Ukrainian musicology

Update of the Source Science Heritage of Ukraine in Kira Ivanivna Shamaieva’s Scientific Discourses

2024-02-23T10:54:42+02:00

The creative heritage of Kira Ivanivna Shamaieva is considered in terms of her source studies achievements. It was established that along with her multifaceted scientific searches in the areas of pedagogy, performance, historical, analytical, and interpretive studies, source studies have a special place. It was revealed that the large-scale work of the researcher was projected on the vector to revive priceless treasures of scientific, factual and informational material aimed to fill unknown gaps existing the historical and artistic past of Ukraine, in particular one of its worthy regions - Zhytomyr region.

The purpose of the publication is to reveal the source science component of Kira Ivanivna Shamayeva’s creative scientific heritage in the perspective of the peculiarities finding during the work with materials and documents of archival and museum funds of Ukraine and other European countries. The article highlights the methodological principles of her investigation as a scientistarchivist against the background of the spiritual and artistic upsurges of the national musical culture, especially in the 19th and the first half of the 20th centuries, including musical education in Kyiv, Zhytomyr, the history and musical life of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, the life of the Kyiv Conservatory in the period 1917–1932, and many other little-known events, facts, and personalities.

After painstaking, long-term work with the source, the most important thing remains for us in the scientific heritage of Kira Ivanivna - the discovery of unknown pages of history, the revival of invaluable layers of scientific, factual, informational material that awaited a brave, inquisitive, caring researcher, who brings out our sumptuous musical and historical heritage, filling the informational space of our science with new factors, enriching our human, scientific experience, teaches us to understand ourselves and the controversial time in which our ancestors lived, we live and our descendants will live.

Kira Shamaieva's Contribution to the Study of Music Culture of Elisavetgrad

2024-02-23T11:45:42+02:00

The relevance of the study. Kira Shamaieva's selfless dedicated service to Music in Ukrainian piano performance, musicology and pedagogy has lasted for more than 60 years. Shamaieva is a direct participant or eyewitness of a great number of significant events, she knew personally many famous figures, and possesses great knowledge about Ukrainian musical history.

Several musically gifted related families resided in Yelysavethrad of the late 19th – early 20th. Thus, the city was considered a prominent artistic center in the South of the Russian Empire. It’s worth mentioning that Yelysavethrad was standing at the crossroads of German, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian and Jewish cultures. For the first time, Shamaieva's historiographical contribution to this topic is analyzed from the point of view of musical regionalism and science biography. Exploring the scientific and creative contribution of K. Shamaieva to the studies of the creative activity of prominent musicians, associated with Yelysavethrad (Kirovograd/Kropyvnytskyi), such as Karol Szymanowski, Heinrich Neuhaus, and the Blumenfelds family, their environment and the context field of their art is the main objective of the paper.

So we have to solve a number of tasks, such as: to study K. Shamaieva’s biographic moments, related to the stated topic, to identify and systematize her articles, devoted to H. Neuhaus and the Blumenfelds family, to single out and emphasize the most important ideas and conclusions, to trace the resonance of these works and their possible prospects –to implement.

Methods. It was used: biographical – for the studying Shamaieva’s biography; analytical – to analyze the literature on this issue and her articles; historical – to comment and identify the significance of meetings in the K. Shamaieva’s life; interviews with K. Shamaieva during January, 2022 – to clarify some details; and also – a source method for studying the context.

The main results and conclusions of the study. It was found, that only once K. Shamaieva turned to the K. Szymanowski’s compositions: in 1962,April 7 she performed his Eight Etudes, op. 38 in a chamber concert at the Great Hall of the Kyiv Conservatory(as a part of the conference, dedicated to the 25th anniversary of his death).

As it was observed, theme «Heinrich Neuhaus in Kyiv» goes throughout all Shamaieva’s musicological activity. She heard about that person from her friend Iryna Ivanova (who had also been friends with S. Richter since childhood, introduced Kira to him in 1950) and her husband Lev Naumov (they both studied in H. Neuhaus’ class at Moscow Conservatory, graduate school; later on became his assistants). In 1952, K. Shamaieva listened to H. Neuhaus performance in the Kyiv Philharmonic. Thanks to her piano teacher O. Kholodna (a graduate of H. Neuhaus) she acquainted with him. Later on she attended his concerts and open lessons. O. Kholodna suggested the direction of later Shamaieva’s sresearches. As a result, a number of articles were published and then it’s grown into a candidate's thesis («Concert Life in Kyiv 1919–1832»).

It was noted, that topics «Felix Blumenfeld in Kyiv», «Stanislav Blumenfeld and his school», «The Blumenfelds Family» are closely intertwined with the mentioned discourse. Special emphasis is made on source science aspect: K. Shamaieva's research is based on a systematic study of the Kyiv press, archival funds and memories of contemporaries. The results of her researches were published in Ukrainian, Russian, German and Polish article collections.

It’s proved, that K. Shamaieva's articles, devoted to the personalities of H. Neuhaus and the Blumenfelds family, became a valuable contribution to Ukrainian musical regionalism and biographic. Their study will serve to strengthen intercultural relations and will be a valuable contribution to the Ukrainian encyclopedism.

The Neuhauses and Proletarian Culture. Intersection Points

2024-02-23T12:10:09+02:00

The article, based on the materials of the local press, analyzes the directions of cooperation of the Yelysavetgrad family of Neuhaus with the Bolshevik regime in 1920–1922. The forms and types of cultural and educational work, typical for the period of the dominance of Proletarian culture as an organization of self-made creativity in the artistic field are depicted in a panoramic view - the activities of workers' groups, studios at clubs, the introduction of lectures-concerts with the practical participation of workers, peasants and soldiers. The introduction of the ideas of proletarian culture in the conditions of the destructive phase of the replacement of professional categories by populist tendencies is considered, which led to the leveling of professional musical art, the loss of positions of importance of consistent professional musical education in contrast to accessible amateurism.

The main trends of the musical life of the town of Yelisavetgrad at the beginning of the Soviet regime were analyzed: the introduction of total control for professional musicians, registration of instruments, military service. Found documents regarding the confiscation of keyboard instruments (grand pianos, pianos, harmoniums) with further squandering and complete destruction of valuable piano instruments on the territory of the region are published.

The performing participation of O.M. and G.W. Neuhaus, representatives of their families and former students in the cycles of historical concerts-lectures «Fires» and «Palace of Science and Art» for the proletarian public is described, the programs and the theme of the events are analyzed. The importance of concertsclavierbands, chamber performances-rehearsals of H.G. Neuhaus in Yelisavetgrad is interpreted against a background of the processes of educating a new proletarian audience. The reasons for the voluntary-compulsory return of the Neuhaus family as veterans of the pedagogical field to active concert activity are determined.

Chamber Ensemble Named After Ignacy Feliks Dobrzyński: 20 Years of SocioCultural Communication

2024-02-23T12:34:54+02:00

The relevance of the study. Problems of socio-cultural communication in music art are of highest relevance in sociology and music studies, especially, during the war, when it is necessary to preserve all cultural assets of the country.

The purpose of the article: to trace stages of formation and activity of honoured collective representative of Polish culture – Chamber ensemble named after Ignacy Feliks Dobrzyński of social organization Zhytomyr Regional Association of the Poles of Ukraine in the beginning of the XXIst century and had been actively concertizing before the very beginning of the “great war” (February 2022).

In order to achieve the said purpose the following methods were used:

of culture studies (historical-genetic, historical-dynamic, comparative);
of sociology of music (sociological observation);
communicative music studies (content analysis, discourse analysis, functional-communicative);
of theory of performing (historical-stylistic, genre, interpretation).

Problem statement. Activity of the ensemble for 20 years has been covered in newspapers, magazines, sites of Zhytomyr Regional Union of the Poles of Ukraine, social networks, TV shows “Slovo polske” [The Polish Word] and “Poliaky Zhytomyrshchyny” [The Poles of Zhytomyr land]. Mostly in genre of announcements, reviews, feedback of listeners.

History of the ensemble and professional assessment of its creative work and social activities became actual only with awareness that important cultural phenomena can exist not only in the capital, but in province as well.

Scientific novelty. Distinctive features of the Chamber ensemble named after Ignacy Feliks Dobrzyński as subject of research is duration and cultural edifying and educational nature of its functioning. Suggested research is the first attempt to trace activity of this group in the said aspect.

Statement of basic material. The article reviews activity of the ensemble starting from its creation at the late XX and early XXI centuries until the last concert that took place before the “great war”.

We have distinguished main spheres of its activity: performing music composers of Volyn-Zhytomyr land; revival of traditions of Catholic Church concerts; social and educational activity.

Conclusions and directions for future research. Chamber ensemble named after Ignacy Feliks Dobrzyński is a rather rare example of self-organization of the collective ideologically motivated. The research perspective could be monography about its activity.

Influence of Western Modernist Trends on Kyiv Music end Theoretical School In 1915–1925 Years

2024-02-23T12:55:01+02:00

The purpose of the article is to reveal the scientific ideas of the first in Ukraine center of musicologists, formed in Kyiv in 1915–1925 years. The methodology was formed on the application of historical, gnoseological, formal-logical, systematic approaches using special-historical (comparatives and historical typology) methods of research. The scientific novelty of the article is that for the first time in Ukrainian musical historiography, an attempt was made to analyze the scientific, organizational and musicaltheoretical achievements of Ukrainian musicologists on the platform of a certain philosophical and cultural movement with its transformations in education and science on the example of the Kiev Scientific and Music School of the early twentieth century. The Conclusions. The group of the first professional musicologists in Ukraine should enter the history of Ukrainian music science as the Kyiv Music and Theoretical School. The unifying factor for them were common tasks (building the structure of national music education, searching for the essence of music science and the directions of its research research) and fundamental musical and theoretical principles. Filled with special knowledge and enriched with certain experience, leading figures of musical culture in Kiev in a short time (apprehension from 1916 to 1924) for the first time in Ukraine developed a three-stage structure of musical education of youth (B. Yavorsky), painted ways of development of musical science (B. Yavorsky, A. Butskoy). In its organizational activity, new post-revolutionary opportunities were used, and in scientific research they were based on the world's most common moderator philosophical theories. In the teachings about musical thinking and the structure of musical language B. Yavorsky and A. Butskoy consciously or intuitively embodied the ideas of many leading modernist philosophers in the West (especially E. Husserl, A. Bergson, V. Warringer). Despite the rejection of their innovative views at that time, some of them remain effective and relevant today.

“Wedding” by Yakiv Yatsynevych: Peculiarities of Verbal Texts Musical Reading

2024-02-23T13:28:42+02:00

The relevance of the research. Among the Ukrainian composers who, in the first third of the 20th century, turned to the musical design of the Sacrament of Marriage, is Yakiv Yatsynevych. In his work, the composer issued the structure of the cycle in a new way. There are no thorough studies of the music of "The Wedding" by Y. Yatsynevych. In the short analytical description of O. Zasadna, not all characteristics of the cycle are identified and commented on. Today there are no performances or audio recordings of "The Wedding". The reason for this is the lack of interest of choral groups in the sacramental music artists of this era. However, it is extremely necessary to research, revive and popularize high-quality Ukrainian music.

Objective of the research – to investigate "The Wedding" songs by Y. Yatsynevych, to reveal the author's peculiarities of the verbal texts embodiment, to outline the musical characteristics of the work for the interest of performing choral groups. During the fulfillment of the mentioned tasks such methods of investigation were used: source study (search of documents in the archives of Kyiv), systematization (division and classification of found materials), history-chronological (arrangement and reconstruction of "The Wedding" creation), comparison (comparison and identification of musical features of "The Wedding" songs by Ukrainian composers of the first third of the 20th century), synthesis and generalization (joining of gained knowledge).

Scientific novelty. For the first time in Ukrainian musicology, archival documents from the life of Y. Yatsynevych, archival manuscripts of individual sections of the composer's "The Wedding" songs have been published, the musical and performance features of the cycle have been analyzed in detail, and intonation original sources of the works have been found.

Research results and perspectives. According to archival documents, the approximate date of "The Wedding" creation by Y. Yatsynevych was established - on the eve of 1927. Based on a comparison of the printed sheet music of the composer under the editorship of M. Hobdych with the work archival manuscript, a violation of the order of the chants was revealed. The structure of "The Wedding" was coordinated with the canonical liturgical sequence, and a separate numbering of the parts of the cycle was proposed: 1. "The Great Litany", 2. "Blessed are all", 3. "Prokymen", 4. "Isaiah, rejoice", 5. "For long years". Simplified versions of individual sections of the cycle were found and published for the first time – "Holy Martyrs" from "Isaiah, Rejoice", "To You, Lord" from "The Great Litany". The number of songs and their musical forms in Yatsynevich and his contemporaries (K. Stetsenko, O. Koshyts, P. Kozytskyi, Y. Kyshakevych) were compared. The peculiarity of the structure of "The Wedding" by Y. Yatsynevych was revealed – for the first time, the canonical texts of the two parts of the sacrament of Marriage (Engagement and Wedding) were voiced. The study of the musical features of "The Wedding" by Y. Yatsynevych leads to certain conclusions. In the compositions of the cycle, the author relied on the characteristic features of various stylistic sources – canto, folk song stylistics, techniques of church vocabulary in all the canticles of the cycle. Appeals to the concert genre (broad chants, contrast of choral tutti and solo parts in the long "Prokymen "), everyday chants (sound imitation in the short "Prokymen" of the pre-initial psalm "Bless my soul, God" of the Greek chant) were revealed. Important factors in ensuring the integrity of the cycle became intonation connections in the form of related melodic turns (wave-like development of the melody, broad chants). The citation of musical fragments in the work "Blessed are all" from "In Your Kingdom" from "Liturgy" by Y. Yatsynevych was found and illustrated. As an experienced conductor of professional and amateur choral ensembles, the composer took into consideration the performance capabilities of the singers and offered various versions of individual parts of the cycle - both virtuosic and simplified, which was not known before.

Significance. The proposed research testifies to Y. Yatsynevych's professional implementation of the canonical texts of the ceremonial wedding service and it should encourage singers to perform the work not only in the church, but also in concerts.

Romantic Characteristics of Harmony in the Chamber and Vocal Works of Viktor Kosenkо on the Poems of Symbolist Poets

2024-02-23T13:59:17+02:00

The vocal and chamber work of the outstanding Ukrainian composer of the 20th century Viktor Kosenko is a reflection of the lyrical musical and poetic features of his artistic world. For the author, this is a field of constant search for new means of musical expression and at the same time a solid base for mastering the traditions of past and present creative achievements. That is why romances occupy an important place in the composer's work.

Romantic lyrics dominated his work until the end of the 1920s, but still Viktor Kosenko's romances have not lost their relevance. The music complements the experience of the modern listener with numerous allusions to the romantic era. It sometimes resemblessty listic fusion sof elements of the music allanguage of composers of the past – S. Rachmaninov, P. Tchaikovsky, O. Scriabin, impresses with a palette of harmonious colors of late romanticism, impressionism, which shows the directions of the composer's musical and aesthetic preferences, especially in harmony. It is this important aspect that remains the least studied in musicology, therefore the study of harmonic phenomena in Vіktor Kosenko's chamber and vocal lyrics has all the signs of relevance.

Similarity and Early Development of Musical Art For Archeological Materials

2024-02-23T14:12:37+02:00

Musical art has always been an important part of human culture. Primitive archeology in Ukraine has almost never been the subject of such research. The purpose of the article is to review the data available in archeology, primarily in Ukraine. Historical, retrospective and comparative methods are used, as well as the method of analogies and the main provisions of music theory.

In the process of socioanthropogenesis, the so-called Neanderthals (Homo Sapiens) attract attention. It is they, who have parts of the brain responsible for labor activity and language. This is impossible without the formation of a high larynx. The prerequisites for musical activity appear about 150 thousand years ago. At the end of the Muster era, the first artificial musical instruments appeared (Divier-Babe, Geissenklosterle, KhokhleFels, Vogelherd, Isturitz, Molodovo I and V, Attacks I).

The design of the flute from the Molodovo site allowed the use of the embushure technique. At the Mezin site in the Chernihiv region, mammoth bones painted with ocher, were found, which made up an ensemble of percussion instruments. A number of "Pan flutes" come from Bronze Age monuments. Their sets include from 2 to 7 bone tubes. Five-sound (5-pipe) flutes reproduce the pentatonic scale. A peculiar musical instrument such as a bagpipe was found in a mound near the village. Vinogradnoye, Tokmaksky district, Zaporozhye region.

Hammer-shaped pins are found in pit and catacomb burials. They are sometimes found together with bronze hemispheres. The hemispheres can be interpreted as images of calls. The sound of metal bells on the piano reproduces light-ringing sounds, and on the forte - brilliant, radiant, brilliant sounds. This could be associated with the natural phenomenon of falling drops of water, sparkling and reflecting the rays of the sun in the water (rain-making rites).An interesting medieval string instrument, was discovered during the work of the Krasnoznamensk expedition of the Institute of Archeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. From the very beginning, music had not only industrial, but also religious significance, manifested in the ethics and aesthetics of ancient society. In the musical traditions of the ancient population of Ukraine, both eastern pentotonic traditions and southern ones, inherent in the societies of the Middle East or the Near East, can be traced. Many musical instruments begin to take shape much earlier than previously thought.

The Specific of Folk Song Arrangements in Yaroslav Vereshchagin's Vocal Cycles

2024-02-23T14:28:42+02:00

It is well known that the genre of folk song arrangement is widespread in Ukrainian music, as the folklore heritage of Ukraine is extremely rich and diverse. It is not surprising that authentic folklore samples have become a source of inspiration for many composers and performers. Artists use the folk melody in their work, embodying it through modern arrangements and processing. This approach allows not only to preserve the historical heritage, but also to give it a new sound. The analysis of musicological research shows that every Ukrainian composer in his work intentionally or subconsciously uses elements of Ukrainian folklore, and Yaroslav Vereshchagin is no exception.

Ya. Vereshchahin (1948-1999) was a bright master of the pen in the field of chamber music, a sophisticated artist of the poetic word. At the moment, the home archive of the composer's daughter Bohdana contains about 120 works of various genres, 48 of which were written for the voice accompanied by piano and chamber ensemble. It is especially worth noting the composer's love for creating vocal cycles: there are 14 of them in his oeuvre, each of which consists of two to four vocal miniatures. Unfortunately, to date, only 11 cycles have been fully discovered, and among them are arrangements of Ukrainian folk songs - two vocal cycles for voice and piano «Two Ukrainian Hayivkas» and «Two Ukrainian Songs». The relevance and novelty of the study lies in the choice of works by Ya. Vereshchagin for analysis that have not been covered yet in musicology.

The object of the study is the vocal cycles «Two Ukrainian Groves» and «Two Ukrainian Songs» by Ya. Vereshchagin. The subject of the study is the specificity of Ya. Vereshchagin's arrangements of Ukrainian folk songs. The purpose of the study is to analyze Ya. Vereshchagin's work with the folklore source on the example of the vocal cycles «Two Ukrainian Groves» and «Two Ukrainian Songs».

In conclusion, on the basis of the analyzed arrangements of Ukrainian folk songs, the basic principles of Ya. Vereshchagin's compositional work with the folklore source is indicated, which allow generalizing the concept of the composer's compositional style on the example of the analyzed works. In the course of a comparative analysis of these arrangements, signs of late Romantic and post-Romantic stylistic coloring are clearly traced, which testifies to the affinity with the compositional vocabulary of Western European and domestic composers of the late XIX - mid XX centuries. In particular, the vividly altered intra-fret dissonance appeals to the creative searches of B. Bartok, Z. Kodály, B. Liatoshynsky, and L. Revutsky. At the same time, in some pieces, in particular in «Willow Plank», one can feel the influence of jazz stylistics inspired by the creative experience of M. Skoryk, whose student Ya. Vereshchagin was.

The aspect considered in the publication suggests further research on the example of analyzing other artistic ideas of the artist, which will be the goal of the author's next work.

The Composer's Interpretation of yhe State Anthem of Ukraine in the Works of Ukrainian Composers

2024-02-23T14:44:24+02:00

The article explores various aspects of The anthem of Ukraine as an expression of the national pride and unity, unveiling its role in shaping the national consciousness, the dedication to the national heritage, and Ukrainian mentality.

By analyzing the state anthem as a national symbol, the article examines its significance and role in Ukrainian identity. The anthem is defined as a musical composition that commemorates socially significant events and becomes the country's brand and national symbol.

The article pays particular attention to the contemporary use of the anthem in Ukrainian society. It notes that the anthem's sound has become emotionally significant for citizens and is an everyday element of their patriotism. This symbol serves as an expression of national unity and contributes to the preservation and strengthening of national self-awareness.

The author also analyzes various interpretations of the anthem in the works of Ukrainian artists. Specifically, the influence of the vocal piece "Shche ne vmerla Ukraina" on the creation of Ukraine's national anthem and its translational aspects are examined. The primary focus is on the investigation of the Yuri Shevchenko's work "My Ye!" The article delves into Shevchenko's version of the anthem created as a paraphrase, altering its genre and lexical intonational component. The analysis assesses the level of the individual authorial contribution and the composer's interpretation in the musical text. It establishes the main features of the paraphrase genre and sheds light on the content of the original source "My Ye!" in the context of its historical creation and acquisition of significance as a state symbol.

Considering the importance of musical translation, the article emphasizes its creative nature by analyzing the typological peculiarities of the original and its embodiment in the new versions. It highlights that the translation takes into account intonational, genre, and stylistic changes, enriching the imagery and thematic content.

In the conclusion, the article underscores the significance of the national anthem as a symbol of national unity and patriotic sentiments, laying the foundation for the national self-identification and the development of Ukrainian society.