Children’s choir in MarkKarminskyi’s creativity

Abstract

Background. The article deals with the choral creativity by the famous Ukrainian composer Mark Karminskyi. The weight of M. Karminskyi’s choral works in the legacy of the composer and in choral art in general stimulates research interest in this area of his activity. However, there are relatively few scientific studies that examine the composer’s choral work; most of them are aimed at reconstructing his general creative portrait or at examining other pages of his heritage. The scientific novelty of this research is determined by the comprehensive coverage of children’s choral creativity by M. Karminskyi and the consideration of his unpublished choral works. The research methodology, synthesizing analytical and generalizing approaches, is based on the traditions of national musicology and is determined by the specifics of vocal and choral genres, first of all, by the inextricable link between musical drama and text. The purpose of the article is to recreate the most complete picture of M. Karminsky’s choral work for children and to determine its role in contemporary choral performing. The results of the research. The composer’s early works were distinguished by meaningfulness, optimism, brightness of musical images, which was embodied in easy, convenient and accessible tunes. Many Soviet-era songs created for children of different school age were included in the “Songs for Students” collections as a new program material for choral singing of Ukrainian secondary schools students in music lessons. Several works of the author became known throughout the country and published in the leading music publishers in Kiev and Moscow: “What Boys Are Made Of” (lyrics by R. Burns translated by S. Marshak), “Quicker to the Gathering” (by L. Galkin), “Balloons” (lyrics by Ya. Akim). The songs about Victory in the Second World War are popular: “Victory is celebrated by the people” (S. Orlova), “The soldier has forgotten nothing” (E. Berstein), “Red Poppies” (poems by G. Pozhenyan). The composer combines his songs into vocal-symphonic suites. One of the main genre of choral creativity of the author has become a miniature that is able to absorb a variety of musical expressive means to expand and deepen the content of the work in a small area of the form. The works by M. Karminskyi revealed such features of choral miniature as philosophicity, attentive attitude to the word, its emotional and semantic meaning, which is reflected in the detailed development of the thematic material. Most of the composer’s choral works are written for a cappella choir. The collections of “Choral Notebooks” (1988) and “Road to the Temple” (1995) have reflected the artist’s thoughts for several decades. The figurative content of “Choir Notebooks” includes the lyrical states caused by contemplation of pictures of nature; the collection “Road to the Temple” represents philosophical reflections not only of a personal nature, but also thoughts about the universal problems of today. The cycles reveal the principles of the composer’s thinking and are one of the pinnacles of his creative heritage. The article looks at one of the best works of the cycle “Road to the Temple”, the choir “Remembering Drobitsky Yar” (lyrics by E. Yevtushenko) for children’s choir, soloist (tenor) and piano. Also, the article deals with unpublished choral works by M. Karminskyi “Paraphrases on the Sonata of Mozart” and “Guitar” on F. G. Lorka’s poems. In the work “Guitar” on Lorca’s poem (translated by M. Tsvetayeva), the composer uses signs of Spanish color: imitation of techniques of playing the guitar, rhythmic copyism of the castanets playing and other. The poetic text “decorated” by flexible, broad, expressive melody that gives words greater emotion. The piece is full of sharp changes of genre signs of melodic structures (vocal without text, dance, austinous repetitions) revealing the semantic implication of the poem. The basis of the “Paraphrase on the theme of Mozart’s Sonatine” was the fourth part (Allegro) of Sonatina No. 1 in C Major from the Six Vienna Sonatas by W. A. Mozart. M. Karminskyi noticed the vocal nature of many parts of this cycle and skillfully made a “translation” of one of them for the children’s choir. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he wrote music that does not fundamentally claim to be innovative. As a true professional, he pays attention to the integrity of the compositions elaborating the smallest details. He strives for the laconism of expression and, at the same time, is able to saturate the choral texture with modern expressive means, if the artistic image of the work requires it. Natural expressive intonation, intonation as emotional content of vocal language distinguishes choral music by M. Karminskyi. A special role in intonation is played by breathing, it is inextricably linked with melodic movement and energy. The breath of the melodies of the author is enriched by the lively intonations of the language, which reveal her “soul”, give a feeling of warmth, strength, caress, greatness, truthfulness. Musical form of the composer’s works is determined by the intonation of the music. Based on linguistic-vocal intonations, most of the author’s works have strophic forms that follow from the semantic aspect of the literary text. Karminskyi is a master of choral unison. This mean of expressiveness, which is not often used by composers, in Karminsky’s works is a carrier of expressive melodism and suppose the performance with a great inner feeling. Features of declamation always find a place in his choirs, they reproduce the living human language, the spiritual experiences of a man. Conclusion. The works for the children’s choir have a special purity and cordiality that is so subtly perceived by children. Mark Karminsky’s music is capable of drawing children’s attention to musical values that purify the soul and nurture personality. His music makes you think and feel! M. Karminsky’s creativity has forever entered the concert practice of children’s choirs of Ukraine.