Main questions
I. General concept of style in music.
II. The general concept of genre in music.
III. Basic styles in vocal and choral music.
1. Revival.
2. Baroque.
3. Classicism.
4. Romanticism.
5. Impressionism
6. Realism.
7. Expressionism.
IV. Main genres choral music. Classification.
1. Purely choral.
2. Synthetic.
3. Auxiliary.
Target: Theoretical coverage of the main styles and genres of vocal-choral art and genres of choral music for their further practical application.
Style in music is the commonality of the figurative system, means of musical expressiveness and creative techniques composer's writing. The word “style” is of Latin origin and translated means a way of presentation. As a category, style began to exist in the 16th century. and was originally a characteristic of the genre. Since the 17th century. The national component becomes the most important factor in determining style. Later, in the 18th century, the concept of style acquired a broader meaning and was understood as the characteristic features of art of a certain historical period. In the 19th century The individual writing style of the composers becomes the meaning-forming beginning of the style. The same trend with features of even greater differentiation can be traced in the 20th century, when the stylistics of different periods of creativity are determined within the work of one composer. Thus, based on a brief historical excursion into the formation of style, one should mean by style the stable unity of the figurative principles of artistic movements of different historical eras, character traits, How separate work, and the genre as a whole, as well as the creative style of individual composers.
Concept genre exists in all types of art, but in music, due to the specificity of its artistic images, this concept has a special meaning: it stands, as it were, on the border of the categories of content and form and allows us to judge the objective content of the work as a complex of means used. The term “genre” (French genre, from the Latin genus - genus, type) is a polysemantic concept that characterizes historically established genera and types of artistic works in connection with their origin and life purpose, method and conditions (place) of performance and perception, as well as with features of content and form. The difficulty of classifying genres is closely related to their evolution. For example, as a result of the development of musical language, many previous genres are modified, and new ones are created on their basis. Genres reflect the affiliation of a work to one or another ideological and artistic direction. Vocal and choral genres are determined by their connection with literary and poetic text. They arose in most cases as musical and poetic genres (in the music of ancient civilizations, the Middle Ages, folk music different countries), where words and music were created simultaneously, had a common rhythmic organization.
Vocal works are divided into solo (song, romance, aria), ensemble And choral . They can be purely vocal (solo or unaccompanied choir; choir composition a cappella especially characteristic of polyphonic music of the Renaissance, as well as Russian choral music of the 17th-18th centuries) and vocal-instrumental (especially from the 17th century) - accompanied one (usually a keyboard) or several instruments or an orchestra. Vocal works accompanied by one or more instruments are classified as chamber vocal genres, while those accompanied by an orchestra are classified as large vocal-instrumental genres (oratorio, mass, requiem, passions). All of these genres have a complex history that makes them difficult to classify. Thus, a cantata can be a chamber solo work, or a large composition for mixed composition(choir, soloists, orchestra). For the XX century. Characteristic is the participation in vocal-instrumental works of the reader, actors, the involvement of pantomime, dance, theatricalization (for example, dramatic oratorios by A. Honegger, “stage cantatas” by K. Orff, bringing vocal-instrumental genres closer to the genres of dramatic theater).
The factor of performance conditions is related to the degree of activity of the listener when perceiving musical works - up to direct participation in the performance. Thus, on the border with everyday genres there are mass genres, such as, for example, the Soviet mass song, a genre that covers the most diverse vocal and choral works in image and content - patriotic, lyrical, children's, etc., written for different groups of performers.
So, differentiating the styles of individual artistic movements and genre differences, let us note their most characteristic features. The styles of artistic movements include the following: Renaissance, Baroque, classicism, impressionism, realism, and expressionism.
Distinctive features Renaissance , or Renaissance (French) Renaissance, Italian Rinascimento, mid-XV - XVI centuries, in Italy from the XIV century), a humanistic worldview, an appeal to antiquity, and a secular character appeared. The features of the early Renaissance were most clearly revealed in the art of Italian Ars Nova XIV century Thus, the largest composer of the Florentine early Renaissance, F. Landino, was the author of two- and three-voice madrigals and ballads - genres typical of Ars Nova. In the conditions of a developed urban culture of a new type, secular professional art of a humanistic nature, based on folk song, took shape here for the first time. Denying Catholic scholasticism and asceticism, monophonic singing is replaced by polyphonic singing, double and triple choirs appear, polyphonic writing of a strict style reaches its heights, the division of the choir into 4 main choral parts is firmly established - sopranos, altos, tenors, basses. Along with music intended for church singing (mass), choral music is asserting its rights. secular music (motets, ballads, madrigals, chansons). Based on general aesthetic patterns, schools in individual cities appear (Roman, Venetian, etc.), as well as national schools - Dutch (G. Dufay, J. Okegem, J. Obrecht, J. Depres), Italian (G. Palestrina, L. Marenzio), French (C. Janequin), English (D. Dunstable, W. Bird), etc.
Art style baroque (Italian bArosso - bizarre, strange) was dominant in the art of the late 16th - mid-18th centuries. The Baroque style movement is based on ideas about the complexity and variability of the world. It was a time of contradictions between developing science (the discoveries of Galileo, Descartes, Newton) and outdated ideas about the universe of the church, which severely punished everything that undermined the foundations of religion. Musicologist T.N. Livanova noted on this occasion that over the feelings and aspirations of a person in the Baroque era, “something weighed down that was not fully comprehended by him - unreal, religious, fantastic, mythical, fatal. The world was opening up to him more and more through the efforts of progressive minds, its contradictions were glaring, but there was still no solution to the enigmas that arose, because a consistent social and philosophical understanding reality." Hence the tension, the dynamism of images in art in general, affectation, contrast of states, and the simultaneous desire for grandeur and decorativeness.
In vocal and choral music, these style features are expressed through the opposition of choir and soloists, the combination of large-scale forms and whimsical decorations (melismas), the simultaneous tendency towards the separation of music from the word (the emergence of the instrumental genres of the sonata, concerto) and the gravitation of the arts towards synthesis (the leading position of the cantata genres , oratorios, operas). Researchers of Western European music history attribute all musical art from G. Gabrieli (polychoral vocal-instrumental polyphonic works) to A. Vivaldi (oratorio “Judith”, Gloria, Magnificat, motets, secular cantatas, etc.) to the single Baroque era, and .S. Bach (Mass in B minor, Passion according to Matthew and John, Magnificat, Christmas and Easter oratorios, motets, chorales, sacred and secular cantatas) and G. F. Handel (oratorios, opera choruses, anthems, ThoseDeum).
The next major style in the art of the 17th - 18th centuries is classicism (lat. Classicus - exemplary). The aesthetics of classicism is based on the ancient heritage. Hence the belief in the rationality of existence, the presence of universal order and harmony. The main canons of creativity, respectively, were the balance of beauty and truth, clarity of logic, and harmony of the architectonics of the genre. In the general development of the style of classicism, classicism of the 17th century, formed in interaction with the Baroque, and educational classicism of the 18th century, associated with the ideas of the pre-revolutionary movement in France, are distinguished. In both cases, classicism does not represent an isolated phenomenon due to contact with various stylistic movements - Rococo, Baroque. At the same time, the monumentalism of the Baroque is replaced by sentimental sophistication and intimacy of images. The most prominent representatives of classicism in music were J. B. Lully, K. V. Gluck, A. Salieri and others, who made a significant contribution to opera reform (especially K. V. Gluck) and rethought the dramatic significance of the chorus in opera.
Classicism tendencies are found among Russian composers of the 18th century. M.S. Berezovsky, D.S. Bortnyansky, V.A. Pashkevich, I.E. Khandoshkin, E.I. Fomin.
Rococo (French) rococo, Also rocaille - from the name of the ornamental motif of the same name; rocaille musicals - musical rocaille) - style direction in European art first half of the 18th century Conditioned by the crisis of absolutism, Rococo was an expression of an illusory escape from life into the world of fantasy, mythical and pastoral subjects. Hence the characteristic musical art gracefulness, whimsicality, ornamentality, elegance of small forms. Representatives of the Rococo style direction were composers L.K. Daquin (cantatas, masses), J.F. Rameau (chamber cantatas, motets), G. Pergolesi (cantatas, oratorios, Stabat Mater) and etc.
The highest stage of classicism was Viennese classical school, The outstanding works of its composers have made a significant contribution to world choral culture. As an example, let us refer to some compositions, such as the oratorios “The Creation of the World”, “The Seasons” by I. Haydn, the Requiem and masses of W. Mozart, the masses and the finale of L. Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, in order to imagine the enormous role that composers paid to choir.
Romanticism (romanticism) - artistic movement, originally formed at the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th century. in literature. Subsequently, the romantic was understood primarily as a musical principle, which is due to the sensual nature of music. The features of this direction in musical art are personal position, spiritual sublimity, folk identity, relief imagery, and a fantastic vision of the world. Due to the indicated characteristic features, lyric poetry receives paramount importance in romantic art. The lyrical beginning determined the interest of composers in chamber forms.
The thirst for perfection and renewal of romantic art led, in turn, to an increase in modal-harmonic beauty through the comparison of major and minor systems, as well as the use of dissonant chords. The pathos of personal and civil independence explains the desire for “free” forms. The endless contrast of impressions causes the romantics to turn to cyclicality. Of particular importance in the art of romanticism is the idea of a synthesis of arts, which, for example, can be seen in the principle of programming, as well as in vocal melody, sensitively following the expressiveness of the poetic word. Representatives of romanticism in music were F. Schubert (mass, Stabat Mater, cantata “Miriam’s Victory Song”, choirs and vocal ensembles for mixed composition, women’s and male voices), F. Mendelssohn (oratorios “Paul” and “Elijah”, symphony-cantata “Song of Praise”), R. Schumann (oratorio “Paradise and Peri”, Requiem for Mignon, music for scenes from Goethe’s “Faust”, to “ Manfred" by Byron, ballads "The Singer's Curse", male and mixed choirs a cappella), R. Wagner (opera choirs), J. Brahms (German Requiem, cantatas, female and mixed choirs with and without accompaniment), F. Liszt (oratorios “The Legend of St. Elizabeth”, “Christ”, Grand Mass, Hungarian Coronation mass, cantatas, psalms, Requiem for male choir and organ, choirs for Herder’s “Prometheus Unbound”, male choirs “The Four Elements”, participation of the female choir in the “Dante” symphony and the male choir in the “Faust Symphony”), etc.
Impressionism (impressionisme) as an artistic movement arose in Western Europe in the last quarter of the 19th - early 20th centuries. Name impressionism comes from French impression - impression. A characteristic feature of the impressionist style is the desire to embody fleeting impressions, psychological nuances, and to create colorful genre sketches and musical portraits. Despite the obviousness of the innovative musical language, the impressionists continued the ideas of romanticism. To the number common features Two directions include interest in the poeticization of antiquity, the form of miniatures, coloristic originality, and improvisational freedom of composition. At the same time, the impressionistic direction has a number of stylistic differences - restraint of emotions, transparency of texture, kaleidoscopic sound images, watercolor softness, mystery of mood. Musicologist V. G. Karatygin characterized the features of impressionism in music as follows: “Listening to impressionist composers, you mostly revolve in a circle of hazy, iridescent sounds, tender and fragile to the point that the music suddenly dematerializes... only leaving it in your soul for a long time echoes and reflections of intoxicating ethereal visions.” The means of expressiveness of the impressionists were the complexity of colorful chord harmonies in combination with archaic modes, the elusiveness of rhythm, the brevity of symbolic phrases in the melody, and the richness of timbres. The movement of impressionism in music found its classical expression in the works of C. Debussy (mystery “The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian”, cantatas “The Prodigal Son”, the poem “The Chosen Virgin”, Three Songs of Charles d’Orléans for unaccompanied choir) and M. Ravel (mixed choirs a cappella, chorus from the opera “The Child and Magic”, chorus from the ballet “Daphnis and Chloe”).
Realism - creative method in art. Realis - word of late Latin origin, translated - real, real. The most complete disclosure of the essence of realism as a historical and typological specific form creative thinking seen in the art of the 19th century. The leading principles of realism were: objectivity in depicting the essential aspects of life in conjunction with the obvious author’s position, typification of characters and circumstances, interest in the problem of the value of the individual in society. In the works of Western European composers of the second half of the 19th century. realism is visible in the works of J. Wiese (opera choirs, cantatas, symphony-cantata “Vasco da Gama”), G. Verdi (opera choirs, Four sacred works - “Ave Maria” for mixed choir a capella, "Praise to the Virgin Mary" for women's choir a cappella, Stabat Mater For mixed choir with orchestra, ThoseDeum for double choir and orchestra; Requiem) etc.
The founder of the realistic school in Russian music was M. I. Glinka (opera choirs, youth cantata “Prologue”, Polish for mixed choir and orchestra, Farewell songs of students of the Catherine and Smolny Institutes for soloists, women’s choir and orchestra, “Tarantella” for the reader, ballet, mixed choir and orchestra, “Prayer” for mezzo-soprano, mixed choir and orchestra, solo songs with choral chorus), whose traditions were developed in the works of A. S. Dargomyzhsky (opera choirs), A. P. Borodin (opera choirs), M . P. Mussorgsky (opera choirs, “Oedipus the King” and “The Defeat of Sennacherib” for mixed choir and orchestra, “Joshua” for choir with piano accompaniment, arrangements of Russian folk songs), N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov (opera choirs, cantatas “Svitezianka”, “Song of prophetic Oleg", prelude-cantata "From Homer", "Poem about Alexei", female and male choirs a cappella), P.I. Tchaikovsky (opera choirs, cantatas “To Joy”, “Moscow”, etc., choirs from the music to A. Ostrovsky’s spring fairy tale “The Snow Maiden”, choirs a cappella), S.I.Taneeva (choruses from “Oresteia”, choirs to poems by Polonsky, etc.), S.V.Rachmaninova (opera choirs, 6 women's choirs with piano accompaniment, cantata “Spring” and poem “Bells” for a mixed choir, soloists and orchestra, “Three Russian Songs” for an incomplete choir and orchestra), etc.
A separate page in Russian choral culture of the 19th - 20th centuries. - professional sacred music. Based on national spiritual and musical traditions, many compositions were created for church services. For example, to create only the “Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom" was addressed at different times by N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov, P.I. Tchaikovsky, S.V. Rachmaninov, A.D. Kastalsky, A.T. Grechaninov, P.G. Chesnokov, A.A. Arkhangelsky , K.N. Shvedov, etc. The work of the largest Russian composers in the genres of sacred music contributed to its active development, which was interrupted in the 1920s. in connection with social reorganization in Russia.
In the music of the 20th century. realism took on more complex forms, reflecting significant changes in the new social order. After the October Revolution, new trends began to appear in art towards the scale of forms, politicization and ideologization of the content of works, a new fundamental understanding of realism in the meaning socialist realism as a stylistic direction based on the exaggerated positivity of images. Many Soviet composers were forced to adhere to this attitude, which led to the appearance of “pro-Soviet”, as we now call, works, such as the cantatas “For the 20th Anniversary of the October Revolution”, “Alexander Nevsky”, the oratorio “Guardian of the World” by S. S. Prokofiev, oratorios “Song of the Forests” and “Native Fatherland”, cantata “The sun shines above our Motherland”, “Poem about the Motherland”, Poem “Execution of Stepan Razin”, 10 poems for mixed choir a cappella based on the poems of revolutionary poets D. D. Shostakovich, the symphonic poem “Ode to Joy” by A. I. Khachaturyan, etc.
Since the 1950s. bright works began to appear by G. G. Galynin (oratorio “The Girl and Death”), G. V. Sviridov (“Pathetic Oratorio”, “Poem in Memory of Sergei Yesenin”, cantatas “Kursk Songs”, “Wooden Rus'”, “ It is snowing", "Spring Cantata", etc., choral concert in memory of A. Yurlov, concert for the choir "Pushkin's Wreath", choirs a cappella), R.K. Shchedrin (cantata “Bureaucratiada”, “Stanzas from Eugene Onegin”, choirs a cappella) and etc.
And finally, let's look at the direction in European art of the early 20th century. - expressionism (expressionism), word of Latin origin, translated means expression. The movement of expressionism was based on the tragic feeling of humanity on the eve of the First World War, as well as during the war itself and in the post-war years. The focus of art, including music, is a feeling of doom, a depressive state of mind, a feeling of world catastrophe, “extreme pain” (G. Eisler). A representative of the expressionist trend in music was A. Schoenberg (oratorio “Jacob’s Ladder”, cantatas “Songs of Gurre”, “Survivor from Warsaw”, choirs a cappella, three German folk songs) and his followers. By the end of the 20th century. the number of stylistic trends coming from expressionism has increased significantly. Many modern composers work in an expressionist style, using atonality, dodecaphony, broken melody, dissonance, alleatorics and a variety of compositional techniques.
Genres of choral music
It is known that according to the general genre classification, all music is divided into vocal And instrumental. Vocal music can be solo, ensemble, or choral. In turn, choral creativity has its own varieties, which are called choral genres:
2) choral miniature;
3) large choir;
4) oratorio-cantata (oratorio, cantata, suite, poem, requiem, mass, etc.);
5) opera and other works related to stage action (independent choral number and choral scene);
6) processing;
7) arrangement.
1. Choral song (folk songs, songs for concert performance, choral mass songs) - the most democratic genre, characterized by a simple form (mainly verses) and simplicity of musical expressive means. Examples:
M. Glinka “Patriotic Song”
A. Dargomyzhsky “The Raven Flies to the Raven”
"From a land, a distant land"
A. Alyabyev “Song about a young blacksmith”
P. Tchaikovsky “Without time, without time”
P. Chesnokov “Not a flower withers in a field”
A. Davidenko “The sea moaned furiously”
A. Novikov “Roads”
G. Sviridov “How the song was born”
2. Choral miniature - the most common genre, which is characterized by the richness and diversity of forms and means of musical expression. The main content is lyrics, conveying feelings and moods, landscape sketches. Examples:
F. Mendelssohn “Forest”
R. Schumann “Night Silence”
"Evening Star"
F. Schubert "Love"
"Round dance"
A. Dargomyzhsky “Come to me”
P. Tchaikovsky “Not a cuckoo”
S. Taneyev, “Serenade”
"Venice at night"
P. Chesnokov “Alps”
"August"
Ts. Cui “Everything fell asleep”
"Lighted in the distance"
V. Shebalin “Cliff”
"Winter road"
V. Salmanov “As you live, you can”
"Lion in an Iron Cage"
F. Poulenc “Sadness”
O. Lasso “I love you”
M. Ravel “Nicoletta”
P. Hindemith “Winter”
R. Shchedrin “Silent Ukrainian Night”
3. Kodai “Evening Song”
Y. Falik “Stranger”
3. Large choir - Works of this genre are characterized by the use complex shapes(three-, five-part, rondo, sonata) and polyphony. The main content is dramatic collisions, philosophical reflections, lyrical-epic narratives. Examples:
A. Lotti “Crucifixus”.
C. Monteverdi “Madrigal”
M. Berezovsky “Don’t reject me”
D. Bortnyansky “Cherub”
"Choral Concert"
A. Dargomyzhsky “The storm covers the sky with darkness”
P. Tchaikovsky “For Sleep”
Yu. Sakhnovsky “Feather grass”
Vic. Kalinnikov "On the old mound"
"The Stars Are Fading"
S. Rachmaninov “Concerto for Choir”
S. Taneev “At the Grave”
"Prometheus"
"The ruin of the tower"
“There are two gloomy clouds on the mountains”
"Stars"
“The volleys fell silent” A.
Davidenko “At the tenth mile”
G. Sviridov “Herd”
V. Salmanov “From Afar”
C. Gounod “Night”
M. Ravel “Three Birds”
F. Poulenc "Marie"
3. Kodai “Mourning Song”
E. Kshenek “Autumn”
A. Bruckner “Te Deum”
4. Cantata-oratorio (oratorio, cantata, suite, poem, requiem, mass, etc.). Examples:
G. Handel Oratorio: “Samson”,
"Messiah"
I. Haydn Oratorio “The Seasons”
B. Mozart "Requiem"
I.S. Bach Cantatas. Mass in B minor
L. Beethoven “Solemn Mass”
Ode "To Joy" in the finale of the 9th Symphony
J. Brahms “German Requiem”
G. Mahler 3rd symphony with choir
G. Verdi "Requiem"
P. Tchaikovsky Cantata “Moscow”
"Liturgy of John. Chrysostom"
S. Taneyev Cantata “John of Damascus”
Cantata "After the Reading of the Psalm"
S. Rachmaninov Cantata “Spring”
"Three Russian Songs"
Poem "Bells"
"All Night Vigil"
S. Prokofiev Cantata “Alexander Nevsky”
D. Shostakovich 13th symphony (with bass choir)
Oratorio “Song of the Forests”
"Ten Choral Poems"
Poem "The Execution of Stepan Razin"
G. Sviridov “Pathetic Oratorio”
Poem “In Memory of S. Yesenin”
Cantata “Kursk Songs”
Cantata "Night Clouds"
V. Salmanov “Swan” (choral concert)
Oratorio-poem “The Twelve”
V. Gavrilin “Chimes” (choral performance)
B. Briten "War Requiem".,
K. Orff “Carmina Burana” (stage cantata)
A. Onneger “Joan of Arc”
F. Poulenc Cantata “The Human Face”
I. Stravinsky “Wedding”
"Symphony of Psalms"
"Sacred spring"
5. Opera-choral genre. Examples:
X. Gluck “Orpheus” (“Oh, if in this grove”)
B. Mozart “The Magic Flute” (“Glory to the brave”)
G. Verdi “Aida” (“Who is there with victory to glory”)
“Nebuchadnezzar (“You are beautiful, O our Motherland”)
J. Bizet “Carmen” (Finale of Act I)
M. Glinka “Ivan Susanin” (“My Motherland”, “Glory”))
"Ruslan and Lyudmila ("Lel the mysterious")
A. Borodin “Prince Igor” (“Glory to the Red Sun”)
M. Mussorgsky “Khovanshchina” (Meeting scene of Khovansky)
"Boris Godunov" (Scene near Kromy)
P. Tchaikovsky “Eugene Onegin” (Ball Scene)
"Mazepa" ("I will curl a wreath")
“The Queen of Spades” (Scene, in the Summer Garden)
N. Rimsky - “Woman of Pskov” (Veche Scene)
Korsakov “Snow Maiden” (Farewell to Maslenitsa)
“Sadko” (“Height, height under heaven”)
"The Tsar's Bride" ("Love Potion")
D. Shostakovich.
“Katerina Izmailova” (Convict Choir)
6. S. Prokofiev “War and Peace” (Militia Choir) Choral arrangement
(arrangement of a folk song for choral and concert performance)
A) The simplest type of song arrangement for choir (verse-variation form preserving the melody and genre of the song). Examples: "Shchedrik" - Ukrainian folk song
arranged by M. Leontovich “Told me something” - Russian folk song arranged by A. Mikhailov “Dorozhenka” - Russian folk song arranged by A. Sveshnikov “Ah, Anna-Susanna” - German folk song arranged
O. Kolovsky
“Steppe, and steppe all around” - Russian folk song arranged
I. Poltavtseva
B) Expanded type of processing - with an unchanged melody, the author's style is clearly expressed. Examples:
“How young, baby I am” - Russian folk song arranged
B) Free type of song processing - changing the genre, melody, etc. Examples:
“On the hill, on the mountain” - Russian folk song arranged
A. Kolovsky
“The bells were ringing” - Russian folk song arranged by G. Sviridov “Jokes” - Russian folk song V arranged by A. Nikolsky “Pretty-young” - Russian folk song arranged
Introduction. Choral miniature
Lepin's work "Forest Echo" was written in the genre of choral miniature.Miniature (French miniature; Italian miniature) is a small musical piece for various performing groups. Like pictorial and poetic miniatures, musical miniatures are usually refined in form, aphoristic, predominantly lyrical in content, landscape or pictorially characteristic (A.K. Lyadov, “Kikimora” for orchestra), often on a folk genre basis (F. Chopin’s mazurkas, choral processed by A.K. Lyadov).
The basis of a vocal Miniature is usually a Miniature. The flourishing of instrumental and vocal Miniatures in the 19th century was determined by the aesthetics of romanticism (F. Schubert, F. Mendelssohn, R. Schumann, F. Chopin, A. N. Scriabin); Miniatures are often combined into cycles, including in music for children (P. I. Tchaikovsky, S. S. Prokofiev).
Choral miniature is a short piece for choir. Unlike a song, in a choral miniature the polyphonic choral texture is more developed, and polyphony is often used. Many choral miniatures were written for unaccompanied choirs.
Brief bibliographic information about the composer S. Taneev
Sergei Ivanovich Taneyev (November 13, 1856, Vladimir - June 6, 1915, Dyutkovo near Zvenigorod) - Russian composer, pianist, teacher, scientist, musical and public figure from the noble family of Taneyev.
In 1875 he graduated from the Moscow Conservatory with N. G. Rubinstein (piano) and P. I. Tchaikovsky (composition) with a gold medal. He performed in concerts as a solo pianist and ensemble player. The first performer of many of Tchaikovsky's piano works (the Second and Third Piano Concertos, the latter was finalized after the composer's death), performer own compositions. From 1878 to 1905 he worked at the Moscow Conservatory (from 1881 he was a professor), where he taught classes in harmony, instrumentation, piano, composition, polyphony, and musical form; in 1885-1889 he served as director of the Moscow Conservatory. He was one of the founders and teachers of the People's Conservatory (1906).
A staunch follower of the classics (in his music they found the implementation of the traditions of M. I. Glinka, P. I. Tchaikovsky, as well as J. S. Bach, L. Beethoven), Taneyev anticipated many trends in the musical art of the 20th century. His work is marked by the depth and nobility of his ideas, high ethics and philosophical orientation, restraint of expression, mastery of thematic and polyphonic development. In his writings he gravitated toward moral and philosophical issues. Such, for example, is his only opera “Oresteia” (1894, after Aeschylus) - an example of the implementation of an ancient plot in Russian music. His chamber instrumental works (trios, quartets, quintets) belong to the best examples of this genre in Russian music. One of the creators of the lyrical-philosophical cantata in Russian music (“John of Damascus,” “After the Reading of the Psalm”). He revived the popular in Russian music of the 17th-18th centuries. genre - a cappella choirs (author of more than 40 choirs). In instrumental music, he attached particular importance to the intonational unity of the cycle, monothematicism (4th symphony, chamber instrumental ensembles).
He created a unique work - “Movable counterpoint of strict writing” (1889-1906) and its continuation - “The Doctrine of the Canon” (late 1890s - 1915).
As a teacher, Taneyev sought to improve professional music education in Russia and fought for a high level of musical theoretical training for conservatory students of all specialties. He created a school of composition, trained many musicologists, conductors, and pianists.
Brief information about the poet
Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov (1814-1841) - great Russian poet, writer, artist, playwright and officer of the Tsarist Army Russian Empire. Born on October 15, 1814 in Moscow. His father was an officer, and years later, his son would follow in his footsteps. As a child, he was raised by his grandmother. It was his grandmother who gave him his primary education, after which young Lermontov went to one of the boarding houses of Moscow University. In this institution, the very first, not yet very successful, poems came from his pen. At the end of this boarding school, Mikhail Yuryevich became a student at Moscow University, and only then he went to the school of guard ensigns in the then capital of St. Petersburg.
After this school, Lermontov began his service in Tsarskoye Selo, joining the Hussar Regiment. After he wrote and published the poem “The Death of a Poet” on Pushkin’s death, he was arrested and sent into exile in the Caucasus. On the way to exile, he wrote his brilliant work “Borodin”, dedicating it to the anniversary of the battle.
In the Caucasus, the exiled Lermontov begins to get involved in painting and paints pictures. At the same time, his father goes to officials, asking them to pardon his son. Which is what happens soon - Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov is reinstated in service. But having gotten into a duel with Barant, he is again sent to the Caucasus into exile, this time to war.
During this time, he wrote many works that were forever included in the Golden Fund of world literature - these are “Hero of Our Time”, “Mtsyri”, “Demon” and many others.
After exile, Lermontov comes to Pyatigorsk, where he accidentally insults his old friend Martynov with a joke. Comrade, in turn,
challenges the poet to a duel, which became fatal for Lermontov. On July 15, 1841 he dies.
Musically theoretical analysis
“Pine” by S. Taneev was written in 2 parts. The first part is one period consisting of two sentences. The content of the first part corresponds to the first four lines of the poem. The music conveys the image of a lonely pine tree, defenseless against the elements of northern nature. The first sentence (vol. 4) introduces the listener to the sound palette of d minor, corresponding to the lyrical mood of this work. The second part consists of three sentences, written in the eponymous D major (the second half of the poem). In the second part, Lermontov described a bright dream, filled with warmth and sunlight: “And she dreamed of everything in the distant desert. In the region where the sun rises..." The music of the second part conveys the heartfelt warmth of the poem. Already the first sentence (vol. 4) is permeated with bright feelings, kind and serene. The second sentence introduces tension, the development of dramatic experiences. The third period seems to logically balance the drama of the second sentence. This is achieved by expanding its dimensions to eight bars, by gradually reducing musical tension (the final line of the poem “The beautiful palm tree grows” runs three times)
The vocal and choral miniature “Pine” was written in a gamophonic-harmonic structure with elements of polyphony. The movement of music, its development is achieved by changing harmonies, the timbre colors of the choir, its textured presentation (close, wide, mixed arrangement of voices), polyphonic techniques, means of developing the melodic line of voices, and the comparison of climaxes.
The organic nature of the work and the harmony of its form depend on where the climax is located in the work. The poetic text is perceived by each person individually. S. Taneev in the music of “Pines” revealed his vision and perception of the poetic word of Lermontov’s poem. The climaxes of a poetic work and a musical work generally coincide. The most striking musical climax occurs with the repeated provision of the lines: “Alone and sad on a cliff, a beautiful palm tree grows.” By means of musical repetition, Taneyev enhances the emotional content of the poem and highlights the climax: the soprano sounds #f of the second octave, the tenors sound #f of the first octave. For both sopranos and tenors, these notes sound rich and bright. The bass approaches the climax gradually: from the first peak (bar 11) through the increasing tension of harmonies, deviations and polyphonic development, they lead the work to its brightest peak (bar 17), rapidly rising up the dominant (melodic line of the bass in bar 16) .
“Pine” is written in D minor (first part) and D major (second part). The minor in the first part and the major in the second part is a contrast that is inherent in the content of the verse. First part: the first sentence begins in D minor, there are deviations in G major (the key of the subdominant), the sentence ends on the tonic. The second sentence begins in d minor and ends on the dominant. Second part: begins with the dominant of D minor, moves into D major, ends in the same D major. First sentence: D major, second sentence: starts in D major, ends on its dominant, here there is a deviation into the subdominant (t. 14 G major), into the second degree of D major (same measure e minor). The third sentence begins and ends in D major, there are deviations in it: to the second degree (m. 19 e minor) and to the subdominant key (m. 20 G major). The first movement has an imperfect cadence, ending on the dominant.
The cadence of the second movement consists of altered seventh chords of the second degree, K6/4, dominant and tonic of D major (full, perfect cadence).
Taneyev’s “Pine” is written in four-beat meter, which is maintained until the end of the work.
The texture of “Pine” has a gamophonic-polyphonic nature. Basically, the voices are lined up vertically, but in several bars (bars 12,13,14,15,16,17) the parts sound polyphonically horizontal and the melodic pattern can be heard not only in S, but also in other voices. In these same measures, the solo voice stands out. In measures 12, 13, 16, 17, there are pauses in one or two voices; in measure 12, a blocked tone sounds. Size C assumes execution in four meter lengths.
As it was said, the early work of S. Taneev, “Pine” is written in D minor and the same D major. This is one of the composer's early choral scores, but already contains features generally characteristic of the composer. “Pine” has features of a polyphonic style, which is also characteristic of Taneyev’s work. The harmonies of “Sosna”, the polyphonic conduction of voices, are distinguished by their harmony and melody. In the sequence of chords there is a connection with the Russian folk song (vol. 1, 6, 7 - natural dominant). The use of the sixth degree triad (vol. 2) also resembles a Russian folk song. Features of Russian songwriting are characteristic of Taneyev’s work. Sometimes the harmonies of “Pine” are quite complex, which is due to the composer’s musical language. Here there are altered seventh chords (bars 2, 5, 6, 14, 18, 19, 23), which create intense sounds of consonances. Polyphonic use of voices also often gives a seemingly random dissonant sound (vol. 11, 12, 15). The harmonic language of the work helps to reveal the sublimity of the great poet's poem. Deviations into related keys (vol. 2-g minor, t. 14-e moll, t. 19-e moll, t. 20-G major) impart a special lyrical coloring. The dynamics of “Pine” also correspond to a concentrated sad, and then dreamily bright mood. There is no pronounced f in the work, the dynamics are muted, there are no bright contrasts.
Vocal - choral analysis
Vocal and choral analysis
Polyphonic work by Taneyev “Pine”
created for four-voice mixed choir without accompaniment.
Sopran (S) Alto (A) Tenor (T) Bass (B) Overall range
Let's look at each batch separately.
Tessitura conditions for S are comfortable, vocal tension does not exceed the working range. In bar 4 S they sing the note d of the 1st octave - this is helped by the dynamics of p. The part is jumpy (jump on ch4 vols. 6.13; on ch5 vols 11.19; on b6 19-20 vols.), but the melody is convenient to perform and easy to remember. It often moves along the sounds of a triad (vol.). The composer does not place much dynamic shades; the conductor must approach this issue creatively; in our opinion, dynamics can be made based on the tessitura.
The viola part is written in a convenient tessitura. Difficulties are associated with harmonic loading. For example: t.2 the altos have note d; the rest of the voices have a moving melody; how clean the note d is sung, the purity of the melody will depend on this; t.3-4 the viola has a complex move of two descending fourths. A similar difficulty, when the viola is held on one sound, is found in several places (vol. 5, 6-7, 9-10). The party bears harmonic function, but in the second part, where the character of the work changes, Taneyev uses polyphonic techniques and the middle voices decorate the harmonic texture of the work by carrying out melodic moves not only in the soprano and in all other voices.
The tenor part is also written in a convenient tessitura. Its complexities relate to the chord progression that accompanies the soprano melody. For example: t. 2 the sound f is altered and the purity of the deviation of all voices into G minor will depend on the accuracy of this transition (similar to t. 18). The complexity of the performance is that it is like a harmonic filling of the musical fabric: t. 5-6, the tenor holds the note g on the tone, which creates a certain difficulty for the performers (similar places, t. 21, 23). The harmonic chords of the work carry the emotional connotation of sadness, light sadness, and nostalgic feelings of Lermontov’s poem. In this regard, there are unstable harmonies and altered seventh chords (volumes 2, 5, 6, 14, 18), the accuracy of their performance largely depends on the tenors. The part carries a harmonic and sometimes polyphonic load.
The bass line is written in the usual tessitura for bass. Intonationally, it is not always simple; for example, the moves on the chromatic scale are complex (lines 5-6, 14, 23). One of the most difficult parts of the work for the basses is their solo performance in words: “A beautiful palm tree grows...” (vol. 15-16), where there are intonations of ascending thirds and fourths. But in general, the part should not cause any particular difficulties for the performers.
The breathing in the work is phrasal, because the text is poetic. The inside of the phrase is chain-like.
Example:
In the wild north, a pine tree stands alone on a bare top. And she dozes, rocking, and is dressed in loose snow like a robe (1-8 volumes).
The dictionary features of the work also require attention. Vowels and consonants will be reduced. In places where p, you need to pronounce the text very clearly in order to convey to the listener the meaning of the verse. In sound science, a cantilena must be present, the vowels must be sung, and the consonants must be added to the next syllable, to the next vowel.
Conducting difficulties. 1) It is necessary to maintain the integrity of the form.
2) Show each party correctly
auftakty.
3) It is necessary to convey the mood of a musical phrase in a gesture.
4) Accurate transmission of dynamics.
Conclusion
Sergei Ivanovich Taneyev made a huge contribution to Russian music. He played big role in creating works for a capella choir and raising this genre to the level of an independent, stylistically isolated composition. Taneyev chose the texts for the choirs with great care; all of them belong to the best Russian poets and are distinguished by high artistry. Taneyev's themes, on which he builds his works, are distinguished by their melody. The voice acting is impeccable. Choral voices, intertwining into sound complexes, create an interesting and unique harmony. The composer never overuses the extreme sounds of the ranges. He knows how to keep his voices in a certain position towards each other, ensuring excellent sonority. Polyphonic vocal performance does not interfere with the unity of sound. This is the result of the mastery of Taneyev's choral style.
Taneyev's choirs present significant difficulties in terms of structure, arising from chromaticisms and complex harmony. The relieving aspect is the strict logic of voice guidance. Taneyev places great demands on the performers of his choirs. His works require choral singers to have a good vocal foundation, allowing them to produce a melodious, drawn-out sound, free in all registers.
The work “Pine” is written on the poetic lines of M. Yu. Lermontov, which reveals the theme of loneliness. A pine tree that stands alone in a cold region, under the snow. She is cold, but not physically, her soul is frozen. The tree lacks communication, someone's support, sympathy. Every day a pine tree dreams of communicating with a palm tree. But the palm tree is far from the wild north, in the hot south.
But the pine tree is not looking for fun, it is not interested in a cheerful palm tree, which would keep it company if it were nearby. Pine realizes that somewhere far away there is a palm tree in the desert and she feels just as bad alone. The pine tree is not interested in the well-being of the surrounding world. She doesn't care about the cold and the desert around her. She lives a dream about another such lonely creature.
If the palm tree were happy in its hot south, then the pine tree would not be interested in it at all. Because then the palm tree would not be able to understand the pine tree, to sympathize with it. Taneyev was able to convey all these experiences through music, using such expressive means as: dynamics, tempo, tonality, texture of presentation.
Bibliography
- Musical encyclopedic dictionary / Ch. ed. G.V. Keldysh. – M.: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1990 – 672 pp.: ill.
www.wikipedia.ru
http://hor.by/2010/08/popov-taneev-chor-works/
Pedagogical goal: to form an idea of the features of the musical miniature genre using the example of a choral arrangement of “An Old French Song” from P.I. Tchaikovsky’s “Children’s Album.”
Objectives: to trace the relationship between different musical genres through understanding the content of the composer’s artistic intent; to achieve high-quality sound of children's singing voices in the process of learning and performing a song through conscious perception of music.
Lesson genre: thematic.
Type of lesson: learning new material.
Methods: immersion method(allows you to understand the value and semantic significance of a musical work in a person’s life); phonetic method sound production(aimed at developing quality characteristics singing voice, and on the formation of vocal and choral skills); method of playing music(connected with the mastery of elements of musical fabric and methods of performing music based on the internal activity of students); the method of “plastic intonation” (aimed at the holistic perception of musical tissue through the motor skills of one’s body).
Equipment: portrait of P.I. Tchaikovsky, music collection “ Children's album”, illustration of a sunset on the river (at the leader’s choice), cards with musical terms “Climax”, “Reprise”.
During the classes.
By the time of the lesson, the children have already become acquainted with the work of P.I. Tchaikovsky in music lessons and should easily recognize the portrait of the composer, which the choir director shows them.
Leader: Guys, you have already studied the musical works of this brilliant composer in school music lessons. Who remembers his name and what nation he belongs to?
Children: Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Leader: Yes, indeed, this is the great Russian composer of the 19th century P.I. Tchaikovsky, and I am glad that you recognized him! Pyotr Ilyich’s music is known and loved all over the world, and what works of his do you remember?
Students give expected answers:
Children: “March wooden soldiers”, “The Doll’s Disease”, “Polka”, “Waltz of the Snowflakes” and “March” from the ballet “The Nutcracker”.
Leader: Guys, Tchaikovsky created a lot of wonderful music for adults and children in various genres, from such large ones as opera, ballet and symphony to very small instrumental pieces and songs. You have already mentioned some of them today. For example, “March of the Wooden Soldiers” and “Doll Disease”. Do you know for whom the composer wrote these plays? For my little nephews who were learning to play the piano. Unfortunately, Pyotr Ilyich did not have his own children, but he loved his sister’s children very much. Especially for them, he created a collection of short pieces for piano, which he called “Children’s Album.” In total, the collection included 24 plays, including “March of the Wooden Soldiers” and “The Doll’s Disease.”
The leader shows the collection to the children and, turning through its pages, pronounces some of the names of the plays, focusing on the following:
Leader: “German song”, “Neapolitan song”, “Old French song”... Guys, how can this be? Did a Russian composer write plays with these titles?
Children, as a rule, find it difficult to answer, and the leader comes to their aid:
Leader: Traveling to different countries, Pyotr Ilyich studied the music of different peoples. He visited Italy, France, Germany, England, other European countries and even went across the ocean to North America. The composer embodied his impressions of the folk music of these countries in his compositions, conveying its beauty and originality. This is how “The German Song” appeared, “ Neapolitan song”, “An old French song” from the “Children's Album” and many other works.
Now I will perform for you on the piano one of my favorite pieces from the “Children’s Album” - “An Old French Song”, and you will be attentive listeners and try to understand why the composer called instrumental piece“song”?
Task: determine the vocal beginning of the piece by the nature of the melody.
After listening to the music, students give expected answers:
Children: The melody is smooth, drawn-out, legato, songlike, the piano seems to be “singing.” That's why the composer called this instrumental piece a “song.”
Leader: Guys, you are absolutely right. It is not for nothing that in our time the modern poetess Emma Alexandrova, sensing the song beginning of this music, composed the words to the “Old French Song”. The result is a piece for a children's choir, which we will learn today in class. Please listen to this vocal work and determine its content. What is this song about?
Students listen to the “Old French Song” performed vocally by the teacher to the accompaniment of the piano.
Children: This is a picture of nature, a musical landscape of an evening river.
Leader: Of course, you're right, guys. This is obvious from poetic text songs. What mood does the music express?
Children: Mood of peace and light sadness. But suddenly, in the middle of the song, the music becomes agitated and impetuous. Then the mood of peace and light sadness returns again.
Leader: Well done, guys! Not only were you able to determine the mood of this music, but you were also able to see how it changed throughout the song. And this, in turn, will help us determine the musical form of the “Old French Song”. What is a musical form?
Children: Musical form- This is the structure of a piece of music in parts.
Leader: In what form are most of the songs you know written?
Children: In verse form.
Leader: Can we assume that the “Old French Song” also has this form? After all, this is an unusual song. Remember how it was created, and remember how many times the mood in this “song” changed?
Children: This song has a three-part form, as the mood of the music changed three times.
Leader: This is the correct answer. “An Old French Song” has an unusual form for the vocal genre, since it was originally written by P.I. Tchaikovsky as an instrumental piece for piano. From your answer we can conclude that the number of parts of the form of a musical work corresponds to the change in mood in the music.
Leader: By what means of musical speech did the composer convey the mood of the “song”?
Children: Legato sound design, minor scale, smooth rhythm, calm tempo in the extreme parts of the song, acceleration of the tempo and increased dynamics in the middle part.
Before the next listening to the “Old French Song,” students are shown an illustration for the song - a sunset on the river, and are offered a verbal picture - a fantasy about the feelings of the composer who composed this music.
Leader: Look carefully at this illustration and imagine as if the composer himself was sitting on the banks of the evening Seine in the vicinity of Paris, admiring the beauty surrounding nature, the colors of the setting sun. And suddenly vivid memories of his distant, but so dearly beloved Motherland came flooding back to him. He remembers his native open spaces, wide rivers, Russian birch trees and, like his mother’s voice, the ringing of church bells...
The director places a portrait of P.I. Tchaikovsky on the piano.
Leader: Guys, imagine that the composer himself is listening to this music with you.
After listening to vocal music again, students share their impressions of the music they heard.
Leader: Guys, Pyotr Ilyich loved Russia very much, and do you love your Motherland?
Expected student answers:
Children: Yes, of course, we love her very much too and are proud of our great country!
The leader distributes the lyrics of the song to the children.
Leader: Guys, of course, you noticed how little text there is in this song. Despite this, he very vividly and figuratively paints a picture of evening nature and the changing moods of a person:
In the evening there is coolness and peace over the river;
Whitening, the clouds recede into the distance.
They strive, but where? Flow like water
They fly like a flock of birds and disappear without a trace.Chu! The distant ringing is shaking, calling, calling!
Is it not the heart that gives the heart the message?The water runs, the water gurgles, the years go away,
But the song still lives, it is always with you.
After reciting the text of “An Old French Song,” the leader gives a definition of the genre of musical miniature:
Leader: A small piece of music for voice, choir, any instrument and even an entire orchestra has a beautiful French name miniature. Guys, does “Ancient French Song” by P.I. Tchaikovsky belong to the genre of vocal or instrumental miniature?
Children: “An Old French Song” by P.I. Tchaikovsky belongs to the instrumental miniature genre because the composer wrote it for piano. But after the “song” had words, it turned into a vocal miniature for a children's choir.
Leader: Yes, indeed, “An Old French Song” is both an instrumental and a choral (vocal) miniature. Did you guys like this song? Would you like to learn it? Certainly! But before that, we need to sing so that your voices sound beautiful and harmonious.
2-stage. Chanting.
Children are given a singing instruction.
Leader: Guys, show me how to sit correctly when singing.
Children sit up straight, straighten their shoulders, place their hands on their knees.
Leader: Well done, guys. Don't forget to watch your body position while singing.
Students are invited to perform a set of exercises to develop vocal and technical skills:
1.Vocal breathing and choral unison exercise.
Extend the syllable “mi” at the same height for as long as possible (sounds “fa”, “sol”, “la” of the first octave).
When performing this exercise, it is necessary to ensure that children do not raise their shoulders and take breaths “from the tummy, like frogs” (lower costal breathing).
2.Exercises on legato (smooth coherent sound production).
The combination of syllables “mi-ya”, “da-de-di-do-du” is performed step by step up and down – I – III – I (D major – G major); I – V – I (C major – F major).
3.Exercise on staccato (selective sound production).
The syllable “le” is performed according to the sounds of a major triad up and down (C major – G major).
4.Vocal diction exercise.
Singing patter:
“The cool little lambs walk in the mountains and wander through the forests. They play the violin and amuse Vasya” (Russian folk joke).
Performed on one sound (“re”, “mi”, “fa”, “sol” of the first octave) with a gradual acceleration of the tempo.
3-stage. Learning a song in the form of the game “Musical Echo”.
Goal: to form a comprehensive understanding of the song.
Method of playing the game: the leader sings the first phrase of the song, the children repeat quietly along the leader’s hand, like an “echo.” The second phrase is also performed. Then the leader sings two phrases at once. Are being played out different variants executions:
- the leader sings loudly, the children sing quietly;
- the leader sings quietly, the children sing loudly;
- The leader invites any of the children to become a performer.
Leader: Guys, you have determined the content of the song, its form, the nature of sound design, and now let’s look at its intonation and rhythmic features. So, listen to the first musical sentence of the first part of the song and determine the nature of the movement of the melody.
The leader fulfills the first proposal.
Children: The melody rises up, lingers on the upper tone, and then descends on the lower sounds to the tonic (musical point).
Leader: What does this direction of the melody represent?
Children: Waves on the river.
Leader: Let's fulfill this sentence, simultaneously clapping the rhythmic pattern of the melody (pattern of short and long sounds), emphasizing the stress in the words.
Then the students compare the first and second sentences of the first part of the “song” and conclude that their music is the same, but the words are different. The leader teaches the first part of the choral miniature with the children, using the “musical echo” technique, working on the purity of intonation and choral unison.
After vocal work on the first part of the “song,” the leader invites the children to listen to the second part and compare it with the previous one.
Children: The music becomes excited, the tempo gradually accelerates, the strength of the sound gradually increases, the melody rises “step by step” to the highest sounds of the “song” on the words “Isn’t it your heart...” and suddenly freezes at the end of the movement.
Leader: Well done, guys! You correctly felt the development of the melody of the middle part of the “song” and identified the brightest “point” of this choral miniature, which is called culmination that is, the most important semantic place of a musical work. Let's perform this part while simultaneously showing the upward movement of the melody with our hands and lingering at the climax.
After vocal work on the middle part, the leader invites students to listen to the third part of the “song” and compare it with the previous ones.
Children: In the third part of the “song” the melody is the same as in the first. She is just as calm and measured. It contains one musical sentence.
Leader: That's right, guys. The first and third parts of this choral miniature have the same melody. This three-part musical form is called reprisal. The word reprise is Italian and translated into Russian means “repetition”. Let's perform the extreme parts of the “song” and try to convey with our voice the smooth movement of the waves on the river and the sliding of clouds in the evening sky, which are sung about in the song.
After vocal work on the third part of the choral miniature, the director evaluates the children’s performance, noting its most successful moments, and offers to perform this part, if the students wish, solo. After this, students are invited to once again listen to the “Old French Song” as an instrumental miniature performed by a piano, and then perform the “song” themselves from beginning to end as a choral (vocal) miniature:
Leader: Guys, try to convey the feelings of the composer who composed this wonderful music, as well as your own feelings that you will experience when performing “An Old French Song”.
4-stage. Lesson summary.
Leader: Guys , With Today at the lesson you were excellent listeners, with your performance you tried to convey the figurative content of the “Ancient French Song”, you managed to express the feelings of the composer who composed this piece of music. Let's name this composer again.
Children: The great Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Leader: Why is “Ancient French Song” classified as a musical miniature?
Children: Because this is a very small piece of music.
Leader: What other interesting things did you learn about this musical miniature?
Children: The history of the creation of this piece of music is interesting; “An Old French Song” was included in the collection of piano pieces “Children’s Album” for young pianists; it is both an instrumental miniature and a choral miniature, depending on who performs it.
Leader: Well done, guys! Now carefully read the “musical” words on these cards and remember what they mean.
The leader shows the children two cards with the words “Climax”, “Reprise”.
Children: The climax is the most important semantic place in a musical work; reprise - repetition of a musical part, refers to a three-part form in which the third part “repeats” the music of the first part.
Leader: Well done, you gave the correct definitions to these words. Let's put these new cards in our “Musical Dictionary”.
One of the students places the cards on the “Musical Dictionary” stand.
Leader: Guys, while singing “An Old French Song” in class today, you “painted” with musical colors a picture of evening nature on the river. And your homework will be to draw illustrations for this choral miniature using ordinary paints.
Genres of choral music
Choral singing has the same ancient history, like the songs. Remember that ancient ritual songs are performed collectively. True, everyone sings the same melody, in unison. For many centuries in a row choral singing remained monophonic, and the first examples of choral polyphony date back to the 10th century.
In folk music we find polyphony in a drawn-out song. From folk polyphony came the tradition of singing songs in chorus. Sometimes it is simply an arrangement of any song for the choir, and sometimes the songs are written specifically for performance by the choir. But a choral song is not independent genre Choral music is one of the varieties of the song genre.
Genres of choral music include:
Choral miniature
Choir concert
Cantata
Oratorio
Choral miniature is a short piece for choir. Unlike choral song, in choral miniature polyphony is highly developed, polyphonic techniques are often used. Many choral miniatures are written for unaccompanied choir (in which case the Italian term “acappella”).
For example, in the choral miniature by V. Shebalin “ Winter road", the composer singles out the part of the first soprano as the main melody. Other voices echo certain phrases. They sing these phrases with chords that act as harmonic accompaniment. At the climax, the texture becomes more complex, the melodic line appears not only in the soprano, but also in other voices.
Choir concert – despite the name, it is not intended for concert performance, it is a concerto intended for performance in Orthodox Church during the solemn holiday service. This is a genre of Russian Orthodox sacred music.
A choral concert is not a miniature, but a large multi-part (cyclic) work. This is a choral story in several chapters, each part a continuation of the previous one. Usually there are small pauses between parts, but sometimes parts are performed without interruption and flow into each other. All choral concerts written for choir “acappella", because the instrumental music prohibited in the Orthodox Church.
Cantata - a word with the same root as the word “cantilena”, which means “singing”. The name "cantata" (music that is sung) arose in the early 17th century, along with the names "sonata" (music that is played) and "toccata" (music intended to be played on keyboards). Now the meaning of these names has changed somewhat.
Since the 18th century, cantata does not mean any piece that is sung.
A cantata is a multi-movement work for solo singers, choir and orchestra.
The structure of the cantata is similar to a choral concerto. At first, cantatas, like choral concerts, were spiritual works, but not Orthodox, but catholic church. But already in the second half of the 18th century, secular cantatas intended for concert performance appeared. Many spiritual and secular cantatas were written by I.S. Bach.
Oratorio - this word originally meant nothing at all. musical genre. An oratory was a room for prayer in churches, as well as prayer meetings that took place in these rooms. The service in the Catholic Church was held in Latin, which no one spoke and few knew. Only people understood her educated people- mainly the priests themselves. And so that the parishioners could understand what they were talking about, theatrical performances based on a religious plot were organized - liturgical dramas. They were accompanied by music and singing. It was from them that the oratorio genre arose in the 17th century.
As in the cantata, the oratorio involves solo singers, a choir and an orchestra. An oratorio differs from a cantata in two ways:
Much large sizes(up to 2 – 2.5 hours)
Coherent narrative plot
Ancient oratorios were created, as a rule, on biblical stories and were intended for both church and secular performance. In the 18th century, G. F. Handel became especially famous for his oratorios, German composer, who lived and worked in England for a long time. At the end of the 18th century, interest in oratorios waned. But in England they continued to love Handel's oratorios. And when he visited England in 1791 Austrian composer Joseph Haydn, he was captivated by Handel’s oratorios and himself created three oratorios - “The Seven Words of the Savior on the Cross”, “The Seasons” and “The Creation of the World”.
In the 19th century, oratorios were also created, but they were not successful, just like cantatas. Reappeared in the 20th century significant works in the oratorio genre: “Joan of Arc at the stake” French composer Arthur Honegger and “Pathetic Oratorio” by Russian composer Georgy Sviridov based on poems by Mayakovsky.
Questions for students:
What genres of choral music are there?
Tell us about each of them.