with relevant material. The conclusion is that the sound image of Sabikas' guitar became a reference point for many outstanding musicians of the next generation - Paco de Lucía, Manolo Sanlúcar, Vicente Amigo and others. The article provides an explanation that for many years the art of flamenco existed in a trinity - guitar, dance, vocals. It is noted that Ramón Montoya was the first soloist-guitarist, after whom it was Sabikas who got the opportunity (1959) to present the sound image of the flamenco guitar to US listeners during a solo concert in the most prestigious New York hall "Town Hall". It has been proven that Sabikas' discography was the largest among flamenco guitarists (about 40 studio albums), which can be conventionally divided into solo and ensemble recordings.