CONCEPTS OF PERIODIZATION OF MUSIC BY SERGEI BORTKIEWICZ: HISTORIOGRAPHY AND NEW APPROACH

Abstract

Relevance. Despite growing interest in the music of Sergei Bortkiewicz since the beginning of the XXI century, a single, complex and universal system for the periodization of his work has not yet been developed. The systems used today are based either on biographical information (place of residence of the composer) – Berlin, Kharkiv, etc., or on the assessment of changes in the musical language in the early, middle and late periods of creative activity. At the same time, factors of agerelated psychological changes and genre dynamics of creativity are not taken into account.

The purpose of the research is the formation of the universal system of periodization of Bortkiewicz’s creativity, which will take into account the whole complex of necessary criteria.

The methodology is based on the classification method (dividing the works of the composer according to the criteria defined for periodization) using analytical (research of the works of the composer on the subject of classification criteria), comparative (comparison of works with their subsequent grouping), as well as historical and source study methods (allows to specify the time, place and circumstances of the creation of single compositions).

Taking into account the factors of socio-cultural environment, important historical and political events, psychological stages of internal development and the crisis of personality, features of the musical language and the dynamics of genre interests, the following complex periodization of Bortkiewicz’s work is formed:

1. The early period, 1904-1922 (relatively simple musical speech and texture, insignificant genre variation):
   1. The first phase, 1904-1913 (complete domination of piano music, the influence of artistic Berlin).
   2. The second phase, 1914-1922 (expansion of genre and instrumental interests while preserving the musical thinking characteristic of the early period. The influence of the Ukrainian artistic environment of Kharkiv and Crimea).
2. The middle period, 1922-1942 (complication of musical language, more active appeal to large forms. It comes after the "midlife crisis", as well as the events of the First World War and the revolution in Russia, after emigration to Austria):
   1. The first phase, 1922-1934 (the dominance of chamber music and works for solo instrument and orchestra, opera).
   2. The second phase, 1934-1942 (after returning from Berlin to Vienna: the peak of the activity of orchestral genres).
3. Late period, 1943-1952 years (reduction of creative activity, rejection of large-scale genres, retrospective moments of creativity: auto-quotations, own poetic text in the vocal piece. It comes after the Second World War and under the influence of the “crisis of old age”).

The proposed periodization system is the basis for further research on any aspects of the
composer’s creative heritage.