The logic of forming a musical text in a solo piano-jazz improvisation by M. Petrucciani on the theme of T. Monk’s “’Round Midnight”

Abstract

Statement of the problem. Due to the natural tendency to constant renewal, the phenomena that arise in the field of jazz music-making, cause special scientific interest. The jazz art of the second half of the 20th century is represented by numerous names of bright musicians who formed the latest approaches to improvisational art in their creativity. One of such musicians was an unique pianist of Italian-French origin – Michel Petrucciani (1962–1999). The study of his heritage provides opportunities to reveal some aspects of modern jazz art, which are genetically related to the embodiment of the traditions of Western European music-making in piano jazz, and also to mark the vectors of its further evolution. Nevertheless, M. Petrucciani’s solo piano creativity is not studied for a present time. Some English-, French- and German-language articles, films and interviews with the musician are represented, mainly in online-resources. These works have mostly biographical direction and contain brief information about pianist’s aesthetic views and preferences, his creative achievements, and the state of his health, since the artist suffered from a rare congenital disease all his life. Objectives, methods, and novelty of the research. The purpose of the study is to reveal the specifics of the structural and compositional logic of jazz improvisation on the popular theme of T. Monk’s “’Round Midnight” interpreted by M. Petrucciani, in the context of solo piano creativity of the latter. The solo piano work of M. Petrucciani, who without exaggeration can be called one of the outstanding musicians of the last century, has not yet been subject to scientific analysis in domestic musicology, which determines the innovative focus of this study. A set of research approaches – historical-genetic, comparative, hermeneutic, traditional methods of musicological analysis – contributed to the disclosure of the chosen topic. Research results and conclusion. In the course of the research, genetic, genre, structural, intonation, rhythmic, textural and other features inherent in the theme “’Round Midnight” were revealed in the context of compositional and piano-improvisational style of T. Monk – a progressive musician-innovator, one of the inspirations of the bebop style, as well as a conclusion about the features of individual interpreting the theme by M. Petrucciani was justified. M. Petrucciani in the improvisation on T. Monk’s “’Round Midnight” theme demonstrates self-own unique bright improvisational style, talentedly combining virtuosity with intonation meaningfulness and accuracy of phrases, with expressiveness of a musical statement that has a philosophical undertone, and the academic traditions of music-making, learned during his studies, with American and Western European jazz ones. The variety of methods of melodic-harmonic, textural, dynamic development used by the pianist testify not only to the musician’s desire to demonstrate virtuoso mastery of the instrument, but also contribute to the realization of the unique concept of the work.