Musical Dramaturgy Research Articles

Song Heritage of “The Beatles” in Academic Musical Interpretations

The purpose of the research. The paper reveals the features of the approaches of academic musicians to the creativity of “The Beatles” and characterises the musical projects created on the basis of the song heritage of the legendary British group. The research methodology consists in the application of historical cultural, comparative and musical analytical methods, which allowed to reveal the academic potential of “The Beatles” music and outline the ways and directions of academisation of their song creativity. The scientific novelty consists in the fact that for the first time academic interpretations of the songs of “The Beatles” group, carried out by L. Berio, J. Bayless and P. Breiner, were characterised, and two approaches to musical transcriptions of the song heritage of the group were outlined – academic and academicized, the type corresponds to all the parameters of academic music, the second gravitates towards classical crossover as a direction of pop music. Conclusions. Among the numerous cover versions, transcriptions and paraphrases of “The Beatles” music, a number of original musical interpretations are attractive, the authors of which turn to the Baroque style. The vocal cycle “Beatles Songs” by L. Berio (1967), the instrumental albums “Bach Meets the Beatles” (1984), “Bach Meets the Beatles. Revisited” (2004) by J. Bayless and “Beatles Go Baroque” (1993) by P. Breiner have already acquired the status of iconic. Their authors, who received a classical musical education, give priority to academic interpretive versions, where the songs of “The Beatles” group are considered as thematic material, which becomes the basis for academic type compositions with classical musical dramaturgy formed in the instrumental music of the Modern period. A number of compositions, in which the basic features of a song are preserved, gravitate towards academicized type interpretations, approaching a classical crossover, and can represent both academic and pop musical creativity.

Compositional and dramaturgical analysis of Mykola Lysenko’s Concert polonaises Op. 5 and Op. 7 and specificity of their performing interpretation

The relevance of the article. Mykola Lysenko’s creativity attracts the attention of the world music community. This is confirmed by the availability of CD albums with the composer’s music created by Ukrainian and foreign musicians. The composer’s piano opuses are of considerable interest, but among them there are pieces that, despite their artistic value, are performed relatively infrequent. The purpose of the article is to identify the compositional and dramaturgical features of two Concert polonaises Op. 5 and Op. 7 by M. Lysenko and analyze their performance versions. Taken in combination, this will allow us to better understand the specifics of the composer’s interpretation of the polonaise genre and identify approaches to the interpretation of these works that are common in contemporary piano performance practice. The methodology is based on an integrative approach, and involves the use of systematic, analytical, structural-functional, inductive and comparative methods. The results. In his two Concert polonaises, M. Lysenko presents different approaches to the understanding of the genre, which is manifested at the level of their composition, musical dramaturgy, and the embodiment of the virtuoso-concert principle. In addition, the study examines the performing versions of polonaises created by contemporary Ukrainian pianists, which helped to identify trends in their performing interpretation. Conclusions. The compositional structure of the first Concert polonaise is proportional, while in the second Concert polonaise the composer does not keep the symmetry of the form of the sections, expanding the middle section and shortening the reprise. The musical dramaturgy of the first Concert polonaise is marked by the contrast of musical images, while the second Concert polonaise is dominated by lyrical imagery. These pieces embody opposite aspects of virtuosity, which is manifested at the level of texture and dynamic palette. Interpreting these Concert polonaises by M. Lysenko, the pianists reveal different aspects of their musical and figurative sphere: lyricism or poetry, bright dancing or heroics. An interesting trend in the performing interpretation of the works is the reduction of the middle section (episode), which is possible due to the repetition of the thematic material. The practical significance. The material of the article can be used in the further study of the specifics of the performance interpretation of M. Lysenko’s music, as well as in the study of the artist’s work in a special piano class, courses “The analysis of musical forms”, “The history of music”.

OPERA "CREONT" BY DMYTR BORTNIANSKY: FROM PORTUGAL TO UKRAINE

The article examines the creative activity of the outstanding Ukrainian artist Dmytro Bortnyanskyi as an opera composer. The focus is on the operas of his Italian creative period (1768 - 1779) - Creont (1776, Venice), Alcides (1778, Venice) and Quintus Fabius (1779, Modena). The happy modern stage fate of the opera "Alkid" is indicated, its score was published in Kyiv in 1985. The found manuscript of the score by Dmytro Bortnyansky's first opera "Creont" provides new opportunities for studying the artist's work, this score was considered to be lost for a long time; after establishing the location of the score in one of the archives of the Portuguese city of Lisbon, its copy was brought to Ukraine. The history of transfers of the surviving manuscripts of Dmytro Bortnyanskyi's opera works was studied, in addition, the author analyzes the plot, structure and musical dramaturgy of the opera "Creont". The author uses a combination of scientific methods to achieve the goal of investigation, in particular: the source method — for searching and analyzing contemporary handwritten and printed sources; the historical method — to establish historical and cultural parallels in the study of Dmytro Bortnyanskyi's opera heritage and to outline prospects for further study of the specified issues; theoretical method — for the systematization of musical and stylistic factors of the study of the musical text of the opera "Creont" and the creation of certain generalizations. The study determines the numerical structure of the two-act opera "Creont", the plot of which is based on the tragedy "Antigone" by the ancient Greek playwright Sophocles. It is noted that the main conflict of Dmitry Bortnyanskyi's opera takes place between the king of Thebes, Creont, and Antigone, the daughter of the deceased king Oedipus (compared to the tragedy of Sophocles, the ending in the opera is changed from tragic to happy — all the characters remain alive, Antigone becomes the queen of Thebes and wins in the confrontation with by Creont). It is emphasized that the preserved score of the opera "Creont" provides grounds for a deeper understanding of Dmytro Bortnyanskyi's opera heritage and the composer's achievements in the genre of Italian opera, and that an important task is the production of this opera in Ukraine, in the composer's homeland

Insights Into the Musical Dramaturgy of Astor Piazzolla’s Operita Maria de Buenos Aires

Numerous pages have already been filled out about Astor Piazzolla’s operita Maria de Buenos Aires. What I aim to bring anew through this work is the delineation of the musical dramaturgy within this work, with an emphasis on the orchestral ensemble, instrumental architecture, general developmental principles, organization of musical material, created effects, and how they assist in constructing each section. Additionally, I aspire to bring this Piazzollian masterpiece closer to the public. Despite premiering in May 1968, it remains relatively unknown and rarely staged. Librettist Horacio Ferrer employs a “coded,” enigmatic language that is challenging to understand even for Spanish speakers. But the musicality and rhythm provided by his text contribute masterfully to the construction of the work’s dramaturgy, with the operita’s libretto perfectly fitting Piazzolla’s language. Maria de Buenos Aires is an important lesson in composition and orchestration, as well as a model of musical dramaturgy construction. It is also a truly source of inspiration for instrumentalists, singers, composers, orchestrators, or musicologists, as well as for actors, directors, choreographers, and poets. Keywords: Astor Piazzolla, Maria de Buenos Aires, musical dramaturgy, orchestration, nuevo tango, counterpoint.

TREATMENT OF THE POETIC TEXT OF CRNJANSKI AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HARMONIC LANGUAGE IN THE SUMATRA SONG BY SVETISLAV BOŽIĆ

The inspiration of Svetislav Božić by the literary works of Miloš Crnjanski, which dates from 1989 to the present day, resulted in numerous works by which we can trace the connection between the two artists, as well as the style, aesthetics, artistic fantasy and creative credo of the composer. The subject of our research is a song for female voice and piano – Sumatra, the key poem of the cycle on which Crnjanski conceived an entire poetic-theoretical concept of the avant-garde literary program – Sumatraism. The work follows Božić's "librettistic" work on the poetic template whose continuity and integrity are retained by the composer using minimal interventions, additionally emphasizing the value of Sumatra, as well as other poems. Božić's creative path starts from a complete analysis of the poetic text, positioning the main points of emotional experience, the atmosphere of sensory images and the "space of happiness", and musicalisation of the literary source without transforming it. In the architecture of Sumatra, attention is drawn to the diversity of the harmonic palette: from consonant modal chords in triadand expressive seventh-chord forms to the particularly significant role of colouristic nuances of the minor ninth-chord in sporadic gradation to the eleventh chord and the sonority of the whole-scale feature on the stylistic basis of Debussy – Scriabin, but always in the strict function of musical dramaturgy with the preservation of tonality. In this context, the stylistic corridor of Sumatra follows a wide arc of intertwining of Romanticism and Impressionism origin with a national idiom of a wide range of means, radiating precious, complex meanings. Despite the accumulation of heritage of European music that belongs to him in terms of artistic freedom, Božić does not fall under its influence, since the dominant principle of his expression is created by national indigeneity in the use of modernized elements of national tradition, sometimes discreetly interwoven, thus confirming that "under other conditions, in another time, does the same thing as Mokranjac".

“Nuit Persane” by C. Saint-Saëns: Oriental Story from a Frenchman

“Nuit Persane” by C. Saint-Saëns: Oriental Story from a Frenchman

ПО ПРОЧТЕНИИ БРИТТЕНА: ОБ ОСОБЕННОСТЯХ СТИЛЯ И ДРАМАТУРГИИ ВТОРОЙ СИМФОНИИ БОРИСА КЛЮЗНЕРА

The article is devoted to the comparison of two significant works of world music classics of the second half of the XXth century: Benjamin Britten’s “War Requiem” and Boris Klyuzner’s Second Symphony. Both these works are considered in the context of national and world tendencies of comprehension of the results of the Second World War in art. It is noted that Klyuzner’s Symphony was created on the wave of interest in Britten’s music that arose among Leningrad musicians after Shostakovich’s return from Aldeburgh and Britten’s visits to the USSR. Following a detailed analysis of the musical dramaturgy of Klyuzner’s Symphony and an examination of its background, it is concluded that the Leningrad composer, having become acquainted with Britten’s music, perhaps unknowingly, reproduced some features of its musical dramaturgy, in particular its timbre and intonation, and thus engaged in a dispute with the general idea of the work. A comparison of two works reveals the opposing conclusions which both composers reach in the finale: Britten’s conception is imbued with the spirit of religious and ethical catharsis of reconciliation, while Klyuzner’s conception is full of tragic pessimism, based on the personal experience of a direct witness and participant of the events, and contains no hope of future conflict resolution.

Фортепианный квинтет ор. 55 А. Г. Рубинштейна и его место в отечественной истории жанра

In the article examines the artistic concept of the piano quintet op. 55 in F major by A. G. Rubinstein, one of the little-studied pages of Russian chamber instrumental music of the 19th century. A comprehensive examination of the composition is given in the context of the composer’s creative biography and the national history of the genre, the formation of which significantly differed from the European path of quintet development. Based on a detailed analysis of the musical dramaturgy, the author formulates a position on the underrated artistic merits of the work and its stage significance for Russian musical culture. The innovation in the interpretation of the quintet is emphasized: the first in the history of Russian chamber instrumental music to turn to a large-scale four-movement cycle and its symphonization. The transformation of conflictive beginnings into a classical-romantic model of the genre is noted. The stylistic features of the quintet are identified that determine the romantic dominants of its artistic intent.

ПОСЛЕДНЯЯ ФОРТЕПИАННАЯ СОНАТА Ф. ШУБЕРТА: ОБРАЗ ПОГРАНИЧНОГО БЫТИЯ

The article is dedicated to the last piano sonata by Franz Schubert. The Sonata B-flat major is written in the composer’s last year of life. The first great compositor of the era of musical romanticism inherited from the Viennese classics sonata form, principles of musical drama, characteristic features of the polyphonic tissue organization. At the same time, in the sonata he introduces elements of variation development that extensively expand the sonata’s allegro. The song and dance genres characteristic of Schubert’s instrumental music play an important role in the Sonata B-flat major. Multi-genre deepens the figurative sphere, complicates musical dramaturgy. On the border between Viennese classicism and emerging romanticism, there is a particular tension. Here it is possible to cross previously impassable boundaries – tonal, scale, genre and figurative. The presentiments of a near end of life have left their mark on all of Sonata’s music. The world of content is filled with extra-musical meanings, each one becoming a perspective of the theme – a transition from being to being. The first part tells about the life of a lyric hero standing at the last line. The second one is about crossing this boundary, and it’s about an imaginary crossing of a river. The river separates the world of the living from that of the dead. The third part is Skerzo – the ghost world of memories. The finale is dedicated to overcoming the delicate imperative of the minor, searching for a way into the light world, illuminated by the radiant tonality of B-flat major.

Балет Р. Штрауса «Легенда об Иосифе». Музыкальное толкование библейского сюжета

The article is dedicated to the musical and choreographic interpretation of the biblical plot in the ballet "The Legend of Joseph" by R. Strauss, with libretto by H. Hofmannsthal and H. Kessler, created in 1914 for the Diaghilev seasons. The events of the Holy Scripture, representing endless possibilities of interpretation, allow to highlight the important cultural problem: the biblical plot and modernity. In this regard, the music and choreography of the ballet attract attention not only with their originality, but also as a vivid example of a work in which different trends of its time are interwoven. From the perspective of musical dramaturgy, this primarily involves the emphasis on the role of the psychological element in character development and revelation of the plot — a significant role in this process is played by Strauss’s leitmotif writing, as well as quotes (including self-quotes) and allusions. From a non-musical context perspective, there is undeniable influence of Freud’s psychoanalytic theory — as evidenced by the interpretation of the heroine’s role, reminiscent of Salome from the eponymous opera (pathological infatuation with Joseph brings her to irrational actions, leading to madness). The article analyzes the influence of Hofmannsthal’s poetry, the obvious connection of the heroine with the female images of Gustav Klimt, as well as the scientific direction "Philosophy of Life". The rich context that has emerged represents an intertext that is not confined within purely musical boundaries, but includes multicultural interactions. The main conclusion is that R. Strauss, long before Thomas Mann’s novel, created a work that defined the characteristic features of the modern era, such as a tendency towards myth, the East, and biblical themes. R. Strauss also deserves credit for creating the genre of choreographic drama, successfully continued by S. Prokofiev.

БАЛЛАДА Ц. А. КЮИ «УТЕС»: К ПРОБЛЕМЕ ТРАКТОВКИ ЖАНРА

The article examines the genre canon of the ballad and its reflection in C. A. Cui’s piano opus “The Cliff” from the cycle In Argenteau. The history of the creation of the work is revealed. The influence of the programme content and plot on the dramaturgy and composition of the work is noted. The role of the anagram AGEEA (ArGEntEAu), which coincides with the name of the castle of Argenteau in Belgium, is highlighted. Cui’s work is analysed in terms of its compliance with the parameters of the ballad genre canon at the level of content, dramaturgy, form, intra-genre structure, and means of musical expression. The features of the musical dramaturgy and composition of the work are revealed, which are determined by the specifics of the generalised narrative programme and the generally unfolding musical plot, the result of which is the transformation of the original themes-images, typical for the ballad genre canon. The intonation sources of ballad themes are determined and their fate in the work is traced. The compositional principles of free (mixed) composition based on a complex three-part form in synthesis with free variation, sonatism, and concentricity are emphasised. Particular attention is paid to the methods of monothematism and leitematism, as well as intra-genre synthesis and theatricality as typological properties of the poetics of the ballad genre. At the same time, the specific features of their interpretation by the composer are revealed.

René Espere’s concert pieces: from the composer’s concept to the performance interpretation

Statement of the problem. Under consideration is René Eespere’s piano works created during the period of his maturity. The composer’s work is marked not only by its depth and originality, but also reflects the spiritual wealth and national identity of the Estonian people. Estonian music remains little known in Ukraine, therefore the article proposes to popularize the work of René Eespere, which will contribute to the establishment of cultural communication between Ukraine and Estonia. The research is based on performance experience and scientific analysis of three concert pieces by the composer: “Ludus tactus”, “Alter ego” and “Persona mea”. Analysis of recent research and publications. The article based upon the studies by K. Pappel (1992) and S. Pylypenko (2021, 2023) who highlight René Eespere’s piano works created by him during the period of creative searches (until 1995). Information pertaining to the mature phase of the composer’s career, is derived from various sources: the press materials (Hinn, 2016), interviews (Colucci, 2012), and our personal correspondence with the composer. The theoretical base of the study is formed by the works of Ukrainian musicologists, contributed to the theory of interpretation of musical works (Moskalenko, 2013) and musical communication as an interpretive phenomenon (Nikolaievska, 2021), performance issues (Bezborodko, 2017; Verkina, Bondarenko, Sagalova, & Timofeyeva, 2020; Chernyavska, Ivanova, Timofeyeva, Syriatska, & Mits, 2023), typologies of compositional styles (Serhaniuk, Shapovalova, Shehda, Kazymyriv, & Kolubayev, 2021). Objectives, methods, and novelty of the research. The purpose of the study is to highlight the conceptual aspects of compositional thinking and its embodiment in performance on the example of René Eespere’s three concert pieces for piano. The genre and stylistic, functional and structural, compositional and dramaturgical, as well as interpretive methods were used in the study. The article presents the first theoretical and performance analysis of René Eespere’s concert pieces in the Ukrainian musicological field. Research results and conclusion. The history of creation of works is described; the conceptual principles of compositional and performing thinking are highlighted; the regularities of the musical dramaturgy of each of the opuses were analyzed; a complex of expressive means is revealed; a brief description of the content and a scientific analysis of the works are given. It has been established that the concert piece “Ludus tactus” has significant compositional and performing potential, because the multifaceted author’s idea of the piece requires of flexibility and freedom in its pianistic implementation. The first performance of the piece by Ralf Taal is analyzed, which is of great interest, because the pianist’s artistic and technical skill allows him to find harmony between the author’s idea and his own performance vision of the composition . The piece “Alter ego” is aimed at revealing the artistic possibilities of a pianist, promotes the development of his artistic and emotional thinking, which is demonstrated by Polina Abolimova’s interpretation of the piece, the young performer who skillfully conveys its content aspects, its artistic sophistication. The piece “Persona mea” is the composer’s “small-format self-portrait”, an example of sound self- expression of the artist. The rendition of the piece by famous Estonian pianist Kalle Randalu, analyzed in the article from the point of view of the objectification of the composer’s idea, is a bright example of its interpretation, impeccable in the technical aspect, exceptionally detailed and refined in the sound.

THE TRANSFORMATION OF DON JUAN. ESSAYS ON THE DRAMATURGY OF ALEXANDER DARGOMYZHSKY’S OPERA THE STONE GUEST. DEDICATED TO THE 210TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE COMPOSER

The problem of semantic content and musical dramaturgy of an experimental and absolutely brilliant phenomenon of Russian musical theatre - the opera The Stone Guest by A.Dargomyzhsky, are addressed in the study. Namely, an attempt was made to study Dargomyzhsky’s recitative opera following the primary source, the little tragedy of the same name by A.Pushkin, in terms of the authors’ spiritual worldview. In this case, spirituality is understood not only as the richness of the inner world but also as the faith-centric creativity characteristic of representatives of Russian culture of the 19th century. The research perspective reveals a lot of new information in a seemingly familiar work.

Трактовка жанра в опере «Невиновность» Кайи Саариахо

The idea of a renewal of the genre of opera has found its brilliant manifestation in numerous works written by some of the outstanding composers of our time: John Adams, Louis Andriessen, Tan Dun, Steve Reich, Philip Glass, John Cage, Kaija Saariaho and many others. Their works demonstrated transformations stipulated by transgressions of cause-and-effect relationships in their dramaturgy, inclusions of semantic abruptions interrupting the linearity of the narrative, as well as a rejection of the communicative function of words in favor of the musicality of their sound. In some compositions the nature of the relationship between the composer, the performer and the audience has radically changed, which has led to the disintegration of the established norms of genre. The experiments in the sphere of genre demonstrated in Kaija Saariaho’s new opera Innocence (2018) present the subject of research interests, since they, similar to a mirror, reflect a much more extensive and serious scholarly issue — the interpretation of the genre of opera at the beginning of the 21st century. The novelty of the studied composition is determined by the combination of the genres of opera and thriller in it. The specific construction of the libretto and musical dramaturgy, as well as the interpretation of the vocal and choral parts are aimed at creating a long-lasting emotional buildup characteristic of a thriller and immersing the audience in a state of anxiety and fear.

Semantics of Louis Durey’s vocal-instrumental cycle “Songs on Saint Léger Léger’s poems” (“Images à Crusoé”)

Statement of the problem. The article aims to investigate the semantics of the vocal-instrumental cycle “Songs on Saint Léger Léger’s poems” by Louis Edmond Durey (1888–1979), one of the representatives of the French “Group of Six”. This composition, which also has another name – “Images à Crusoé”, written in 1918, belongs to the period of formation of French modernism. The primary literary source, the poem of the same name by Alexis Saint Léger Léger, better known under the pseudonym Saint John Perce, has certain features of surrealistic aesthetics, which also influenced the musical dramaturgy of the cycle. Objectives, methods, and novelty of the research. Until today, this composition by Louis Durey has not been considered in domestic musicology, therefore, the task of the study is to describe the figurative sphere of the work, to identify its main intonation-semantic constructions and, ultimately, a more thorough explore of the individual style of the composer. The research was carried out using historical-contextual, comparative, and systemanalytical methods. Results and conclusion. According to his results, it was established that Louis Durey embodied not so much the content of Saint John Perce’s poetic stanzas as his personal attitude to his poetic images and metaphors. The composer operates with a whole semantic system of leit-intonemas and through- genre models (polka, lullaby, chorale, hymn) and builds semantic arches between numbers of the cycle. Cross-cutting musical and semantic elements also become components of arch dramaturgy: intonations of circles, “spindles”, bells, sighs, and the instrumental texture of all numbers of the cycle contains quarto-quint steps. Pentatonic, whole-tone and natural scales contribute to the reproduction of the atmosphere of the exotic nature of the deserted island, as well as the sound imaging techniques used by Durey. The dramaturgy of the cycle is built according to the montage principle, which is mostly subordinated to the type of verse and the semantic content of Saint John Perce’s poetry. Division of the musical form is carried out by changing the size, tempo, genre style. Thus, each number of the cycle consists of short sections connected to each other thanks to the collage technique. The rhythmic and thematic variety in the collage of episodes“frames” indicates the presence of game logic in L. Durey’s cycle. Certain influences on the music of the cycle of illustrations for Daniel Defoe’s novel “Robinson Crusoe”, created in the second half of the 19th century by Carl Offendinger, in perspective, allow us to consider the work in the context of the problem of the synthesis of arts as of a component of modernistic aesthetics.

Folk Song "Sorrow After Sorrow" In The Works Of Borys Liatoshynsky: Intonation And Semantic Analysis

Relevance of research. Borys Lyatoshynsky (1895–1968) is one of the most outstanding composers of the last century. Many studies have been devoted to the study of his work in various aspects, although this topic remains incomplete and relevant. A manifestation of the composer's national thinking is, among other things, his use of folk melodies as the basis of thematism. A comparison of the composer's methods of working with folk song material in different genres has not yet been the subject of a special scientific study.
 The purpose of the study: to investigate the process of rethinking the folk song "Sorrow after Sorrow" in Lyatoshynsky's works, to consider and compare the principles of the composer's work on the folk melody in the genres of arrangement and symphony.
 Methods. The comparative, historical methods, as well as methods of genre-style, semantic and intonation analysis were used.
 The results and conclusions. The article analyses B. Liatoshynsky's approaches to working with folk song material using examples of works in which the composer refers to the folk song "Sorrow after Sorrow". The principles of processing this folklore sample in the genre of folk song arrangement for voice and piano are highlighted in the context of the evolution of the genre and in relation to the traditions established in Ukrainian music. The commonality of the basic methods of folk song arrangement in the works of M. Leontovych and B. Liatoshynsky is substantiated—the inviolability of the chant as a carrier of the intonation-semantic idea of the work, the usage of the latest compositional techniques of harmonic and textural variation, the development of the most expressive motifs in the accompanying voices or instrumental part, the construction of a through(endto-end) musical dramaturgy that pushes the limits of the original strophicity, the introduction of conceptuality and symphonic thinking into the genre. The place and role of the folk song melody "Sorrow after Sorrow" in the Third Symphony of B. Liatoshynsky is considered, the process of its involvement into the complex symphonic development is characterized: the inclusion of the theme into the leitmotif system of the symphonic cycle, the usage of intonational variation techniques, methods of timbral dramaturgy, polyphonic and motivic development in relation to the theme, due to which the theme appears in various figurative and emotional gradations, undergoes significant changes up to its transformation (the principle of monothemism).
 Conclusions are made regarding the continuity of the stages of working with the folklore primary source in the researched works of Liatoshynsky: in the genre of arrangement, a peculiar adaptation of the folk song sample to the field of academic music takes place, in the process of its compositional development, the intonational-semantic core—the motif of regret—is distinguished. At the next stage, this motif becomes the basis for a complex figurative and thematic development and author’s reinterpretation in works of other genres, an impetus for the implementation of significant symphonic concepts.

THE TRANSFIGURATION OF DON JUAN. ESSAYS ON THE DRAMATURGY OF ALEXANDER DARGOMYZHSKY’S OPERA THE STONE GUEST. DEDICATED TO THE 210TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE COMPOSER. ESSAY ONE

The essays on A.Dargomyzhsky’s opera The Stone Guest are not quite usually named - “The Transfiguration of Don Juan”, to understand the image of the protagonist. The problem of semantic content and musical dramaturgy of this experimental and absolutely brilliant phenomenon of Russian musical theatre are addressed in the study. Namely, an attempt was made to study Dargomyzhsky’s recitative opera following the primary source, the little tragedy of the same name by A.Pushkin, in terms of the authors’ spiritual worldview. In this case, spirituality is understood not only as the richness of the inner world but also as the faith-centric creativity characteristic of representatives of Russian culture of the 19th century. The research perspective reveals a lot of new information in a seemingly familiar work.

Stage Concept of the Golden Calf Dance in Myroslav Skoryk Opera "Moses"

The authors of the article considered the peculiarities of the stage interpretation of the vocalchoreographic component in Myroslav Skoryk's opera "Moses", namely the scene of worship before the Golden Calf. Two productions of this opera, which took place in Kyiv and Lviv, were analyzed. The relevance of this plot is due to the appeal to works of a parable direction in the fateful period for mankind, times when one has to choose one's own path on the basis of the spiritual treasury of Christianity - the Bible. The essence of the dance before the Golden Calf is a kind of echo of ancient Egyptian honors performed before the sacred Apis bull and Assyro-Babylonian religious rites dedicated to the god Baal. The characteristic signs of the pagan ritual of worshiping the Golden Idol, their manifestation in an orgiastic, passionately seductive dance with the excitement of the winefueled imagination of the crowd, driving it to frenzy and immoral acts, are proven. In order to create an artistic and holistic performance, it is necessary to synthesize oratorical features (the leading function of the choir, symbolic-generalized interpretations of events with their static-slow-motion unfolding) with operatic specifics (dynamic directing, bright scenography, expressive musical dramaturgy). The article notes the logic of the dance mise-en-scene with the ballet appearance from the choristers who are opponents of Moses, the ballet dancers gradually shed their clothes, and the audience watches the transformation of a religious ceremony into an orgy in the Lviv opera version. The Lviv version differs from the Kyiv version in that the latter has an interpretation of the idolatry scene with a weakly expressed conflict between the two ideological camps due to a simplified miseen-scène of introducing the ballet into the dance action without delineating its affiliation with Moses' opponents. The conformity of the stage solution of the dance of the Golden Calf in the Lviv and Kyiv versions of the opera to the creatively reinterpreted ancient pagan cult of fetishization of wealth and power is proven. Attention is focused on the logic of mise-en-scène in the Lviv version of the play, and on the psychologization and personification of the characters' images in the Kyiv version. The need for complex integrated studies of the use of ancient cult rituals in opera performances with the synthesis of historical, cultural, theological, ethical-aesthetic, socio-psychological, art-based foundations of the existence of a certain ethnic group in the conditions of the development of civilizational processes is predicted.

Soviet Pop Artists in Russian TV Series: Integration of Dramatic Models of Psycho- and Socio-Biography

This article deals with the dramaturgical and musical patterns of modern Russian television biopic series about Soviet pop artists. The concept of psycho- and sociobiography as developed by the Polish researcher Eva Mazerski is used as a means of analysis. The first section describes the regularities of particular dramatic models and traces their development in late Soviet cinema. The second section examines the convergence and integration of these dramatic models on the basis of extensive material drawn from Russian TV series dedicated to Soviet pop music stars. Special attention is paid to two series: Anna Herman. The Mystery of the White Angel (2012) and Born a Star (2015) with elements from the biography of Edita Piekha. In the final part of the article the soundtrack of these two series is analysed making use of the psycho- and sociobiographical model. On one hand, one can identify how the songs played in these series correlate with the dramatic collision of the episodes in which they appear. On the other hand, one can also identify the principles behind the selection of repertoire. These can be traced, in particular, to the ratio of songs related to civil and lyrical subject matter. The article concludes that, if in the late Soviet period the models of psycho- and sociobiography still exhibited some autonomy, an autonomy inversely proportional to the ideological consistency of the film, then the current stage is determined by the active convergence and integration of two models that no longer exist in their ‘pure’ forms. As for the musical dramaturgy and selection of repertoire in the soundtrack, Soviet pop star series continue to develop an active lyricisation of the Soviet scene, replacing civil and patriotic themes with foreign hits. Nevertheless, playing Soviet pop songs serves to reconfigure the cultural and historical context of the past.

Verdi’s Opera ‘A Masked Ball’ – The Orchestral Discourse Expressiveness and Dramaturgical Implications in Outlining the Protagonists

"The opera A Masked Ball’marks the end of the middle period in the work of Giuseppe Verdi and represents an important stage in the musical progress of the composer. It comprises a variety and an orchestral inventiveness much higher than any other of his previous works, and, more than ever, the score is consistent with the dramatical structure of the opera. Compared to some titles from the first period of creation, the outlining of the protagonists is not performed only by means of vocality. The subtlety of the orchestral music rounds off a rich sound picture, in accordance with the requirements of musical dramaturgy. This article addresses the structural, stylistic, and dramaturgical aspects found at the level of the orchestral discourse. Keywords: masked ball, Verdi, expressiveness, musical dramaturgy, orchestral discourse."