Journal articles on the topic 'Monologues with music (Piano with chamber orchestra)'

Introduction. In recent years, there has been indefatigable interest of scholars in the concerto genre, and that can be proven by constantly appearing research article and dissertation, devoted to it. For example, in 2017 and 2019 candidate dissertation [Ph. D] have been published, that illuminated previously obscure pages of, respectively, French tradition of this genre, embodied in concertos for various instruments with orchestra by C. Saint-Saëns, and AustroGerman of the first decades of XIX century (including those by J. N. Hummel, I. Moscheles, F. Ris). Expansion of the knowledge about this genre in historical aspect is accompanied by refinements and changes of viewpoints on its essence, that allows, in particular, to comprehend the phenomenon of intersection of different traits of a symphony, a concerto and an ensemble in composers’ activity of XX – beginning of XXI century. A presumption is made, that between these stated genres there is some kind of interlocutor, that is dialogism. At the same time, it is noted, that various types of a dialogue in given work do not lead inevitably to some “mix” or ambivalence, but can contribute to realisation of the potential of the concerto genre. The last one can be applied to the Piano concertos by J. Brahms. Objectives. The goal of the given article is to reveal signs of chamberness in genre-stylistic field of Piano concertos by Johannes Brahms. Results and discussion. In spite of widely disseminated opinion that they belong to predominately orchestral type or even are “symphonies with piano obligato” (Kuznetsov, 1980; Beyer, 1897), they reveal influence of another essential characteristics of the genre, including chamberness. This can be explained either by classicism of J. Brahms’s composer style, who has always orientated towards tradition of his times or by integrativity, that is an iconic trait of late-Romantic music. The examples are given of grand-scale symphonic conceptions deriving from primal ensemble ideas. It is noted, that while the understanding of the genre’s nature remains stable, in each Concerto the proportion of symphonism, concertoness and chamberness is singular due to a significant time interval passing between them and noticeable difference in level of composer’s maturity. Both Concertos reveal the following attributes of chamberness: frequent usage of separate orchestra groups, eventual appearance of “ensemble of soloists” on the background of certain groups or without any accompaniment, significant dramaturgic role played by solos of the piano either slightly supported by sparse instruments while their parts are rather scattered or absolutely unaccompanied. It is stressed that regarding playing piano one should not equate one performer with one part as there are parts of right and left hands and dialogues appearing between them (Polskaya, 2001). On the other side, mono-pianistic expression doesn’t necessarily coincide with a monologue, as self-comprehension of a personality can be marked by a significant dialogism and even conflict (Misitova, 2004). The Piano concertos by J. Brahms can serve as an example for the last observation as appearances of the soloist (chiefly, solo) create additional thread of dramaturgy, sometimes governing the development of music and its images. In the First concerto, given its allusions to the Baroque era, one can discern frequent usage of chamber, sometimes exclusively string orchestra. It is pointed out that initial image of Maestoso, that is supposed to be portrayed by sonority of the accentuated brass group as it has tremendous and formidable mood, is in fact embodied by strings with occasional illuminations of another groups. In Adagio the archi section also plays the leading role, being in dialogue with two bassoons in the first orchestral episode, later entering compassionate dialogue with the piano. In both movements the full orchestra is used only in the climactic moments, often with the soloist involved. And the Finale is the only movement where the semantics of the competition and festivities of the masses urges the composer to use entire orchestra. The logic of changes of emotional states in the solo part is quite clear. It is a personification of a “lyrical hero”, who is in a state of an inner dialogue, and that engenders a conflict situation, largely contributing to the dramatism of further events in the music. Employments of the ensemble are sporadic and are usually illuminated by a background of the orchestra. In Second concerto, while the strategy of chamberness of orchestra and raising the significance of the soloist remains stable, on the contrary, different means of ensemble communication are developed, including those involving “satellite” instruments. Their activity is revealed in the very first bars of Allegro non troppo, where French horn and piano resemble quiet and leisurely conversation. This duet in its further appearances marks the borders of large chapters of the structure, therefore acquiring compositional significance. Ensemble qualities are intrinsic for Andante from this Concerto, where another soloist appears, singled out from the group of cellos, and later oboe, clarinets make their entrance, and the score turns into sheer dialogue of soloists. Conclusions. Comparison of two Piano concertos by J. Brahms allows to state that composer simultaneously has firm understanding of this genre and favours different traits of chamberness in each of them. In the latter one “satellite” timbres are used, ensemble structures are more significant. And this paves the way for ensemble differentiation of the orchestra, that can be regarded as one of the first portents of modern understanding of concerto genre and abovementioned processes of “mixing”.

Abstract The 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century mark the emergence, development and affirmation of the piano as a complex instrument that shall take, in turns, the role of soloist instrument, claiming and being able to reach the sound variety of the orchestra, that of partner in chamber music assemblies or that of orchestra member. The emergence, improvement and qualitative performance acquisition adventure of the piano represents a fascinating history about human creativity and ingenuity serving art, beauty, sound expressivity refinement and improvement.

‘Pierrot Dreaming’. MUSGRAVE: Canta! Canta!; Ring Out Wild Bells; Threnody; Pierrot; Chamber Concerto No. 2. Victoria Soames Samek (cl), Gabrielle Byam-Grounds (fl), David Le Page (vn/va), Matthew Sharp (vc), Mark Troop (pno). Clarinet Classics CC0038.‘The Fall of Narcissus’. MUSGRAVE: Serenade; Narcissus; Impromptu for flute and cello; Wind Quintet; Impromptu No. 2 for flute, oboe and clarinet; Four Portraits for baritone, clarinet and piano. Victoria Soames Samek (cl), Members of English Serenata, David Le Page (va), Matthew Sharp (vc), Stephen Varcoe (bar), Rachel Masters (hp). Clarinet Classics CC0039.MUSGRAVE: Memento Vitae; Helios; Night Music; The Seasons. Nicholas Daniel (ob), Scottish Chamber Orchestra c. Nicholas Kraemer; BBC Symphony Orchestra c. Jac van Steen. NMC (ANCORA+) D074.‘Oriental Landscapes’. MUSGRAVE: Journey Through a Japanese Landscape. CHEN YI: Percussion Concerto. ZHOU LONG: Out of Tang Court. HOVHANESS: Fantasy on Japanese Wood Prints. Evelyn Glennie (perc), Singapore Symphony Orchestra c. Lan Shui. BIS CD 1222.

The chamber-instrumental ensemble music in the Ukrainian musical culture of the last third of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st centuries occupies one of the leading places and is characterized by powerful processes in its development. Such circumstances caused the Ukrainian musicologist interests to the problems of chamber-instrumental music creativity and performance. There are appeared researches in the field of theory, history and performance problems covering the most important questions like chamber music definitions, specific genre issues, the growing function of piano in the Ukrainian chamber music, the increasing questions of technique and timbre importance of modern instrumental ensembles. In the significant multifaceted creative work of contemporary Ukrainian composer, Oleksandr Yakovchuk, the genre of chamber instrumental ensemble music represents a complex and interesting phenomenon. Original and skillfully written compositions reflect artistic world of the composer of postmodern time and gained recognition in music life of Ukraine and beyond. These works are highly appreciated in performing practice of our days. The purpose of the article is to analyze the work — “Little Trio” for clarinet, bassoon and piano (1980), which has the signs of neoclassical tendency in the composer’s style. The methodological basis of this research is a comprehensive approach in theoretical understanding of the subject of research (the methods of textology, source study as well as the method of interviewing the author were used). The scientific novelty of this article is in the priority of its main provisions, since the “Little Trio” entered the scientific circulation for the first time. The three-movement “Little Trio” (1980) is notable for the light feeling of timbre colours and the shape clarity. The Ist movement — Allegretto giocoso — is written in a sonata form following all classical traditions. Quite interesting are the two monologues of clarinet and bassoon from the IInd movement, they represent very modern line in Ukrainian chamber music — the possibility of sincere confession which comes through the solo cadence. In the IIIrd movement, the composer took advantage from the folk Ukrainian dance “hopak” using the rhythm of it and creating dance character of the Final.

JOHN McCABE: Concerto for Piano and Wind Quintet; Musica Notturna; Fauvel's Rondeaux; Postcards for wind quintet. The Fibonacci Sequence. Dutton CDLX 7125.‘Old City New Image’. McCABE: String Trio; String Quartet No. 2. DAVID ELLIS: Trio for violin, viola and cello; String Quartet No. 1. Camerata Ensemble. Campion Cameo 2027.McCABE: Piano Concerto No. 2; Concertante Variations on a theme of Nicholas Maw; Six-Minute Symphony; Sonata on a Motet. Tamami Honma (pno), St Christopher Chamber Orchestra c. Donatas Katkus. Dutton CDLX 7133.‘Tenebrae’. McCABE: Variations; Intermezzi; Sostenuto (Study No. 2); Capriccio (Study No. 1); Aubade (Study No. 4); Tenebrae; Scrunch (Study No. 8); Evening Harmonies (Study No. 7). Tamami Honma (pno). Metier MSV CD92071.

AbstractWithAda Sketches, for mezzo-soprano, flute, clarinet and percussion,Mesmerism, for solo piano and chamber orchestra, andCalculus of the Nervous System, for large orchestra, in 2011 the young British composer Emily Howard completed a triptych of works in which she drew decisively on the life and thoughts of Ada Lovelace for inspiration. Today, Lovelace is recognized as a pioneer of 19th-Century mathematics, who in her lifetime attempted to bring together art and mathematics in Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine. She was convinced of the power of mesmerism and believed that there was a possible mathematical calculation for the human nervous system. This article shows how Emily Howard took up and developed musically these central threads of Lovelace's work in her ‘Lovelace Trilogy’.

A composer describes his concerns in relation to a 34-minute musical work (The Angel of Death) written in consultation with perceptual psychologists. This work was conceived, and has served, as an experimental object suited to the testing of a range of issues of interest to composers as well as psychologists: in particular, are the musical materials and the formal structure of a piece of music heard by listeners in the ways that the composer anticipates? The thematic sources of the subject work are described in relation to an overall formal design that was realized in two contrasted ways: Sectional (strongly characterized sections with clear boundaries) and Domain (an interwoven presentation of materials that minimizes formal articulation). These two realizations can be performed in either order (S-D, or D-S), but in either case, a computer component enters at the end of the first part, coexisting with the second.

In the past ten years a remarkable change has come over Brian Elias. He has turned from being a miniaturist to being a composer on a symphonic scale and with symphonic aspirations. Not that he has written any work with so self-conscious a title as ‘symphony’ – at least, not yet. But in these few years he has given us two extended cycles for voice and symphony orchestra, a large-scale single-movement orchestral work that must certainly be called symphonic, a set of 49 Variations for piano inspired by Beethoven's set of 32 in C minor, and now an orchestral ballet in progress for Kenneth Macmillan and the Royal Ballet. All these, and some impressive chamber works too, have come from a composer whose earlier reputation was based on a tiny scattering of compositions including a rarified solo soprano piece (based on a particularly obscure bit of Browning), a piece for solo violin, and the microscopic Five Piano Pieces for right hand alone.

The article we presented is devoted to the analysis of A.Dadashov's piano music. Although some of the composer's piano works have been examined in various studies, this heritage has not been examined in its entirety. The images created by A.Dadashov include the relationship between man and the universe, the desire for the creation of the individual world, as well as aspects related to the inner world of man. Piano music, which is an important part of A.Dadashov's work, is represented by various genres, large and small. Here you can find all kinds of genres, from piano and orchestral concerts to small preludes. Thus, the composer's piano music offers a wide choice for pianists of different ages. Azer Dadashov's piano works include three concerts written for piano and camera orchestra, as well as a series of small miniatures and independent plays. The composer composed three concerts for piano and orchestra. The first concert took place in 2004, the second in 2009 and the third in 2010. Miniature genres dominate Azer Dadashov's piano music. The series for young pianists is particularly noteworthy here. A.Dadashov’s “Six Preludes”, “Six Miniatures”, “For the Flower” consisting of seven dances, as well as four sonatinas, pastoral, etc. There are piano works. Taking into account the technical abilities of the young pianist, who has mastered the art of performance, the composer tried to portray the children's colorful dance power, the world of bright images and create interesting musical panels. The composer's piano series “Six Preludes” (1966), “Six miniatures” (1968), “Six melancholy miniatures” (1985), “For Flowers” (1986), and “Atmacalar” (2001) are included in the children's music teaching repertoire. These miniatures are widely included in the concert program of school and young pianists. As the name suggests, most of these sequences are programmed. In sequences of a particular genre, each instance has its own image-emotional content and is ordered within the sequence according to a certain linking principle. Azer Dadashov's piano music is also characteristic of independent plays of different volume and content. These include “Poema” (2012), “Space song” (2015), “Bagatel” (2010), “Praise”, “Funny dance” (2009), four sonatas, “Three almonds and a walnut” for piano and chamber orchestra. ”, “Sacrifice of God”, “My Flag”, “Trial”, “Grace” and others. Although the use of modern means of expression and the writing techniques of the composer are observed in A.Dadashov's piano music, the composer prefers classical traditions to embody the form. In the composer's music, each motif serves to embody the main idea down to the smallest detail, depending on its general content.

The composition of a piece of contemporary music for solo piano, 16-piece chamber orchestra, and 6-channel, computer-processed sound was tracked and documented from its initial conception to its concert premier. Notebooks, sketches, diagrams, recorded interviews, and the final score were used to address the solving of three compositional problems raised within the context of the piece. The first problem concerned the need to compose the five themes for the piece (23––100 s in duration) for both solo piano and chamber orchestra. Issues of performance constraints associated with the two media and on translation from a restricted to a more open timbral palette played an important role. The second problem involved composing the two major parts of the piece with similar temporal structures but vastly different ways of traversing the same thematic musical materials. Spatial, graphical representations and self-imposed graphic organization of the score were important factors in resolving this issue. The third problem involved conceiving of the computer component to accompany either of the two major parts, because the piece could be played with them in either order. The solution involved organizing the computer component into discrete parts that had fairly continuous textures and finalizing this component before the final composing of the instrumental components. Issues concerning the aspects of compositional problem-solving that are available for study, the types of representations used in problem solving,and the generalizability of such results to other pieces by the same composer or other composers are discussed.

Background. The name of Amanda Maier (married – Röntgen-Maier), the Swedish violinist, composer, pianist, organist, representative of the Leipzig school of composition, contemporary and good friend of С. Schumann, J. Brahms, E. Grieg, is virtually unknown in the post-Soviet space and little mentioned in the works of musicologists from other countries. The composer’s creativity has long been almost completely forgotten, possibly due to both her untimely death (at the age of 41) and thanks to lack of the research interest in the work of women composers over the past century. The latter, at least in domestic musicology, has significantly intensified in recent decades, which is due in part to the advancement in the second half of the XX and early XXI centuries of a constellation of the talanted women-composers in Ukraine – L. Dychko, H. Havrylets, A. Zagaikevych, I. Aleksiichuk, formerly – G. Ustvolska, S. Gubaydulina in Russia, etc. Today, it is obvious that the development of the world art is associated not only with the activities of male artists, but also with the creative achievements of women: writers, artists, musicians. During her life, A. Maier was the well-known artist in Europe and in the world and the same participant in the musical-historical process as more famous today the musicians of the Romantic era. Objectives and methodology. The proposed study should complement the idea of the work of women-composers of the 19th century and fill in one of the gap on the music map of Europe at that time. The purpose of this article is to characterize the genre-stylistic and compositional-dramaturgical features of selected chamber music works by A. Röntgen-Maier. In this research are used historical-stylistic, structural and functional, analytical, comparative, genre methods. Research results. Carolina Amanda Erika Maier-Röntgen was born in Landskrona, Sweden, where she received her first music lessons from her father. Then she studied at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, where she mastered playing on the several instruments at once – violin, cello, piano, organ, as well as studied the music theory. She became the first woman received the title of “Musik Direktor” after successfully graduating from college. She continued her studies at the Leipzig Conservatory – in the composition under Carl Reineke and Ernst Friedrich Richter direction, in the violin – with Engelbert Röntgen (concertmaster of the Gewandhaus Orchestra, the father of her future husband J. Röntgen). She toured Europe a lot, firstly as a violinist, performing her own works and her husband’s works, alongside with world classics. After the birth of her two sons, she withdrew from active concert activities due to the deterioration of her health, but often participated in music salons, which she and her husband organized at home, and whose guests were J. Brahms, C. Schumann, E. Grieg with his wife, and A. Rubinstein. It is known that Amanda Maier performed violin sonatas by J. Brahms together with Clara Schumann. The main part of the composer’s creative work consists of chamber and instrumental works. She wrote the Sonata in B minor (1878); Six Pieces for violin and piano (1879); “Dialogues” – 10 small pieces for piano, some of which were created by Julius Röntgen (1883); Swedish songs and dances for violin and piano; Quartet for piano, violin, viola and cello E minor (1891), Romance for violin and piano; Trio for violin, cello and piano (1874); Concert for violin and orchestra (1875); Quartet for piano, violin, viola and clarinet E minor; “Nordiska Tonbilder” for violin and piano (1876); Intermezzo for piano; Two string quartets; March for piano, violin, viola and cello; Romances on the texts of David Wiersen; Trio for piano and two violins; 25 Preludes for piano. Sizable part of the works from this list is still unpublished. Some manuscripts are stored in the archives of the Stockholm State Library, scanned copies of some manuscripts and printed publications are freely available on the Petrucci music library website, but the location of the other musical scores by A. Maier is currently unknown to the author of this material; this is the question that requires a separate study. Due to the limited volume of the article, we will focus in detail on two opuses, which were published during the life of the composer, and which today have gained some popularity among performers around the world. These are the Sonata in B minor for Violin and Piano and the Six Pieces for Violin and Piano. Sonata in B minor is a classical three-part cycle. The first movement – lyricaldramatic sonata allegro (B minor), the second – Andantino – Allegretto, un poco vivace – Tempo I (G major) – combines lyrical and playful semantic functions, the third – Allegro molto vivace (B minor) is an active finale with a classical rondosonata structure. The Six Pieces for Violin and Piano rightly cannot be called the cycle, in the Schumann sense of this word, because there is no common literary program for all plays, intonation-thematic connections between this musical numbers, end-to-end thematic development that would permeate the entire opus. But this opus has the certain signs of cyclization and the common features to all plays, contributing to its unification: tonal plan, construction of the whole on the principle of contrast, genre, song and dance intonation, the leading role of the violin in the presentation of thematic material. Conclusions and research perspectives. Amanda Maier’s chamber work freely synthesizes the classical (Beethoven) and the romantic (Schubert, Mendelssohn, Schumann) traditions, which the composer, undoubtedly, learned through the Leipzig school. From there come the classical harmony, the orderliness of her thinking, clarity, conciseness, harmony of form, skill in ensemble writing, polyphonic ingenuity. There are also parallels with the music of J. Brahms. With the latter, A. Maier’s creativity correlates trough the ability to embody freely and effortlessly the subtle lyrical psychological content, being within the traditional forms, to feel natural within the tradition, without denying it and without trying to break it. The melodic outlines and rhythmic structures of some themes and certain techniques of textured presentation in the piano part also refer us to the works of the German composer. However, this is hardly a conscious reliance on the achievements of J. Brahms, because the creative process of the two musicians took place in parallel, and A. Maier’s Violin Sonata appeared even a little earlier than similar works by J. Brahms in this genre. Prospects for further research in this direction relate to the search for new information about A. Maier’s life and creativity and the detailed examination of her other works.

When René Leibowitz was preparing the first performance of the Piano Concerto op.4 in 1949 (it was for this occasion that Spinner made the transcription for chamber orchestra, which is the only version of the piece that is known, printed, and performed), he asked Spinner for some details about his work and himself. The answer was characteristic:…Nun schliesslich, Sie würden gerne Einzelheiten von mir wissen: Ich bin 42, habe eine Frau und ein Kind (Margaret, 6 Jahre), das ist ganz privat narürlich (aber für mich sehr wichtig, darum erwähne ich es)! Ich habe bei Webern studiert. Was ich bis jetzt geschrieben habe, fängt mit der Sonate für Violin und Klavier op.1 an, dann ein Streichquartett op.2, eine Sonate für Klavier op.3. Op.4 kennen Sie bereits.

The opus of contemporary Serbian composer Milorad Marinkovic (b. 1976), which encompasses works of choral, chamber, concertante and symphony music, leans towards classical forms of artistic music, Serbian folklore music, and Serbian Orthodox church chant. This paper deals with pieces composed for larger instrumental ensembles: Herojska uvertira (Heroic Overture) for symphony orchestra, Psalmodija (Psalmody) for symphony orchestra, Koncert za klavir i orkestar (Piano concerto) and Mala opera (Little Opera) for chamber ensemble (septet) with prominent soloist parts of flute and clarinet. Special attention is placed on different procedures used by Marinkovic to accomplish wholeness and integration of the musical tissue. This paper observes these pieces as examples of religious music, having in mind the composer?s own understanding of the notion. Among common characteristics of the observed works that justify this point of view are specific single movement forms and the prominent role of main thematic materials, a cyclic principle, and programmatic elements. References to Serbian church chant observed in Marinkovic?s instrumental works are also discussed, especially in parallel with the analogue procedures used by Ljubica Maric (1909- 2003), one of the composer?s role models. Although Marinkovic?s works for instrumental ensembles do not fall into the category of spiritual music in its narrow sense (as defined by the composer himself), in this paper they are nevertheless considered as ?spiritual? in a broader sense, as an expression of the composer?s desire to spiritualize his entire artistic output.

Ch.-M. Widor (1844–1937) inscribed his name in the history of French music primarily as an author of organ works (10 Organ Symphonies, 1872–1900, in particular). But other genre branches of his creativity (symphonic, chamber-instrumental, chamber-vocal, operatic, choral) remains less famous for wide public. This quite vast layer is mostly not studied in musical science. However, at the recent time the interest is somewhat growing both among musicologists (A. Thomson, E. Krivitskaya, M. R. Bundy), and among the performers, which confi rms the relevance of this article. The objectives of this study are to consider compositions by Ch.-M. Widor (Piano Concerto No.1, Fantasy, Piano Concerto No.2) both in terms of features of individual creator style and context of concert branch history in France. Information about works is supplemented by the analysis of the basic musical text parameters. Ch.-M. Widor graduated the Brussels Conservatory, where he was studied from 1859 to 1863 – in classes of organ (J.-N. Lemmens) and composition (F.-J. Fetis). At 1860s, the young man was visiting Paris. Soon he was acquainted with C. Saint-Saens, which infl uenced Ch.-M. Widor not only in terms of his executive career turn, but also was etalon of instrumental writing. It seems that the writing of instrumental Concertos for violin (ор. 26, 1877), cello (ор. 41, 1877), and piano (ор. 39, 1876) in many ways is owed by C.Saint-Saens and the impulse to French music of the 1870s given by him. Piano Concerto No.1 f-moll by Ch.-M.Widor was well appreciated by the contemporaries of the composer. In fi rst movement (Allegro con fuoco) the active narrative is combining with predominantly lyrical mood. It passes in constant pulsation without any whimsical tempo deviations, as well as without cadenza using. Contemplative and philosophical meditations are concentrated at the second movement (Andante religioso). The exposition of ideas is embodied in oppositions of characters, concentrated and depth in front of light and joyous. By the way, a little similar can be found in Andante sostenuto quasi adagio of Piano Concerto No.1 (published in 1875) by C. Saint-Saens. The cycle is crowned with a lively scherzo fi nal with elegant dotted rhythm using. On the whole we can say that the Piano Сoncerto No.1 by Ch.-M. Widor purposefully continues the traditions of C. Saint-Saens. This is noticeable in the clarity of the structure, emphatic melody, and also in some specifi c features – the avoidance of long-term solo cadenzas and the absence of expanded orchestra tutti’s, as well as the laconicism of development section at the fi rst movement. Echoes of F. Liszt and C. Franck can be heard in Fantasy As-dur op. 62 for piano and orchestra (1889, dedicated to I. Philipp). Ch.-M. Widor shows interest in this genre type as many other French authors at 1880–1890s. In work there are many counterpoint and variation elements, which is due to author’s mastery of organ-polifonic writing. In our opinion, eclectic combinations of the main subject in the spirit of F. Liszt – R. Wagner with oriental saucy theme at the end of composition are quite in the style of C. Saint-Saens. Piano Concerto No.2 c-moll (1905) is standing out with its clear attachment to the late-romantic line. It is somewhat out of the general context of genre existence in France, especially when comparing with signifi cantly more traditional Piano Concertos by B. Godard (No.2, 1894), C. Saint-Saens (No.5, 1896), T. Dubois (No.2, 1897), A. Gedalge (1899), J. Massenet (1902). This manifests itself in appeal to fateful gloomy spirit, abundance of dark paints in the sound, the complication of the tonal-harmonic language, increased expressivity, psychologization. Here are found more fi ne-tooth application of timbre orchestral potential (in comparison with the Piano Concerto No.1), as well as increasing of orchestra importance upon the whole. This is paradoxical, but its performing tradition has developed not in the best way, so that nowadays this remarkable work is very rarely heard at concert halls. In our time, the author’s creativity is a real terra incognita that encompasses a lot of hidden masterpieces. Results of the research bring to light that examined works by composer are outstanding illustrations of French romantic music. Ch.-M. Widor is an example of original talent that continues the late Romanticism line in France at the end of 19th and fi rst third of the 20th century, together with other authors – L. Vierne, V. d’Indy, A. Magnard, F. Schmitt. His works for piano and orchestra quite deserve to become on a par with recognized masterpieces, included in the concert repertoire of pianists and orchestras by different countries of the world. The perspectives of the further research are defi ned in more detailed analytical labors, including the extension of analysis over Violin Concerto op. 26 and Cello Concerto op. 41 by author. The learning of these works will allow to complement the history of the concert genre of French Romanticism with new details, that will enable to see the evidence of succession and the vitality of traditions.

Free classification was used to explore similarity relations in contemporary musical materials. Thirty-four subsections from the five themes of The Angel of Death by Roger Reynolds were composed identically for piano (Expt. 1) and chamber orchestra (Expt. 2) in terms of pitch, rhythm, and dynamics. Listeners were asked to group together those judged to be musically similar and to describe the similarities between the subsections in each group. Listeners based their classifications on surface similarities related to tempo, rhythmic and melodic texture, pitch register, melodic contour, and articulation. They were to some extent also based on similarity of the mood evoked by the excerpts. This latter factor was more prominent in the verbalizations for the orchestral version. Instrumentation, timbre, and type of timbral change (smooth, disjunctive) also affected classifications in the orchestral version. Perceptual relations among thematic materials within the piece and the interaction of form-bearing dimensions in musical similarity perception are discussed.

Zoltán Kodály became seriously interested in Transylvanian folk music when he had learnt about the results of Béla Bartók's collecting fieldworks in Székelyföld. The wealth of old-style tunes and classical ballads, and – above all – the recognition of the importance of pentatony inspired Kodály to take part personally in the exploration of Székely folk music. Székely musical folklore obviously intrigued him both as an ethnographer and as a composer. He collected nearly 600 tunes in 15 Székely localities in the Gyergyó Basin, the valley of the Kászon stream, and Bukovina. He arranged 66 of these melodies within such compositions as e.g. the Dances of Marosszék, the musical play The Spinning Room, Hungarian Folk Music (57 ballads and folk songs for voice and piano), Székely Lament for mixed voices, Bicinia Hungarica, Kádár Kata and Molnár Anna (both with chamber orchestra accompaniment), and Pentatonic Music. Apart from his own collection, he also used those of some of his contemporaries. The paper discusses the specificities of Kodály's techniques of arrangement. His inspiring advice for younger folklorists had an essential role in triggering the in-depth investigation of Central Transylvanian folk music.

Vasyl Bezkorovayny (1880–1966) was a talented artist, an active figure in the musical life of Galicia and a representative of post-war Ukrainian emigrants in the United States of America. He wrote more than 350 works of various genres. Among them are compositions for symphony orchestra; vocal works — for chorus, ensembles or solo singing; chamber and instrumental music — for piano, violin, zither, cello; music for dramatic performances. The article deals with the archival and musicological analysis of expressive and stylistic features of V. Bezkorovayny’s vocal works, based on the materials of Stefanyk Lviv National Library of Ukraine. Attention is paid to the place of the composer’s vocal masterpieces in the context of Ukrainian vocal music of the first half of the XX century. The most important achievements of the composer related to the genres of choral and chamber vocal music. In style, the composer’s works combine the influences of M. Lysenko, composers of the «Peremyshl school» and Western European romantic and post-romantic models. The original secular choral music of V. Bezkorovayny covers genres of songs, plays, and large-form choirs. In his solo songs the influences of romantic western European music and Ukrainian folk songs affected the formation and approval of the composer’s style. Keywords: vocal music, chorus, solos, melodic-intonation means, harmony, rhythm.

Cecil Cameron Ewing (1925-2006) was a lecturer and head of ophthalmology at the University of Saskatchewan. Throughout his Canadian career, he was an active researcher who published several articles on retinoschisis and was the editor of the Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology. For his contributions to Canadian ophthalmology, the Canadian Ophthalmological Society awarded Ewing a silver medal. Throughout his celebrated medical career, Ewing maintained his passion for music. His love for music led him to be an active member in choir, orchestra, opera and chamber music in which he sang and played the piano, violin and viola. He was also the director of the American Liszt Society and a member for over 40 years. The connection between music and ophthalmology exists as early as the 18th Century. John Taylor (1703-1772) was an English surgeon who specialized in eye diseases. On the one hand, Taylor was a scientist who contributed to ophthalmology by publishing books on ocular physiology and diseases, and by advancing theories of strabismus. On the other hand, Taylor was a charlatan who traveled throughout Europe and blinded many patients with his surgeries. Taylor’s connection to music was through his surgeries on two of the most famous Baroque composers: Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) and George Frederick Handel (1685-1759). Bach had a painful eye disorder and after two surgeries by Taylor, Bach was blind. Handel had poor or absent vision prior to Taylor’s surgery, and his vision did not improve after surgery. The connection between ophthalmology and music spans over three centuries from the surgeries of Taylor to the musical passion of Ewing. Ewing E. Cecil Cameron Ewing. BMJ 2006; 332(7552):1278. Jackson DM. Bach, Handel, and the Chevalier Taylor. Med Hist 1968; 12(4):385-93. Zegers RH. The Eyes of Johann Sebastian Bach. Arch Ophthalmol 2005; 123(10):1427-30.

CECILIE ØRE: A. – a shadow opera. Joachim Calmeyer, Anneke von der Lippe, Tilman Hartenstein, Henrik Inadomi, Lakis Kanzakis, Rob Waring (voices). Aurora ACD 5034.BETH ANDERSON ‘Swales and Angels’: March Swale1; Pennyroyal Swale1; New Mexico Swale2,1,3; The Angel4,1,5,6,8; January Swale1; Rosemary Swale1; Piano Concerto6,1,7,3,8. 1Rubio String Quartet, 2Andrew Bolotowsky (fl, picc), 3David Rozenblatt (perc), 4Jessica Marsten (sop), 5Joseph Kubera (vc, pno), 6André Tarantiles (hp), 7Darren Campbell (bass), c. 8Gary M. Scheider. New World 80610-2.RAGNHILD BERSTAD: Anstrøk for violin and cello1; Krets for orchestra9; Respiro for clarinet and tape2; Zeugma for ensemble3; Toreuma for string quartet4; Verto for voice, cello & percussion5,6,7; Emutatio for voice, chorus and orchestra5,8,9. 1Kyberia, 2Lars Hilde (cl), 3Affinis Ensemble, 4Arditti String Quartet, 5Berit Ogheim (voice), 6Lene Grenager (vc), 7Cathrine Nyheim (perc), 8Oslo Chamber Choir, 9Norwegian Radio Orchestra c. Christian Eggen. Aurora ACD 5021.TAILLEFERRE: Works for piano. Cristiano Ariagno (pno). Timpani 1C1074.‘Sweetly I Rejoice: Music based on Songs and Hymns from Old Icelandic Manuscripts’ by HILDIGUNNUR RÚNARSDÒTTIR, MIST THORKELSDÒTTIR, THÒRDUR MAGNÚSSON, JÒN GUDMUNDSSON, ELÍN GUNNLAUGSDÒTTIR and STEINGRÍMUR ROHLOFF. Gríma Vocal Ensemble. Marta Gudrún Halldórsdóttir (sop), EThos String Quartet. Instrumental Ensemble c. Gunnstein Òlafsson. Smekkleysa SMK31 (2-CD set).‘I Start My Journey’: Sacred music by Anon, SMÁRI ÓLASON, ELÍN GUNNLAUGSDÒTTIR, STEFÁN ÓLAFSSON, JAKOB HALLGRIMSSON, BARA GRÍMSDÒTTIR, HRÒDMAR INGI SIGURBJÖRNSSON, GUNNAR REYNÍR SVEINSSON. Kammerkor Sudurlands c. Hilmar Örn Agnarsson. Smekkleysa SMK17.‘New Zealand Women Composers’. DOROTHY KER: The Structure of Memory. JENNY McLEOD: For Seven. GILLIAN WHITEHEAD: Ahotu (O Matenga). ANNEA LOCKWOOD/Lontano: Monkey Trips (1995). Lontano c. Odaline de la Martinez. LORELT LNT116.SPAIN-DUNK: Phantasy Quartet in D minor. BEACH: String Quartet in one movement. SMYTH: String Quartet in E minor. Archaeus String Quartet. Lorelt LNT114.SAARIAHO: Du cristal…a la fumée1–3; Nymphaea4; Sept Papillons2. 1Petri Alanko (alto fl), 2Anssi Karttunen (vlc), 3Los Angeles PO c. Esa-Pekka Salonen, 4Kronos Quartet. Ondine ODE 1047-2.

Gustav Jenner (1865–1920) was Brahms’s only long-term composition student. Jenner, an outspoken proponent of the conservative musical values he shared with Brahms, left numerous songs and pieces for chorus, piano, chamber ensembles and orchestra. Despite his obvious stylistic affinities to Brahms, it is clear from Jenner’s prose writings that he placed high value on artistic independence. Although scholars have noted the circumstances surrounding Jenner’s interactions with Brahms between 1888 and 1895 and Brahms’s general aesthetic influence on the young man, Jenner’s music – and particularly its relationship to that of Brahms – has received scant attention. Deeper comparison of the two composers’ works yields insights into not only how Brahms influenced less prominent composers in his circle and in the generation that followed him, but also the extent and nature of Brahms’s direct influence as a teacher.This article compares Jenner’s only complete orchestral piece, his Serenade in A major (1911–12), with its most obvious precedents, Brahms’s orchestral serenades. Although correlations in general style are numerous, discrepancies arise naturally. Jenner furthermore avoids Brahms’s most distinctive compositional choices and takes care not to rely too heavily on any one Brahmsian model for his own Serenade, suggesting his desire to distinguish himself and a wariness of the inevitable comparisons with the works of his teacher. Thus we find in Jenner’s work the same dual emphasis on musical tradition and independence emphasized both in Jenner’s prose writings and in the music of Brahms himself.

Background. The performance practice of recent decades demonstrates an obvious tendency to expand and update the repertoire due to the use of the works of those composers whose pieces had “lost” over time against to the pieces of their more famous contemporaries. At the same time, in sociology, psychology, culturology, gender issues are largely relevant. Musicology does not stand aside, applying the achievements of gender psychology in the study of composer creativity and musical performing (Tsurkanenko, I., 2011; Gigolaeva-Yurchenko, V., 2012, 2015; Fan, Liu, 2017). In general, the issue of gender equality is quite acute in contemporary public discourse. The indicated tendencies determine the interest of many musicians and listeners in the work of women-composers (for example, recently, the creativity by Clara Schumann attracts the attention of performers all over the world, in particular, in Ukraine the International Music Festival “Kharkiv Assemblies” – 2018 was dedicated to her works). The theme of the proposed work is also a response to the noted trends in performing practice and musicology discourse. For the first time in domestic musicology an attempt is made to give a brief overview of the life and career of another talented woman, whose name is little known in the post-Soviet space. This is a Swedish violinist, composer and pianist Amanda Röntgen-Maier (1853–1894), a graduate of the Stockholm Royal College of Music and the Leipzig Conservatory, a contemporary of Clara Schumann, J. Brahms, E. Grieg, with whom she and her husband – composer, pianist, conductor Julius Röntgen – were associated for enough long time by creative and friendly relationships. In the post-Soviet space, not a single work has been published that would be dedicated to the works of A. Maier. In European and American musicology, the composer’s personality and creative heritage is also not widely studied. Her name is only occasionally mentioned in works examining the musical culture and, in particular, the performing arts of Sweden at that time (Jönsson, Å., 1995, 151–156; Karlsson, Å., 1994, 38–43; Lundholm, L., 1992, 14–15; Löndahl, T., 1994; Öhrström, E., 1987, 1995). The aim of the proposed study is to characterize Amanda Meier’s creative heritage in the context of European romanticism. Research results. Based on the available sources, we summarized the basic information about the life and career of A. Maier. Carolina Amanda Erica Maier (married Röntgen-Maier ) was born on February 20, 1853 in Landskrona. She received the first music lessons from his father, Karl Edward Mayer, a native of Germany (from Württemberg), who worked as a confectioner in Landskrona, but also studied music, in particular, in 1852 he received a diploma of “music director” in Stockholm and had regular contracts. In 1869, Amanda entered to the Kungliga Musikaliska akademien (Royal College of Music) in Stockholm. There she learns to play several instruments at once: the violin, cello, piano, organ, and also studies history, music theory and musical aesthetics. A. Maier graduated from Royal College successfully and became the first woman who received the title of “Musik Direktor”. The final concert, which took place in April 1873, included the performance of the program on the violin and on the organ and also A. Maier’s own work – the Romance for Violin. In the spring of 1874, Amanda received the grant from the Royal College for further studies at the Leipzig Conservatory. Here, Engelbert Röntgen, the accompanist of the glorious orchestra Gewandhaus, becomes her teacher on the violin, and she studies harmony and composition under the guidance of Karl Heinrich Karsten Reinecke and Ernst Friedrich Richter. Education in Leipzig lasts from 1874 to 1876. In the summer and autumn of 1875, A. Maier returns to Landskron, where she writes the first major work – the Concerto for violin and orchestra in one-movement, D minor, which was performed twice: in December 1875 in Halle and in February 1876 with the Gewandhaus Orchestra under the direction of K. Reinecke. The further career of A. Maier, both performing and composing, developed very successfully. She made several major concert trips between 1876 and 1880: to Sweden and Norway, to Finland and St. Petersburg; she also played to the Swedish king Oscar II (1876); concerts were held with constant success. While studying in Leipzig, A. Maier met her future husband (the son of her violin teacher) Julius Röntgen, composer and conductor. They married 1880 in Landskrona. Their personal relationships included active creative communication, both playing music together, and exchanging musical ideas, getting to know each other’s works. Part of his chamber opuses, for example, the cycle of Swedish folk dances, A. Maier created in collaboration with her husband. An analogy with life of Robert and Clara Schumann may take place here, although the Röntgen spouses did not have to endure such dramatic collisions that fell to the lot of the first. After the wedding, Röntgen family moved to Amsterdam, where Julius Röntgen soon occupies senior positions in several music organizations. On the contrary, the concert and composing activities of A. Maier go to the decline. This was due both, to the birth of two sons, and to a significant deterioration in her health. Nevertheless, she maintains her violin skills at the proper level and actively participates in performances in music salons, which the family arranges at home. The guests of these meetings were, in particular, J. Brahms, K. Schumann, E. Grieg with his wife and A. Rubinstein. The last years of A. Maier’s life were connected with Nice, Davos and Norway. In the fall of 1888 she was in Nice with the goal of treating the lungs, communicating there with her friends Heinrich and Elizabeth Herzogenberg. With the latter, they played Brahms violin sonatas, and the next (1889) year A. Maier played the same pieces with Clara Schumann. Amanda Maier spent the autumn of 1889 under the supervision of doctors in Davos, and the winter – in Nice. In 1890, she returned to Amsterdam. His last major work dates back to 1891 – the Piano Quartet in D minor. During the last three years of her life, she visited Denmark, Sweden and Norway, where she performed, among other, her husband’s works, for example, the suite “From Jotunheim”. In the summer of 1889, A. Maier took part in concerts at the Nirgaard Castle in Denmark. In 1894, she returned to Amsterdam again. Her health seems stable, a few hours before her death she was conducting classes with her sons. A. Maier died July 15, 1894. The works of A. Maier, published during the life of the composer, include the following: Sonata in H minor (1878); 6 Pieces for violin and piano (1879); “Dialogues” – 10 small pieces for piano, some of which were created by Julius Röntgen (1883); Swedish songs and dances for violin and piano; Quartet for piano, violin, viola and cello E minor (1891). Still unprinted are the following works: Romance for violin and piano; Trio for violin, cello and piano (1874); Concert for violin and orchestra (1875); Quartet for piano, violin, viola and clarinet E minor; “Nordiska Tonbilder” for violin and piano (1876); Intermezzo for piano; Two string quartets; March for piano, violin, viola and cello; Romances on the texts of David Wiersen; Trio for piano and two violins; 25 Preludes for piano. The composer style of A. Mayer incorporates the characteristic features of the Romantic era, in particular, the Leipzig school. Lyric elements prevail in her works, although the composer is not alien to dramatic, heroic, epic images (the Piano Quartet E minor, some pieces from the Six Songs for Violin and Piano series). In the embodiment of such a circle of images, parallels with the musical style of the works of J. Brahms are quite clearly traced. In constructing thematic structures, A. Maier relies on the melody of the Schubert-Mendelssohn type. The compositional solutions are defined mainly by the classical principles of forming, which resembles the works of F. Mendelssohn, the late chamber compositions of R. Schumann, where the lyrical expression gets a clear, complete form. The harmonic language of the works of A. Maier gravitates toward classical functionality rather than the uncertainty, instability and colorfulness inherent in the harmony of F. Liszt, R. Wagner and their followers. The main instrument, for which most of the opuses by A. Maier was created, the violin, is interpreted in various ways: it appears both, in the lyrical and the virtuoso roles. The piano texture of chamber compositions by A. Maier is quite developed and rich; the composer clearly gravitates towards the equality of all parties in an ensemble. At the same time, piano techniques are reminiscent of texture formulas by F. Mendelssohn and J. Brahms. Finally, in A. Mayer’s works manifest themself such characteristic of European romanticism, as attraction to folklore, a reliance on folk song sources. Conclusions. Periods in the history of music seemed already well studied, hide many more composer names and works, which are worthy of the attention of performers, musicologists and listeners. A. Mayer’s creativity, despite the lack of pronounced innovation, has an independent artistic value and, at the same time, is one of such musical phenomena that help to compile a more complete picture of the development of musical art in the XIX century and gain a deeper understanding of the musical culture of this period. The prospect of further development of the topic of this essay should be a more detailed study of the creative heritage of A. Maier in the context of European musical Romanticism.

The article is devoted to the systematization of the criteria of the classification of concert music for violin, in which, along with the traditional genre criteria, stylistic and textured ones are highlighted It is noted that such a comprehensive consideration allows solving a number of tasks of both research and performance profile. Based on the modern approach to the genre system, the article extrapolates it to concert violin music, which covers the range from solo miniature pieces to concerts for violin and symphony orchestra. It is emphasized that the least researched is the question of the stylistics of concert violin genres, constituted according to the same parameters as the musical texture – horizontal, vertical and depth (E. Nazaikinsky). The article proposes an original classification of the genre-stylistic complex of concert violin music, that is based on the following factors: the style of the highest levels (epoch-making, national, specific), genre (the complex of existing genres of violin music), texture in the aspect of stylistics (the main “identification mark” of the genre) and the style of concretized levels (author’s individual level and separate work). Considering the first classification criterion – the genre one, its universal nature it should be noted, covering two levels of the concert violin music system: functional – performers, the way of performance – and semantic-compositional – genre content and style (I. Tukova). The style criterion acts as a parallel to the genre criterion and means the differentiation of the genre system according to the signs of introversion (style as an introvert category, according to V. Kholopova). Here the phenomena and concepts are formed that cover all levels of the style hierarchy in its distribution to concert music for violin – from the historical to the author’s individual and even the style of a separate piece. It is emphasized that the least explored area of violin concert is its stylistics, which is closely related to its texture – the “external form” of the genre manifestation (L. Shapovalova). The stylistic aspect in violin music-making is reviewed in the article according to the same parameters as the texture aspect, since they largely coincide (E. Nazaikinsky). We are talking about the factors of horizontal (the types of texture that form the stylistic relief of the text of the work), vertical (the combination of textures in their different stylistic meanings), depth (based on the author’s handwriting of his connections with the texture and style sources – historical, national ones, characteristic of certain violin schools and directions). It is noted that this refers to both sides of the genre-stylistic system of concert music for violin (with the participation of a violin) – functional and semanticcompositional – and is realized in the following variants of textured style: solo orchestra (violin or several violins with an orchestra); solo ensemble (the same accompanied by a chamber ensemble); solo piano (violin and piano duet); solo violin (violin without accompaniment). It is proved that all these textured and stylistic varieties of concert violin music are combined on the basis of the idea of a concert style – “competition-agreement” (B. Asafiev) of the participants in the act of playing music. The measure of the correlation of performing forces in a concert dialogue ultimately determines the choice of criteria for classifying its varieties in their extrapolation to a concert violin. The article reveals the features of all four above-named options for this dialogue, taking into account their possible combination. It is noted that this combination is most fully reflected in a violin concert with an orchestra, where other forms of concert appear occasionally – solo without accompaniment (solo cadenzas), ensemble (microdialogues of the violin and other orchestral instruments). The classification criteria highlighted in the article, first of all texture-stylistic ones, together form the following system of genres of concert music for violin (with the participation of a violin), considered from the standpoint of: 1) concert dialogue in its textured manifestations (gradation in the dominance of the soloist instrument over accompaniment or, conversely, accompaniment over a solo part); 2) the principle of intimacy, bordering on concertness, but meaning the parity of the performing parts (a distinctive feature of chamber ensembles, in which it stands out as the leading violin part); 3) the self-sufficiency of the violin as a universal instrument suitable for the implementation of concert dialogue in the solo form of music-making (a wide range of genre forms of violin music – from miniatures and their cycles to suites, partitas and solo sonatas). It is noted that, in the future, the classification patterns identified in this article can be considered using the example of specific samples belonging to a particular genre group. The author of this article plans to do this on the basis of concert genres of violin music created by the composers of the Kharkiv school. Focusing on classical and modern samples, as well as the traditions of the Kharkiv stringbow performing school represented by A. Leshchinsky, A. Yuriev, S. Kocharyan, G. Averyanov, E. Shchelkanovtseva, L. Kholodenko, E. Kupriyanenko and other string players, Kharkiv authors interpret the concert-violin style in various ways, revealing in it both the general (the “image” of the violin in the system of specific instrumental styles), and the special (the styles of the national and regional schools), as well as the unique, individual (the representations of the latter are their best works).

The article analyzes the repertoire for a duet of bayan players, which had been created by Russian arrangers and composers since the second half of the 70s of the XXth century to the beginning of the XXIst century. The article considers the reasons for the later creation of the first original compositions for the modern bayan duet in comparison with the repertoire for solo bayan, and defines the concept of "modern repertoire". Comparisons are drawn between the possibilities of presenting musical fabric in the works created for a mono-timbre bayan with ready-made chords in the left half shell, and a multi-timbre free bass instrument. In modern music for a bayan duet, in contrast to the works of the 1940s – early 1970s, there are other ways of presenting melodic, figurative line, as well as harmonic background in the left half shell of the bayan. The author considers the role of the timbre palette in modern compositions for a bayan duet and reveals the performance capabilities of this ensemble, which caused numerous arrangements of works written for piano, organ, chamber ensemble and orchestra. The figurative sphere laid down by the authors in the works written for a duet of traditional bayan and a duet of modern instruments is compared. The modern repertoire for this instrumental duet is created by both bayan composers and composers writing music for other forms of performance.

Background. The article is devoted to the creative activity of the outstanding Chinese composer, pianist, teacher and public figure Zhang Zhao (born in 1964). The musical heritage of Zhang Zhao covers a wide range of genres and includes symphonic, piano music, instrumental compositions, works for Chinese traditional instruments, vocal, chamber music, ballets, music of cinema and television programs, and music for large social events. Despite his notoriety in China, the United States, Canada and many European countries, Zhang Zhao is little known in Ukraine. Thus, Ukrainian musicians to date have been deprived of the opportunity to get acquainted with his work. Since the music of Zhang Zhao sounds in many countries of the world, it resonates powerfully in a variety of areas, and in particular, research. To date, the work of the composer is actively studied by Chinese musicologists. However, among the publications, small articles devoted to a narrow range of problems predominate. Large-scale studies devoted to any area of his music have not yet been created. One of the most important topics relating to the composer’s work is the study of his views on musical art. Zhang Zhao’s vision of the further development of Chinese piano art reveals the composer’s worldview, his creative credo. This question is decisive for studying the composer’s musical heritage, defining his genre-style priorities. Objectives. The purpose of the article is to reveal the peculiarities of Zhang Zhao’s artistic worldview in order to promote the fullest possible identification of the ideas of the composer, the disclosure of the artistic concepts of his works. Methods of research are based on a set of scientific approaches necessary for the disclosure of its theme. The complex approach, combining the principle of musical-theoretical, musical-historical and performing analysis, is taken as the basis of the methodology. Results. Important for the disclosure of the creative worldview of the composer is the study of his statements on the ways of further development of musical art. His attitude and vision of his role in this process, the Chinese musician has repeatedly stated in an interview with domestic journalists. According to Zhang Zhao, the main issue that should concern modern composers is the place of the musical art of their country in world culture. Zhang Zhao found in the face of the pianist virtuoso his Yundi Li adherent. The collaboration between the composer and the performer began in 2011. Zhang Zhao took part in a large-scale theatrical performance at the Third Congress of BRICS leaders in Sanya. Then Yundi Li performed on the stage of the concert hall of Zhang Zhao’s play “In the most remote place” and “Chinese piano dream”. Zhang Zhao is committed to the concept of inheritance and the promotion of a culture of national music. The Chinese compare Zhang Zhao with the outstanding leader of the Polish people Chopin, who dedicated his life to the transformation in piano music of various genres. Piano works by Zhang Zhao adorned the world culture with the introduction of Chinese national motives into it. The composer introduced listeners to the air melodic lines of original works and filled his works with a complex texture, making them attractive for acquaintance with the rich traditional culture of China. Developing national piano art, Zhang Zhao inscribes the Chinese chapter in the world culture with his inherent passion and love for life. In addition to studying composition, performing and teaching, Zhang Zhao, is active in public activities, being a music professor at the Central University for Nationalities. He pays great attention to the development of the artistic taste of students, shares his own musical ideas and aesthetic principles. The composer made great efforts and energy to create the “Chinese piano dream”. To popularize this work, they, together with Yundi Li and the Shanghai People’s Orchestra conducted nationwide tours, visited Taiwan, and outlined other projects. Despite the fact that Professor Zhang Zhao has a very tight work schedule, he nevertheless finds time to talk with his students about the place of national music and its prospects. In the “Chinese Piano Dream”, the composer sought to reflect the essence of the musical culture of the Chinese nation. He embodied the dreams of the older generation of pianist composers and performers about the perfection of the Chinese piano scene, set a high goal – to show the artistic value of the Chinese piano piece on the world stage, took on the mission to inherit the national culture and pass it on to the next generations. In the works of Zhang Zhao, the interests of the Chinese and global world level intersect. This is due to the amazing richness of the composer’s creative worldview, which is open to everything significant in life and art. On this basis, the composer came to important conclusions about the role of contemporary classical musical art in people’s lives in China and in the world. Conclusions. For more than twenty years, Zhang Zhao is in the creative search for his musical style. He carefully investigated the development of ethnic music, which enabled him to create his piano works, which are distinguished by a unique and mature language.

Background. The article provides an analysis of L. Beethoven’s piano quartets through the prism of the ensemble writing and composition experience by W. A. Mozart. The disclosure of the successive ties between the two great Viennese classics in the field of chamber instrumental music contributes to the scientific understanding of the history of this genre, which is not sufficiently covered in musicology. The analysis revealed that the four piano quartets of L. Beethoven are focused on Mozart’s prototypes, or rather, on sonatas for violin and piano. It was found that the formative principles of Beethoven’s piano quartets grow from the above-mentioned compositions by W. A. Mozart, but the content and the ensemble-dramatic solution reflect the independence and originality of the young composer’s thinking, revealing the sprouts of a future mature style. The purpose of this article is to disclose the ways of rethinking the prototypes of Mozart in the piano quartets of L. Beethoven. The piano quartets of the latter serve as the musical material of the article: No. 1 Es-dur, No. 2 D-dur, No. 3 C-dur WoO 36, and No. 4 Es-dur op. 16. Results. L. Beethoven changes the algorithm of ensemble events contained in Mozart’s opuses, where the theme is presented in turn by piano, violin, followed by the conversation of the two. The composer immediately includes all members of the quartet in the presentation of the leading material, which specifies this genre, revealing its “intermediateness” between the intimacy of the trio and the “representativeness” of the concerto. Since the genetic origins of the genre of the piano quartet are the trio sonata, the string quartet and the clavier concerto with the accompaniment of a string ensemble, these genres influenced the type of Beethoven’s piano quartets. Thus, Beethoven’s Bonn quartets resemble in their writing a string quartet; and the piano quartet Es-dur op. 16 resembles a clavier concerto with orchestra. These compositions are related to the first of the above mentioned prototypes by the consistent application of the trio principle, which is expressed in various combinations of ensemble voices. In the timbre refraction, the trio-principle underlies the pairing of stringed instruments, where the bowed instruments form a strictly homophonic vertical with the traditional functional relationship according to the “upper voice ‒ bass ‒ middle” model. Another dimension of the trio principle arises when one of the string parts of the piano is displaced, as a result of which a multi-timbre sound field is formed. There is an obvious desire of the composer for the equality of four voices in the piano quartet. At the same time, the timbre uniqueness of the piano and the virtuosity of its part make it possible to recognize in it the leader of the ensemble union. Conclusion. The leading role of the piano in L. Beethoven’s piano quartets brings this genre closer to a piano concerto. At the same time, the piano has a variety of role functions: it can act as an equal partner, being one of the voices of the quartet score; as a concert instrument demonstrating its virtuoso capabilities; as a leader of an ensemble, a kind of conductor, giving impetus to performance, initiative in ensemble play. Similar functions can be observed in W. A. Mozart’s sonatas for violin and piano, which L. Beethoven was guided by.

Background. The aim of the article is examination and presentation of Valentyn Borysov’s creative life, who was a celebrated Ukrainian composer (1901–1988), a classic of Kharkiv composition school, author of vivid and profound works in such spheres as symphonic, choral, chamber, vocal and piano music; his 120th anniversary in 2021 will be a big milestone for artistic community of Ukraine. Valentyn Borysov’s creativity is an indispensable part of national music, one of its treasures. He belonged to artists who had defined ways of development of Ukrainian professional music in XX century. In his creative outcome we can see influences of numerous artistic tendencies, characteristic for extremely controversial, but also prolific epoch. Composer being a part of quite ambivalent period of Ukraine’s cultural history conditioned usage of diverse research approaches; his works are regarded both in the light of existing musical traditions and on the background of his contemporary cultural environment. This is the novelty of the study. Integrity of presentation of Valentyn Borysov’s creative life is supported by the fact that this article considers his pedagogical activity in his alma mater, nowadays Kharkiv I. P. Kotlyarevsky National University of Arts, which resulted in bringing up a constellation of well-known Ukrainian composers, as well as his public and aimed at cultural enlightenment work. Results and conclusions. For V. Borysov, stage of accumulation of professional and personal experience coincided in time with a turning point in development of Ukrainian musical art. In these years composer attended classes of S. S. Bogatyrov, forefather of Kharkiv composition school; he studied alongside with M. Koliada, H. Tumeneva, D. Klebanov, V. Barabashov, M. Tits, who constituted a brilliant generation of Ukrainian composers several decades later. Symphonic and chamber works of this time showed such features of V. Borysov’s creative method as large-scale thought, leaning towards epic and heroic images, skilful usage of advanced composition techniques. At the same time, under the influence of external factors V. Borysov turned to relevant genre of his time, such as mass song and choral music. As early as on the primary stage of his development as a composer, V. Borysov defined Ukrainian folklore as one of the main sources for his inspiration. Folklore component of musical language became one of the prominent features of his style, its presence is conspicuous on each stages of his evolution. Submission of individual to collective, national conditioned V. Borysov’s interest to monumental forms of symphony, oratorio, cantata, poem, defined their leading role through late style of composer’s creativity. Unique combination of already existing aesthetic premises, high level of moral imperative, relevance of musical language created phenomenon of “V. Borysov’s late style”. The article regards the most original works, which were received very well by the contemporaries: “Divertissement” for symphonic orchestra, “Music for strings”, concert compositions for piano, violin, viola, sets of piano miniatures, composed on late period (70s–80s). Singularity of musical language in these works is created by the fact that V. Borysov succeeded to create a unique mixture of folklore tradition with “sonic field” of avantgarde musical art; with this musical language incredibly relevant, “eternal” problems of existence are embodied. This article was inspired by a desire to draw attention to V. Borysov’s legacy, to revive profound and immensely talented works of the composer, to enrich culture of modernity with them, to remind people of XXI century about such a treasure, that his works are.

The object of research is the works of V. Bibik written at the beginning of his mature period. The aim of the research is to reveal the main features of Bibik’s style. Methods of research include technical analysis of the works in the context of the innovative tendencies in the Ukrainian music of 1960–70s, as well as comparative research. Research results. Outstanding Ukrainian composer Valentyn Bibik (1940–2003) wrote over 150 works. Mostly they are large-scale symphonic, choral, vocal, and chamber pieces. Among them are 11 symphonies, over 20 concerti for various instruments with orchestra, vocal and choral cycles, chamber compositions (the last group includes 5 string quartets, 3 piano trios, sonatas for string instruments both solo and with piano), 10 piano sonatas, piano solo works (two sets of preludes and fugues – 24 and 34 total, Dies Irae – 39 variations). The composer was born in Kharkiv. In 1966 he completed studies at Kharkiv Conservatory, where he attended the composition class of D. Klebanov. Since 1994, he had been living in St.-Petersburg, and since 1998, in Israel where he died in 2003. Bibik’s formative period coincided with a substantive modernization of Ukrainian culture in the 1960s. During those years, members of the “Kyiv avantgarde” group (L. Hrabovsky, V. Sylvestrov, V. Godziatsky, et al.) sought to utilize modernistic idioms and techniques, such as free atonality, dodecaphony, sonoristic and aleatoric textures, cluster harmony, etc. Unlike the others, Bibik started with a more conservative style, which bore the influences of Shostakovich, Prokofiev, and Bartók. Bibik’s mature period started several years later in the early 1970s with Piano Trio No. 1 (1972) and the composition Watercolors for soprano and piano (1973). Together with his next piano work 34 Preludes and Fugues, these compositions show extremely individual features of Bibik’s style, such as: 1. Special treatment of the sound, which is considered not just a material for building certain musical structures but a self-valuable substance (Bibik has an original manner of organizing sound). Hence, timbral and textural aspects draw special attention to the composer. 2. The pitch and rhythmic structure of the themes is quite simple. A combination of several simple motives becomes the starting point of long and sophisticated development. These motives are derived from folk music, however, due to rhythmic transformation, they have lost their direct connection with the folk source. 3. Rhythmic structures areal so very simple. They often include sequences of equal rhythmic values (usually crotchets or eights). However, the composer avoids monotony dueto due to variable time signatures and permanent rubato, as well as significant flexibility in phrasing. 4. The development relies mostly on melodic and polyphonic elaboration of initial simple motives. The composer utilizes various kinds of polyphony, such as canonic imitations, various combinations of the main and supportive voices, heterophony, hyper-polyphony. In fugues he employs both traditional and new methods of thematic and tonal distribution. 5. The harmony in Bibik’s works is mostly modal, as well as a combination of modality with free atonality and extended tonality. The structure of the dense chords is close to clusters, while more transparent chords include mostly seconds and fourths (as well as their inversions). He almost never used traditional tonal harmony and chords built up from thirds, and was interested in their color aspect rather than their tonal functionalism. 6. The sonoristic texture is very important. It does not diminish the importance of the melody but gets into special collaboration with it (“singing sonority”). A special “mist” around a clear melodic line is one of Bibik’s most typical devices. Due to special “pedal” orchestration, both the line and the “surrounding” sounds become equally important. 7. Elements of limited aleatoric music may be found in his rhythm and agogics, and sometimes inpitch structures (passages and figurations with free choice of the pitches). His favorite technique is a superposition of two rhythmically and temporally independent textural layers (for instance, a combination of the viola solo and the sonoristic orchestral background in the third movement of the Fourth Symphony). 8. Sonata for mand the fugue were significantly reinterpreted within free atonality and modal harmony. These provisions are the scientific novelty of the study.

Background. Musical culture of Kharkiv has a rich history associated with the names of prominent musicians such as R. Genika, I. Slatin and others. But the creative work of our senior contemporaries, artists, who created in the second half of the XX and early XXI century, made a great influence on the formation of the modern musical face of Kharkiv, the state of professional music education, too. O. I. Litvinov, a composer, pianist (as well as accordion player, performer on wind instruments), conductor and arranger, is no doubt among those artists. However, the creativity of this outstanding musician, who was actually the founder of professional jazz education in Kharkiv, is not currently the subject of widespread discussion in contemporary Ukrainian musicology. There are few sources that would cover O. I. Litvinov’s life and career. For the first time, he is mentioned as the founder of pops’n jazz performance department in a print publication dedicated to the 85th anniversary of KhNUA named after I. P. Kotlyarevsky. In the same context, O. Litvinov’s name is found in O. Kononova’s essay on the evolution of music education in Kharkiv in the jubilee edition dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the University. There is a biographical article in this very anniversary publication. In the earlier anniversary edition “Pro Domo mea” (on the 90th anniversary of the institution) there is some information about O. Litvinov regarding the history of the jazz department creation. Basic biographical data are briefly presented in the article of I. O. Litvinova in the Encyclopedia of Modern Ukraine. A small booklet dedicated to the major milestones of O. Litvinov’s life and creative work was published in the KhNUA (then KhSUA) named after I. P. Kotliarevskyi to mark the 75th anniversary of the musician. There are also several publications devoted mainly to specific dates in the creative life of the maestro (concerts, anniversaries, etc.): by H. Derev’ianko, L. Lohvynenko, M. Dvirnyi, A. Moshna, I. Polska, and O. Sadovnikova. Among purely research works devoted to this striking personality are the Master’s work by Yu. N. Shikova, which was written under the guidance of І. І. Polska at Kharkiv State Academy of Culture. The purpose of the article is to systematize existing information on the life and creative path of the prominent Kharkiv musician, give a brief description of the main features of his performing and composing style. Methods. The work employs historicobiographical, analytical and comparative methods, as well as a genre-stylistic approach. Results. O. Litvinov was born on November 17, 1927 in Zaporozhye. He received his elementary education at a piano music school. From 1943 to 1951 he was in military service, participated in the World War II. After the war, he continued to study music at Kharkiv Music College named after B. Lyatoshynsky, later at the Composition Faculty of Kharkiv Conservatory. He was expelled from there because of his passion for jazz. From 1951 he continued his musical activity as an artist of the MIA Variety Orchestra (in Dnepropetrovsk), in 1955–1956 he was a soloist of the Sakhalin Oblast Philharmonic and Khabarovsk Regional Philharmonic. In 1956–1958 he was the leader of the variety band of the Palace of Culture for Food–Industry Workers, in 1958–1961 he was the leader of the concert band of the Palace of Culture for Builders. From 1961 to 1973, he was the director of his own collective – Honoured Variety Ensemble “Kharkivyanka” at Kharkiv Electromechanical Plant. In 1965 he received the title of Honored Artist of Ukraine, in 1978 – People’s Artist. From 1973 to 1978 – Artistic Director and Conductor of the “Donbass”, Honored Mining Ensemble in Donetsk; from 1978 to 1980 – assistant at the Department of Cultural Studies, director of the Jazz Orchestra at Kharkiv Institute of Law. Since 1980 he worked permanently at Kharkiv I. P. Kotliarevskyi State Institute of Arts: first as a senior lecturer, later as an associate professor of the Chamber Ensemble Department, then as a professor of the Orchestra Wind Instruments Department. Since 1994 he created and headed the Department of Variety Orchestra Instruments, and at the same time he directed the variety-symphony orchestra of Kharkiv State Academy of Culture, the violin ensemble of the National Academy of Law named after Yaroslav the Wise. Since 1999 O. Litvinov was a full member of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences of National Progress. In 2001 he became a diploma winner of the regional competition “Higher school of Kharkiv region – the best names” in the nomination “Head of Department”. In 2002 he was awarded the Honorary Medal of the Ministry of Culture and Arts of Ukraine. He died on March 15, 2007. O. Litvinov’s creative personality combines the image of composer, arranger, conductor, performer-multiinstrumentalist (apart from piano O. Litvinov played the accordion, organ, wind instruments, violin). O. Litvinov’s works employ the best achievements of world classics and Ukrainian academic music, in particular, the Kharkiv composition school, and embody the best features of jazz and, more broadly, variety music of the twentieth century. These stylistic origins often coexist organically in one piece by O. Litvinov. The performance style of O. Litvinov as a conductor is characterized by very clear, bright, emotional gestures, especially outstanding sounding of the orchestra, the ability to clearly show every change in the thematic development of the piece. The style of O. Litvinov’s arrangements was significantly influenced by the music of Hollywood films, the art of contemporary Soviet composers – Saulsky, Broslavsky, Pokrass, Dunaevskyi, jazz masters – Tsfasman, Utesov, Bernstein and others. Conclusions. O. Litvinov’s creative life was very bright and rich, and his musical activity was diverse and multifaceted. In the present works, the main focus is made more on the “polyphony” (according to A. Mizitova and A. Sadovnikova (2002, p. 17) of this life, its external events. Characteristics of the composer’s, performing, conducting styles of the artist are “inscribed” in this polyphony only as its “voices”. However, each of these voices needs, in our opinion, more detailed consideration. For example, O. Litvinov’s compositional heritage is very large, but only a few of his compositions are performed today and well known to the public. In fact, only one piece for violin ensemble (or for violin and piano), “Eternal Movement”, received true popularity among the performers and the public. Most other works are not published, and the fate of most scores is unclear. So, the direction of further research can be related to a more detailed study of some particular works of O. Litvinov that have survived as well as to deepening knowledge about his performing and pedagogical activity.

Opera Zora D., composed by Isidora Zebeljan during 2002 and 2003, and which was premiered in Amsterdam in June 2003, is the first Serbian opera that had a world premiere abroad. It is also the first Serbian opera that has been staged outside Serbia since 1935, after being acclaimed at a competition organized by the Genesis Foundation from London. Isidora Zebeljan was commissioned (granted financial backing) to compose a complete opera with a secured stage realization. The Dutch Chamber Opera (Opera studio Nederland) and the Viennese Chamber Opera (Wiener Kammeroper) were the co-producers of the first production. The opera was directed by David Pountney, the renowned opera director, while an international team of young singers and celebrated artists assisted the co-production. The opera was played three times in Amsterdam. Winfried Maczewski conducted the Amsterdam Nieuw Ensemble whereas Daniel Hoyem Cavazza conducted the Wiener Kammeroper on twelve performances. The Viennese premier of Zora D. opened the season of celebrations, thus marking the 50th anniversary of the Wiener Kammeroper. The libretto, based on the script for a TV film by Dusan Ristic, was co-written by Isidora Zebeljan, Milica Zebeljan and Borislav Cicovacki. Speaking of genre, the libretto represents a m?lange of thriller, melodrama and mystery, with elements of fiction. The opera consists of the prologue and seven scenes. The story, set in the present-day Belgrade, also goes back to the 1930?s and the periods interweave. The opera was written for four vocalists: the soprano, the baritone, and two mezzo-sopranos. The chamber orchestra has fifteen musicians. The story: One summer day in 1935, Belgrade poetess Zora Dulijan mysteriously disappears. Sixty years later, Mina, an ordinary girl from Belgrade, quite unexpectedly becomes part of an incredible story, which gradually unravels as time goes by. Led by a dream (recurring night after night, with some vague verses about poplar trees and contours of a mysterious woman with a silver scarf being all that Mina remembers) she sets out to solve the mystery that seems to haunt her for no apparent reason. Part of the secret is also an invisible force, which Mina uses to gradually piece together the story of a great love that was brutally brought to an end 60 years ago and now seeks fulfillment. At the same time, Vida, a woman in her 80s, who has just returned to Belgrade from a long exile, begins to feel tortured and haunted by ghouls from the past, the very same she has been trying to escape all those years. Mina, desperate to solve the mystery, and Vida, in search of final rest and redemption, meet to disclose to us the answer and tell us what really happened to Zora D. The leading characters of the opera, whose main attribute is illusiveness, undergo transformation that is something rarely found in opera literature. This quality of the characters and the story, as well as the absence of a real drama in the libretto, matches the specific idea of a contemporary opera. Unlike composers who insist on giving characters psychological quality, thus reducing their emotions to clich?s for reasons of clarity, Isidora Zebeljan demonstrates a need for a completely different type of opera. Her idea is to have an opera which focuses on the sensual exploits of music itself. This is the very type of opera sought after by Isidora Zebeljan. The first and most striking feature of her music is a very unique melodic invention. Opera Zora D. could be described as a necklace of thickly threaded music pearls. Microelements of the traditional music from Serbia (Vojvodina), Romania and the south of the Balkans give her melodies a very special quality. Those elements, however, have not been taken over in their entirety, nor do they exist in the form that would link this music to any particular type of folk music. Music elements of the traditional music, incorporated in the music expression of Isidora Zebeljan, provide additional distinctiveness and the colour, while being experienced as an integral part of Zebeljan?s creative being which carries within itself the awareness of the composer?s musical roots. Melodic elements of the opera expressed in such a manner give form to vocal parts, which require of performers great musicality and perfect technique without compromising the nature of their vocal expression. Specific chords with a diminished fifth, resulting from the use of folk music scales with augmented second, give the opera a distinct harmonic quality. The rhythmic and metric components of music are complex, naturally stemming from the melody and are characterized by a mixture of rhythms and changeable metrics. The rhythmic patterns of percussion are incorporated in the whole by parallel lining up of melodic and rhythmic layers, so that they produce sonorous multiplicity. Very often the rhythmic elements have characteristics of a dance. The chamber orchestra consists of flute (piccolo and alto), clarinet and bass-clarinet, saxophone (soprano and alto) bassoon, French horn, trumpet, harp, piano, percussion, and string quintet. By providing specific orchestration and coloring, Isidora Zebeljan manages to completely shift the real dramatic suspense from words to music particularly the orchestra, thus causing various emotional states to quickly change. Speaking of structure, the opera represents an infinite sequence of melodies. Although rarely, melodic entities have, in some places, the form of arias. There are no real recitatives in the entire opera. Each segment of the opera belongs to a corresponding melodic section of the stage that they are part of. The extraordinary quality of the music in Zora D. lies in the music surprise that it provides, which is an element of the composer?s language and style rarely seen in the music literature but is a symbol of a special talent. Emotional states are not merely evoked through particular musical clich?s, the unusual origin of which may be found in the exceptional parallel quality of states stemming from the very music. The listener, in his or her initial encounter with the music of the opera, will never hear dark and disconsolate music when tragic and dramatic happenings are taking place. Listening to the music will, however, help them feel the sound layer of the tragedy that is present in the offered sound. They will not follow it consciously but, instead, they will be leaded to the exact emotional stimulus that they will not be able to defy rationally. Such a music expression we call a music fiction. Artistic team involved in the first production of Zora D. has discovered a HVS technique, which helps shifting elements of scenography, from one set into the next, very efficiently and effectively. Isidora Zebeljan?s opera Zora D. represents a great success of Serbian music on the international scene, and undoubtedly the greatest success of Serbian opera. Her music liberates listeners from the compulsion of reflecting upon the content they are listening to. Instead, her music compels them to feel.

Ancient Song Recovered: The Life and Music of Veljo Tormis, by Mimi S. Daitz. Pendragon Press, $54.00/£36.00.The Works of Eduard Tubin: Thematic-Bibliographical Catalogue of Works by Vardo Rumessen. International Eduard Tubin Society/Gehrmans Musikförlag, E.57.TORMIS: ‘Vision of Estonia’ II. The Ballad of Mary's Land; Reflections with Hando Runnel; Days of Outlawry; God Protect Us from War; Journey of the War Messenger; Let the Sun Shine!; Voices from Tammsaare's Herdboy Days; Forget-me-not; Mens' Songs. Estonian National Male Choir c. Ants Soots. Alba NCD 20.TORMIS: ‘Vision of Estonia’ III. The Singer; Songs of the Ancient Sea; Plague Memory; Bridge of Song; Going to War; Dialectical Aphorisms; Song about a Level Land; We Are Given; An Aboriginal Song; The Estonians' Political Parties Game; Song about Keeping Together; Martinmas Songs; Shrovetide Songs; Three I Had Those Words of Beauty. Estonian National Male Choir c. Ants Soots. Alba NCD 23.TAMBERG: Cyrano de Bergerac. Soloists, Orchestra and Chorus of Estonian National Opera c. Paul Mägi. CPO 999 832-2 (2-CD set).ROSENVALD: Violin Concerto Nos. 11 and 2, Quasi una fantasia2; Two Pastorales3; Sonata capricciosa4; Symphony No. 35; Nocturne6. 1,2Lemmo Erendi (vln), Tallinn CO c. Neeme Järvi, 2Estonian State SO c. Jüri Alperten; 3Estonian State SO c. Vello Pähn; 4Valentina Gontšarova (vln); 56Estonian State SO c. Neeme Järvi. Antes BM-CD 31.9197.DEAN: Winter Songs. TÜÜR: Architectonics I. VASKS: Music for a Deceased Friend. PÄRT: Quintettino. NIELSEN: Wind Quintet. Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet, with Daniel Norman (tenor), c. Hermann Bäumer. BIS-CD–1332.TULEV: Quella sera; Gare de l'Est; Adiós/Œri Ráma in memoriam; Isopo; Be Lost in the Call. NYYD Ensemble c. Olari Elts. Eesti Raadio ERCD047.ESTONIAN COMPOSERS I: MÄGI: Vesper.1 KANGRO: Display IX.2 SUMERA: Shakespeare's Sonnets Nos. 8 & 90.3TAMBERG: Desiderium Concordiae.4 TULEV: String Quartet No. 1.5 EESPERE: Glorificatio.6 TORMIS: Kevade: Suite.71Estonian National SO c. Aivo Välja; 24NYYD Ensemble c. Olari Elts; 3Pirjo Levadi (soprano), Mikk Mikiver (narrator), Estonian National Boys' Choir, Estonian National SO c. Paul Mägi; 5Tallinn String Quartet; 6Kaia Urb (sop), Academic Male Choir of Tallinn Technical University c. Arvo Volmer; 7Estonian National SO c. Paul Mägi Eesti Raadio ERCD 031.ESTONIAN COMPOSERS II: TULVE: Traces.1 TALLY: Swinburne.2 KÕRVITS: Stream.3 STEINER: Descendants of Cain.4 KAUMANN: Long Play.5 LILL: Le Rite de Passage.6 SIMMER: Water of Life.71,5,6NYYD Ensemble c. Olari Elts; 2Ardo-Ran Varres (narrator), Iris Oja (sop), Alar Pintsaar (bar), Vambola Krigul (perc), Külli Möls (accordion), Robert Jürjendal (elec guitar); 3Virgo Veldi (sax), Madis Metsamart (perc); 4The Bowed Piano Ensemble c. Timo Steiner; 7Teet Järvi (vlc), Monika Mattieson (fl). Eesti Raadio ERCD032.ESTONIAN COMPOSERS III: GRIGORJEVA: Con misterio;1On Leaving. SUMERA: Pantomime; The Child of Dracula and Zombie. 1Tui Hirv (sop), 1Iris Oja (mezzo), 1Joosep Vahermägi (ten), 1Jaan Arder (bar), Hortus Musicus c. Andres Mustonen. Eeesti Raadio ERCD 045ESTONIAN COMPOSERS IV: KRIGUL: Walls.1 JÜRGENS: Redblueyellow.2 KÕRVER: Pre.3 KOTTA: Variations.4 SIIMER: Two Pieces.5 KAUMANN: Ausgewählte Salonstücke.6 AINTS: Trope.7 STEINER: In memoriam.81,6New Tallinn Trio; 2Liis Jürgens (harp); 3,8Voces Musicales Ensemble c. Risto Joost; 4Mati Mikalai (pno); 5Mikk Murdvee (vln), Tarmo Johannes (fl), Toomas Vavilov (cl), Mart Siimer (organ); 7Tarmo Johannes (fl). Eeesti Raadio ERCD 046.BALTIC VOICES 2: SISASK: Five songs from Gloria Patri. TULEV: And then in silence there with me be only You. NØRGÅRD: Winter Hymn. GRIGORJEVA: On Leaving (1999). SCHNITTKE: Three Sacred Hymns. Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir c. Paul Hillier. Harmonia Mundi HMU 907331.SCHNITTKE: Concerto for Chorus; Voices of Nature. PÄRT: Dopo la vittoria; Bogoróditse Djévo; I am the True Vine. Swedish Radio Choir c. Tõnu Kaljuste. BIS-CD-1157.PÄRT: Es sang vor langen Jahren; Stabat Mater; Magnificat; Nunc Dimittis; My Heart's in the Highlands; Zwei Sonatinen; Spiegel im Spiegel. Chamber Domaine; Stephen de Pledge (pno), Stephen Wallace (counter-ten), Choir of St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh c. Matthew Owens. Black Box BBM1071.

Problem statement. Conductor is considered to be one of the most prestigious occupation in musical field, so there has always been a certain interest to its history. But, despite a large amount of literature, there are no musicologist’s scientific works, with the systematized and generalized materials on training conducting staff in Ukraine in the 1920s – 1940s. This is partly due to a shortage of primary documents at a difficult historical period: most of them were destroyed by the employees of state institutions before being evacuated behind the lines during the Second World War; the other part was burned down during the hostilities; the third one was lost in the territories temporarily occupied by the fascists. The most important information was restored in the postwar years on the basis of personal documents of the musicians and memoirs of the contemporaries. The names of many other talented performers, who were not high ranked in the hierarchy of Ukraine musical culture, were forgotten. Research and publications analysis. Dealing with this article, the author relied on the research of three scientists. For example, the episode devoted to the history of the Kuban State Conservatory is based on the materials of the book by V. A. Frolkin, PhD in musicology, Professor of Piano Department of Krasnodar University of Culture and Arts. (Frolkin, 2006 : 70–89). The Kharkov period of Ya. Rosenstein’s activity is based on the article by E. M. Shchelkanovtseva, PhD in musicology, Department of Orchestral String Instrument of I. P. Kotlyarevsky Kharkov National University of Arts (Shchelkanovtseva, 1992 : 178–179), as well as the memoirs of conductor S. S. Feldman (Feldman, 2006). Ya. Rosenstein activities in T. G. Shevchenko Kiev Academic Opera and Ballet Theater of the Ukrainian SSR was described in research of Yu. A. Stanishevsky – Doctor in musicology, Professor. (Stanishevsky, 1981 : 533–534). The objective of this article is to create Ya. Rosenstein’s complete and non-biased biography, to analyze various aspects of his activity, and, as a result, to revive the name of a talented musician who was at the forefront of Ukraine musical pedagogy. This is the urgency and novelty of this study. Core material. Yakov A. Rosenstein (1887–1946) – a cello player, conductor, professor. In1907–1912 he studied at St. Petersburg Conservatory specializing in cello. Until February 1917, he had served as a cello player in the Royal orchestra of the Imperial Mariinskyi Theater. During the Civil War, he moved to Yekaterinodar (Krasnodar), where in 1918–1919 he was a director of Russian Musical Society Conservatory. October 1, 1920 witnessed the opening of Kuban State Conservatory. The university was funded from the budget of the People’s Commissariat for Education, so the training of all students was free. Ya. Rosenstein taught the cello class. But at the end of 1921, the Kuban Conservatory was deprived of state funding, and in summer of 1922 the university was reorganized into the Kuban Higher Technical School. (Frolkin, 2006 : 74–89). In autumn of 1923, Ya. Rosenstein moved to Kharkov, where he was a cello player in Russian State Opera orchestra. Later Ya. Rosenstein became a theater conductor. Also, he was engaged in pedagogical activity: in 1925 he became a dean of the instrumental faculty of Kharkov State Higher Music and Drama Courses, and in 1926 he became the head of the courses. According to E. M. Shchelkanovtseva, since 1927, Ya. Rosenstein had been teaching at the Music and Drama Institute (currently – I. P. Kotlyarevsky Kharkov National University of Arts) – Professor of cello class, chamber ensemble, orchestra class, conducting; in 1929 he became an Academic Director. (Shchelkanovtseva, 1992 : 179). Opera-symphonic conducting class at Kharkov Music and Drama Institute, which was opened in autumn of 1927, is a merit of Ya. Rosenstein. During 8 years, he had been training such conductors as: P. Ya. Balenko, M. P. Budyansky, I. I. Vymer, F. M. Dolgova, K. L. Doroshenko, D. L. Klebanov, B. T. Kozhevnikov, V. N. Nakhabin, V. S. Tolba and others. In 1926–1927, the Orchestra of Unemployed Musicians in Kharkov was transformed into the First State Symphony Orchestra of All-Ukrainian Radio Committee, which in autumn of 1929 was integrated with the Ukrainian Philharmonic. In 1929–1932 Ya. Rosenstein acted as a chief conductor. Then he was replaced by German Adler, a graduate of German Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Prague, and a world-famous conductor. In 1937, this musical group was the base for creation the State Symphony Orchestra of the Ukrainian SSR in Kiev (nowadays the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine). (Pluzhnikov, 2016 : 358). In 1935–1941 and 1944–1946 Ya. Rosenstein was a conductor of T. G. Shevchenko Kiev Academic Opera and Ballet Theater of the Ukrainian SSR. According to S. S. Feldman, there he brilliantly showed himself in the ballet performances “Swan Lake” and “Sleeping Beauty” by P. Tchaikovsky, “The Fountain of Bakhchisarai” and “The Prisoner of the Caucasus” by B. Asafiev, “Lilaea” by K. Dankevich and “Raymonda” by A. Glazunov (Feldman, 2009 : 102). In summer of 1941 the War began, and the theater troupe was evacuated to Ufa. In 1942–1944 the United Ukrainian State Opera and Ballet Theater was created on the basis of the Kharkov and Kiev theaters in Irkutsk. More than 650,000 people visited 785 performances conducted by N. D. Pokrovsky, Ya. A. Rosenstein and V. S. Tolba in Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk and other cities! In June 1944, the theater troupe returned to Kyiv, and in 1946 Ya. Rosenstein died. He was buried at Baykove cemetery in Kyiv. Conclusion. The creative personality of Ya. A. Rosenstein, a cello player, conductor, teacher, one of the organizers of the First State Symphony Orchestra in Ukraine and the creators of the Kharkov school of orchestra conducting, deserves more attention on behalf of the scientists, musicians and all non-indifferent people. There is hope that Ya. A. Rosenstein’s memory will not be forgotten, and the name of this talented and noble person will take its rightful place in the annals of Ukraine and Russian musical culture.

Background. In recent scholar resources musicologists actively study the problem of typology of chamber song cycle. The article cites analytical observations of M. Kolotylenko on works in this genre by R. Strauss (2014), of I. Leopa – on G. Mahler’s (2017), of N. Vlasova – on A. Schoenberg’s (2007). It is stated, that unlike Austro-German phenomena of this kind have been studied to a certain degree, song cycle “Summer Nights” by H. Berlioz hasn’t received adequate research yet, although it is mentioned by N. Vlasova as on of the foremost experiences of this kind. It allows to regard the French author as a pioneer in tradition of chamber song cycle. The aim of given research is to reveal the essence of orchestration as a part of songs cycle’s artistic whole. In order to achieve it, semantical, compositionally-dramaturgical and intonational methods of research are used. Originally, “Summer Nights” were meant to be performed by a duo of voice and piano (1834). It was not until 1856 that composer orchestrated this cycle, similarly to the way G. Mahler and in several cases R. Strauss done it later. The foundation of cycle by H. Berlioz are six poems from a set by T. Gautier «La Comédie de la mort», published in 1838. In spite of having epic traits, this set is still an example of lyrical poesy, where subjective is being generalised, while chosen motive of death, according to L.Ginzburg, corresponds to existential essence of lyric (L. Ginzburg). French poet, prose writer, critic, author ow the poems set to music in “Summer Nights” by H. Berlioz – Théophile Gautier (1811–1872) – is one of the most enigmatic and singular figures in history of XIX century art. He was eclipsed by his contemporaries, although his creativity paved the way for upcoming symbolism, that incarnated in poetry of C. Baudelaire, and set “Émaux et Camées” became an aesthetic ideal for Parnassian School. A work by H. Berlioz on lyrics by T. Gautier consists of four songs: “Villanelle”, “Le Spectre de la Rose”, “Sur le lagunes”, “Absence”, “Au cimetiere. Clair de Lune” and “L`ile Inconnue”. It is founded on a plot of lyrical type, that is built according to the principle of appearing associations. Lyrical “I”, whose inner world is revealed during the cycle, provides logical congruity of the work. Each mélodie has its own spectrum of images, united by general lyrical plot. The first and last songs, grounding on a theme of nature, create thematic arch. The denouement of the plat falls on “L`ile Inconnue”, where hero’s conclusion about impossibility of everlasting love is proclaimed. The orchestra part is equal significance with the voice and intonated verbal text, simultaneously playing an important role in illuminating underlying meaning of the lyrics. H. Berlioz doesn’t tend to use supplementary woodwind instruments. Although, each instrument reveals its unique sonic and expressive possibilities, demonstrating its singular characteristics. Due to that an orchestra becomes differentiated, turning into a flexible living organism. Composer doesn’t use exceedingly large orchestra, moreover, each song has its unique set of performers. However, there are stable players: strings (including double basses), two flutes, 2 clarinets (in A and in B). Besides of that, H. Berlioz occasionally uses the timbre of solo oboe, bassoons, natural French horns in different keys, and in the second song he employs coloristic potential of the harp. From a standpoint of the semantics, the score is built according to the principle of the opposition between two spheres. The former one is attached to the motives of the nature and has pastoral mod. At the same time, it reveals idealistic expanse of dreams and vision, thus being above the existing realm. This sphere is represented by woodwinds and brass. The latter, on the contrary, places the hero in real time. It is a sphere of sensuality, of truly human, it also touches themes of fate and inevitable death. It is characteristic that this sphere is incarnated through string instruments. Although, the harp cannot be bracketed with either of the groups. This elusive timbre in instrumental palette is saved for “Le Spectre de la Rose” and creates unsubstantial image of a soul ascending to Heaven. H. Berlioz evades usage of mixed timbers in joining of different groups of the orchestra. Even when he does it, it has sporadic nature and provides emphasis on a particular motive. Orchestral tutti are almost non-existent. Composer uses concerto principle quite regularly as well. Additional attention must be drawn to psychologising of role of clarinet and semantisation of flute and bassoon. Clarinet becomes a doppelganger of lyrical “I” and, quite like a personality of a human, acquires ambivalent characteristics. Because of that, it interacts not only with its light group, but with low strings as well, thus demonstrating an ability to transformation of the image. Bassoon reflects the image of the death. This explains its rare usage as well as specific way of interaction with other instruments and groups. Flute is attached to the image of the nature, symbolises a white dove, that in a poetry of T. Gautier represents an image of beautiful maiden. Consequently, this allows to state that timbre of flute incarnates the image of lyrical hero’s love interest. The most significant instruments of string group are the low ones, accenting either the aura of dark colours or sensuality and passion. Neglecting the tradition requiring lyrical hero to be paired with a certain voice type, H. Berlioz in each mélodie uses different timbres, that suit coloristic incarnation of the miniature the most in the terms of tessiture and colour. A conclusion is made, that composer become a forefather of chamber song cycle of new type, with its special trait being equivalence of the voice and the orchestra, that allows them to create united multi-layered integrity

Background. Contemporary musical art is an open stage for collision and coexistence of various artistic ideas, landmarks, styles, etc. The work of the recognized Canadian pianist-composer Marc-André Hamelin (born in 1961) raises a particular interest. The fact that the peculiarities of the musician’s performing and composing style are insuffi ciently covered in Ukrainian musicology determines the research rationale. It is also caused by the need to identify the specifi c features of the author’s inheritance, ensuring its consistency with the present time, where the laughter phenomenon becomes an important component of the picture of life. Objectives of the study are the comprehension of Marc-André Hamelin’s composer searches in the aspect of laughing cultural tradition and the defi nition of the author’s proposed ways of its embodiment in music. Methods. The research is based on the principles of complex approach, which involves using the biographical, the systematic, the genre and style, the structural and functional, and the comparative methods, etc. Results. M.-A. Hamelin appears to be a universal personality. He implements his creative intentions in various performing incarnations – as a soloist-pianist, a distinct interpreter and recognized virtuoso and intellectual; a performer who actively collaborates with the orchestra; a piano duo participant; a chamber ensemble participant and a studio musician. The repertoire palette he chose includes world-famous works, opuses of transcendental complexity, rarely performed music, and his own music works. His choosing some of the original works outlines the sphere of laughter as he searches new performing techniques, which has an infl uence on him as a composer. The original style of M.-A. Hamelin aims to create a special “rebus” fi eld, where the multiplicity of artistic perception is related to the degree of immersion into a given playing situation. The piano cycle “12 Études in all minor keys” was intended to be hommage to the samename work by Charles-Valentin Alkan. The iconic ceremoniousness of the title forms a special fi eld of culture, which creates a laughter background. Most of the cycle items correspond to the creativity of a particular artist whose musical image appears through the original style of writing. The synthesizing type of composer’s thinking contributes to the combining the music and the colorifi c etude, that is, the virtuoso music piece and the exercise at the same time, and a graphic sketch-drawing, and to the creation of a musical portrait “gallery” (F. Chopin, N. Paganini, F. Liszt, Ch. Alcan, D. Scarlatti , P. Tchaikovsky, J. Rossini, V. Goethe and the author himself). Using masks, theatrical techniques, bright characters is manifested at all levels and serve as markers of a carnival. The existing playing mode ensures the importance and essentiality of laughter. M.-A. Hamelin refers to the established palette of the piano techniques and formulas, while demonstrating new algorithms of interpreting the existing traditions. A musical rebus is the leading idea. To embody this idea, it is required to use not only artistic ingenuity, but also the competition elements. These are “Triple” etudes Nr. 1 (after Chopin) and Nr. 4 (after Alkan), where counterpoint techniques are enriched by the principle of combination. The other side of “rebusness” is demonstrated in the Etude Nr. 8, where the plot of “The Elf King” ballad by Goethe is very accurately reproduced through the piano means of expressiveness. Competitive ingenuity presides in the Etude Nr. 7 for the left hand (“The Lullaby” by P. Tchaikovsky) and Nr. 3 – an alternative transcription of “La campanella” by N. Paganini, which turns into an evil joke compared to Liszt’s interpretation. This is another side of laughter, a dark one, an enhancement of grotesque imagery. Etude Nr. 5, “Toccata grottesca”, looks similarly. Here, the grotesque images are represented by transcendental pianism, unceasing “drive”, change of metric pulsation and rhythmic groups, and wide dynamic amplitude. The lookalike expressive complex is also used in another music piece – toccata “L’Homme armé”. Another variant of laugher is the creation of a musical “shapeshifter” – re-interpretation of an original source to the point where it is hardly recognized. For example, Etude Nr. 9 (after Rossini) and Nr. 10 (after Chopin), where the principle of transformation is prevailing. The presence of a highly-intellectual play allows us to draw a parallel with baroque inventory. In the latest etudes of the cycle, M.-A. Hamelin uses such genres as “Minuetto” (Nr. 11) and “Prelude and Fugue” (Nr. 12). Therefore, using a certain genre model, the composer places it in different context conditions, creating a special laughter-playing space, where all the main sources of comic elements are involved: a parody, implemented through the stylization or the style dialogue-collision; daily mode of like, which is refl ected in a festive-carnival worldview, and fantasy, which determines the composer’s inventiveness. M.-A. Hamelin chose the same creative strategy when composing “Variations on the theme of Paganini” for piano solo. A playful piece “Waltz-Minute” is another example of the laughter potency. It resembles either a relative transcription of the famous work by F. Chopin, or a music sketch, or a fi xed improvisation. In the reprise, the graceful and airy waltz turns into a friendly caricature through using the dissonant seconds, the change of touche and an excellent artistic presentation. This creates the effect of distance in time, in epochal or individual style, even in the own “Me”. Another area of the laughter direction employment is the actualization of the playing sound image of the instrument. These are music pieces designed for a player piano. It is signifi cant that the composer tends to the theme of circus, which echoes with carnival, stunts, and fun. Conclusions. Being a universal personality, the artist determines the predominance of combinatorics as a guiding principle of author’s thinking. The key to understanding the composer’s style is the laughter tradition. The main artistic ideas are: portrait, character, mask, “rebus”, competition, creation of “shapeshifting” music pieces, “duality”. Talking about the level of musical stylistics, these features appear through the usage of a quoted material, stylization, grotesque, caricature and pamphlet elements. They are also expressed through the transformation of the original themes, re-interpretation, using multiple rhythmic layers, redesign of modes and counterpoint ingenuity.

Background. The article is devoted to the study of the personality of the outstanding Chinese composer Zhu Jian’er (1922–2017) – the leading figure of the national musical art of the twentieth century. It is proved that the presented problematic makes it possible to most deeply and accurately explore the musical heritage of the artist. In order to better understand the meaning of the composer’s creations, it is necessary to consider his environment, the stages of creative formation, the characteristics of character and personal qualities, his civic position and the characteristics of his worldview. Most of Zhu Jian’er’s life was in times of great turmoil associated with the Sino-Japanese liberation war, with the rigid ideological line of the Communist Party, with the excesses of the Cultural Revolution, etc. Consideration of the work of an outstanding composer through the prism of his personality became possible only in the twenty-first century, when Chinese society was completely freed from the pressure of ideology, which had long been felt after the policy of the Cultural Revolution in the country. Objectives. The purpose of this article is to systematize the historiographic information about the life-making of Zhu Jian’er in the context of the general trends in the development of Chinese musical culture of the twentieth and early twenty-first century. Methods. The methodology of the research is based on the scientific approaches necessary for the disclosure of the topic. The integrated research way is used that combines the principle of musical-theoretical, musical-historical and performing analysis. Results. The composer’s youth passed in Shanghai, occupied by the Japanese invaders. Great importance to the young man had a twenty-four-hour musical radio program, through which he became acquainted with European classical music. In 1945, the composer became the leader of the musical group of the Corps of Cultural Art of the Suzhou military district, and then the director and conductor of the orchestra. As soon as the country was liberated, the composer returned to Shanghai with many musicians from the military orchestra. He was appointed to the position of the head of the musical ensemble of the state film studio. In the summer of 1955, at the age of 33, Zhu Jian’er enrolled in the graduate school of the Moscow Conservatory. Returning to China in the summer of 1960, Zhu Jian’er was full of ambition and a desire to serve his homeland and people. However, the subsequent years of the Cultural Revolution for a decade deprived him of the possibility of full-fledged creativity. Own feelings receded into the background, the collective ousted the personal. In his music the composer presented the Cultural Revolution – with its false goals, ugly human relations, distorted values, unjustified sufferings. This idea formed the basis of the First Symphony. Many outstanding masterpieces of the composer have won major awards at home and abroad, bringing glory to Chinese music on the international music scene. People close to Zhu Jian’er noted that the composer was rarely seen among friends or acquaintances, he was silent and did not like to talk. He was very thin, and it was not clear how a fiery passion and great creative energy lived in such a weak body. The composer had a mild temperament, he never became angry with people and was careful in his statements. However, even such a kind and conflict-free person, faced with unhealthy trends in the music industry, was embroiled in legal proceedings related to “violation of rights” and was forced to fight for his reputation. But he was not afraid of reprisals, his energy and strong enthusiasm gave him strength. Despite the fact that Zhu Jian’er was always an ordinary person, immersed in his own affairs, he was not indifferent to the events in his country and the fate of the national culture. In addition, he was also worried about the international situation and the influence of China outside. The composer has always been interested in politics and collected information about musical culture abroad. He had his own understanding of the world, and he tried to hold an independent opinion, although, as a real creator, he was often visited by the spirit of doubt. Despite his painful body, Zhu Jian’er was a very tough and courageous man. In the years when China was shook by events that he considered as the national catastrophe, the composer retained loyalty to the power. It was not conformism, the musician sincerely loved his homeland and was ready to die for it, his position was that the mistakes would be corrected and the country would gain strength. These inner experiences deeply touched the composer’s mind and feelings, and were subsequently reflected in his music, being formed the unique musical style of his works. In recent years, as an elderly and painful man, Zhu Jian’er continued, in his words, “to pay off debts” – writing articles for various Shanghai music publishers, editing symphonic, orchestral and piano music, and writing a monograph. In most cases, this was underpaid or completely unpaid work. However, the composer was doing such work, considering it his duty. Conclusions. We can observe important milestones in the life-making of Zhu Jian’er, which radically influenced his multifaceted musical creativity. The outlook and civil position of the musician was formed during the years of the Sino-Japanese war of liberation. This enforced his ardent love for his native land and his people. Since he himself was physically unable to be in the ranks of the army, the desire to defend their homeland was expressed in the military songs by Zhu Jian’er. The critical attitude of the musician to the policy of the Cultural Revolution did not change his positive attitude towards life, but only made him think about the meaning of the artist’s life and purpose in society. The activities of the composer in the team of the military ensemble led him to realize the need for further professional development. The passionate desire to gain the highest stages of composer skills prompted Zhu Jian’er insistently to possess by this knowledge at the Moscow Conservatory and then at the Shanghai Conservatory. The composer honed his skills in the field of vocal, instrumental, chamber and choral music, however, the genre of the symphony in which the musician expressed his civic creed and view of the world became the pinnacle of his work.

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Among the works, dedicated to Komitas and the Armenian Genocide, the oeuvre of the outstanding contemporary Armenian composer Tigran Mansurian (born 1939) holds a special position. T. Mansurian addressed this topic back at the end of the 1960s. Most notable are, however, his large-scale compositions, created over the past decade, such as Concerto No. 4 for cello and string orchestra, "Where is thy brother Abel?" (2010), Requiem for soloists, mixed choir and chamber orchestra (2011), Sonata da chiesa for viola and piano (2015). The musical language and stylistic peculiarities of the above works testify to the fact that T. Mansurian is a direct successor to Komitas' creative traditions and an innovator, too, whose works have largely enriched contemporary Armenian music, imparting a new quality to the Armenian compositional thought.