DOI: 10.7256/2453-613X.2020.6.33661

Abstract: The authors attempt to reveal the internal interconnection of a traditional mythologem of space with the ideas of a modern astronomical reality in the music by E. Artemiev written for A. Tarkovsky’s movie “Solaris”. The mythologem of space gained its features back within the ancient worldview and formed a sort of a semiotic complex which can be considered as a combination of various symbols connected with basic natural forces, basic forms and numbers. This mythologem was embodied in various art forms, including the music of various historical epochs. Surprisingly, in contemporary culture, which has much wider knowledge of physical (astronomical) space, the ancient ideas of microcosm and macrocosm are still functioning, along with the medieval religious ideas of eternity, metaphysical searches for new spirituality, the divine-humanity of cosmism adherents, etc. Based on M.M. Bakhtin’s concept of chronotope, the authors develop the model of chronotope analysis represented in the form of a table (G. N. Dombruaskene) which allows considering the movie within a vector space, in which the main vectors - the two basic directions - are the chronometry and the chronotope. The table format demonstrates the semantic moments related to space which emerge at the crossing of the three key parameters of the movie: verbal, visual and musical. The full chronotropic, semiotic and computer-based analysis with the sonograms of music examples (D.N. Bolotin) helps to reveal in each space-related fragment of the movie the music and artistic means of expression of its philosophical and astronomical characteristics.

DOI: 10.7256/2453-613X.2020.6.40366

Abstract: The authors attempt to reveal the internal interconnection of a traditional mythologem of space with the ideas of a modern astronomical reality in the music by E. Artemiev written for A. Tarkovsky’s movie “Solaris”. The mythologem of space gained its features back within the ancient worldview and formed a sort of a semiotic complex which can be considered as a combination of various symbols connected with basic natural forces, basic forms and numbers. This mythologem was embodied in various art forms, including the music of various historical epochs. Surprisingly, in contemporary culture, which has much wider knowledge of physical (astronomical) space, the ancient ideas of microcosm and macrocosm are still functioning, along with the medieval religious ideas of eternity, metaphysical searches for new spirituality, the divine-humanity of cosmism adherents, etc. Based on M.M. Bakhtin’s concept of chronotope, the authors develop the model of chronotope analysis represented in the form of a table (G. N. Dombruaskene) which allows considering the movie within a vector space, in which the main vectors - the two basic directions - are the chronometry and the chronotope. The table format demonstrates the semantic moments related to space which emerge at the crossing of the three key parameters of the movie: verbal, visual and musical. The full chronotropic, semiotic and computer-based analysis with the sonograms of music examples (D.N. Bolotin) helps to reveal in each space-related fragment of the movie the music and artistic means of expression of its philosophical and astronomical characteristics.

DOI: 10.7256/2453-613X.2019.4.40307

Abstract: The purpose of the study is to reveal the meaning-making impetuses of one of mysterious works of Cesar Franck “Three chorales for Organ”. The key problem in the cycle interpretation is connected with the absence of the reference to genuine melodies of ancient temple singings. Traditionally, their presence in music works forms a conceptual core due to the connotation of a choral verbal text. The author of the article gives attention to Franck’s pioneer approach to the creation of the “Chorales” in the vein of choral fantasies, the principles of his composer’s thinking and the revelations of the inner conceptual structure of the composition. To reveal the content of the music of the “Chorales”, the author uses the complex approach taking into account the cultural and historical context, the influence of scientific concepts in the field of iconography and iconology, which had been popular in France since the 1830s, the peculiarities of Franck’s creative thinking with the signs of synaesthetic nature. The music-hermeneutical and semiotic analysis helped to consider the elements of the music language , such as music symbolism, music-rhetorical figures, semantics of modes and other representatives of the inner conceptual structure. Based on the research, the author makes an assumption that Franck’s chorales are the basic doctrinal images of Christ in terms of their spatial location in a Catholic church according to the iconic scenario developed as far back as in medieval theology. Correlations with iconographic and iconological principles in the composition of music images helped to design the following conceptual structure of the cycle: Chorale #1 - “The Nativity of Christ”, Chorale #2 - “The Passion of Christ”, Chorale #3 - “The Resurrection of Christ”. In terms of temple space, these images correspond to the entrance, the central part and the altar.   

DOI: 10.7256/2453-613X.2019.2.29143

Abstract: The research object is “A German Requiem” by J. Brahms, which is a unique meta-text concentrating various semantic structures, both music and ideological. They serve as cultural codes containing a wide cultural and historic context: it was formed by the system of patterns of the German national culture - the Protestant religion, philosophy, history, literature, etc. The research subject is a group of internal semantic motives underlying “A German Requiem”. As the key approach, the author has chosen the context approach revealing the cultural and historic conditions the German romantic composers used to work in. Textological and music analysis of “A German Requiem” helped the author to describe the internal process of genre bifurcation between the traditional Catholic canon and Brahms’ individual project in the spirit of the German liberal Protestantism. The study of “A German Requiem” helped characterize it as a genre simulacrum preserving only formal resemblance with a traditional funeral mass. The internal composition of the music piece is unique; it is defined by the logic of the composer’s idea influenced by personal and national semantic motives. In total, the example of Martin Luther’s theory, considered by the majority of the Germans as a national hero; the cultural heritage, penetrated with the melodics of Protestant chorals; the works of outstanding baroque composers headed by J.S. Bach - all of it had formed a specific set of values, the semantic constants of of which were implemented in the works of many German philosophers of the 19th century, including romantic composers. The romantic individualism of Brahms had formed in the same conjunction with the German national music culture.

DOI: 10.7256/2453-613X.2019.2.40289

Abstract: The research object is “A German Requiem” by J. Brahms, which is a unique meta-text concentrating various semantic structures, both music and ideological. They serve as cultural codes containing a wide cultural and historic context: it was formed by the system of patterns of the German national culture - the Protestant religion, philosophy, history, literature, etc. The research subject is a group of internal semantic motives underlying “A German Requiem”. As the key approach, the author has chosen the context approach revealing the cultural and historic conditions the German romantic composers used to work in. Textological and music analysis of “A German Requiem” helped the author to describe the internal process of genre bifurcation between the traditional Catholic canon and Brahms’ individual project in the spirit of the German liberal Protestantism. The study of “A German Requiem” helped characterize it as a genre simulacrum preserving only formal resemblance with a traditional funeral mass. The internal composition of the music piece is unique; it is defined by the logic of the composer’s idea influenced by personal and national semantic motives. In total, the example of Martin Luther’s theory, considered by the majority of the Germans as a national hero; the cultural heritage, penetrated with the melodics of Protestant chorals; the works of outstanding baroque composers headed by J.S. Bach - all of it had formed a specific set of values, the semantic constants of of which were implemented in the works of many German philosophers of the 19th century, including romantic composers. The romantic individualism of Brahms had formed in the same conjunction with the German national music culture.