The Russian Far East — China: Ways and Prospects of Interaction in Academic Musical Culture

Abstract

The article examines regional folklore as a field of interaction between academic musical culture in the Far East of Russia and China. The beginning of the systematic study of the academic musical culture of the Russian Far East is associated with the formation of the regional creative association of composers of the Far East (Union of Composers), which is succeeded today by the Far Eastern Branch of the Union of Composers of Russia. The article notes the multi-ethnicity of the region and the special role of the “dialogue of cultures” in the composers’ works. The author analyzes the culture of indigenous peoples and the East Slavic migratory culture of the Russian Far East, as well as the original culture of the countries of the Asia-Pacific region outside the Russian borders. There is highlighted the commonality of some features of the traditional Far Eastern folklore of Russia and China. The article considers the concept of “academic musical culture”, which includes the composers’ works successively connected with the foundations of Western European music formed in the period of the 17th—19th centuries, the composers’ works of the 20th century, including modern techniques, the musical performance, musical performance infrastructure, educational space and academic musicology.The paper highlights the composers of the region, the main focus of their work, the researchers of the academic musical culture of the region, whose works are significant in understanding the processes of development of modern national musical culture. The article covers the Chinese academic compositional works known in Russia, as well as the range of scientific interests of Russian researchers-orientalists and researchers of musical culture from China.There is recognized the need for cultural understanding of the stated problem through the study of academic music art, traditional music culture, music science, and music education. The author interprets the role of music and computer technologies in musical culture and education in the Far East of Russia and China as the most important component for interaction in the field of academic musical culture, focuses on the problems of informatization of modern music education.The article draws a conclusion about the unique experience of composing in China based on the traditional music of the Russian Far East. The pentatonic basis of Chinese music is especially distinguished as being close to the modal organization of the music of Far Eastern ethnic groups, which is also the basis of the folklore music of Russian Far Eastern composers. The author sees such a palatal proximity as a basis for the interaction of the cultures of the Far Eastern region. The article recognizes this aspect as important from the point of view of creating an integral multicultural space based on the principles of humanism.