The image of the Virgin Mary in V. Ptushkin’s cantata «Salve Regina»

Abstract

Statement of the problem. Volodymyr Ptushkin is one of the most prominent representatives of the Kharkiv composer school of the second half of the 20th and early 21st centuries. In April 2022, he passed away staying in Kharkiv under fire at the beginning of the war. The thematic and genre diversity of his music reflects the breadth of his artistic views, openness to the trends of time. Ptushkin paid special attention to choral work, he collaborated with many choral groups of Ukraine, his choral works adorn their repertoire. Undoubtedly, his works have a magnetic power, and recognition of them in the professional and amateur environment determines the relevance of this topic. Recent research and publications. Today there is not thorough study of the Ptushkin’s choral heritage, beside the separate articles by N. Inyutochkina, T. Gerdova, I. Zhukovska, M. CherkashynaGubarenko, N. Mykhailova, I. Verbitska-Shokot, A. Krychenkova. The purpose of the article is to consider the peculiarities of the embodiment of the Image of the Virgin Mary in V. Ptushkin’s cantata “Salve Regina”. Methodology. As the methods of researching the historic, comparative, genre-stylistic, intonation-dramaturgical and interpretive types of analysis is used. Results. “Salve Regina” is a deeply psychological work. It carries the most deep feelings, thanks to which consciousness builds a chain of images, the meaning of which is hidden in their associative relationships. Music of the Cantata is present as the art of hints, semitones, chiaroscuro, and undisguised, exalted emotions. The artistic and philosophical concept, the peculiarities of the embodiment of the main image, the specifics of intonation and harmonic language, dramaturgy and the form of the cantata are revealed in the study. It is concluded that the cantata synthesizes some features of baroque musical style and modern musical language, and the canonical Church text does not interfere with its vivid theatricality. The melody appears as the most sensual and emotional intonation component, while the harmonic vertical is focused on the phonic expression of bright nontertian sounds, major seventh chords and ninth chords; the semantics of tonalities are also involved. Intonation arcs, leit-chords, the principle of through dramaturgy, the contrasting juxtaposition of episodes and parts of the whole in the cantata, despite the chamber form, testify to the composer’s symphonic thinking. Conclusion. The music of the cantata significantly expanded the scope of the prayer text and brought it to the level of philosophical generalization. The image of the Virgin Mary becomes the bearer of a hidden meaning, a symbol of the spiritual development of a person. Through the image of the Mother of God, the work highlights various stages of a person’s spiritual path to knowledge of God. Each of the six parts of the cantata is a musical reproduction of a certain period of person’s spiritual life: birth – suffering – despair – protest – enlightenment – revival.