Three piano sonatas by Valentine Silvestrov: the context of the becoming of the composer’s style
Background. The present article is devoted to three piano sonatas composed by the modern Ukrainian composer V. Silvestrov. In the music of the twentieth century there are especially important (sign) genres for a composer’s work, among which there are a symphony and a sonata. They are going through transformation processes, but retain the most important essential features. They are influenced by the processes of formation individualization – on the basis of avant-garde techniques, or their synthesis with traditional classical approaches. Therefore, the actual task is to investigate the state of the conceptual genre of the sonata and the highest form of homophone music – the sonata one – precisely at the present stage of musical creativity. Objectives. The object of the research is the genre of the piano sonata, and the subject is the formation of V. Silvestrov’s composing style on the example of his piano sonatas (No. 1, 2, and 3). Accordingly, the goal is to reveal certain conceptual patterns and peculiarities of the development of the genre of the contemporary piano sonata in the work of the Ukrainian composer, as well as to determine the role of these works in V. Silvestrov’s language and style evolution. Methodology. Taking into account the considerable multi-genre heritage of this composer, the number of domestic studies devoted to the creativity of this outstanding world-known artist is relatively small. From the list of solid scientific works one can name the first monograph sketch by S. Pavlyshyn; popular scientific works – "Wait for music", "?????????. Meetings with Valentine Sylvestrov, the book by M. Nestjeva "So that music would be not invented but heard...". All other works are represented by musicology attempts on the questions of forming an individual and composing style, understanding the style problems of the 21st century on the example of V. Silvestrov’s creativity. Some works are devoted to revealing the specifics of certain parameters (compositional, pattern, thematic and genre ones) in his compositions. Analytical studies of the piano music by the Ukrainian neo-romantic composer can be found in the articles by N. Shvets, N. Ryabukha, D. Zhaleyko, and M. Kalashnik. Unfortunately, there is no integral musicology picture about the three sonatas for the piano by V. Silvestrov. The given article is intended to fill this analytical "gap". Results. In the professional works of the late twentieth century the piano sonata is not the leading genre. In Ukrainian music there are single works by M. Skoryk, V. Godzyatsky, and E. Stankovych; the exceptions are the 10 sonatas for piano by B. Bibik. How can one explain the "unpopularity" of the most important genre for the academic tradition? This is not just to combine musical-language experiments with the concept of the sonata genre; to maintain the dialectical balance of the scheme (construction) and the logical meaning of the sonata form. It is also difficult to overcome the memory of the genre, to adhere to the inherent signs of the sonata form. Of course, one can assume the use of the name "sonata" as a hint at the genre, its allusion. On the other hand, it is also possible to return to the origins of the sonata, when this word called any instrumental work as opposed to the cantata from the sixteenth century. In the 70’s, during the period of the formation of V. Silvestrov’s style, the problems of musical syntax, language, interaction of traditions and innovations in culture arise with a new force, the processes of plurality of time and space concepts are generated; classicism cause and effect connections are disturbed. Instead, a great attention and curiosity are caused by the forms that are not similar to the classical typified structures (like the sonata is). Composers find themselves on the way to rethink old models; classical forms become constructions, and the result of their filling up will depend on the individual talent of the artist and his/her ability to put his/her own musical and intonation heritage into the logic of the form. The three piano sonatas – No. 1 (1972), No. 2 (1975), and No. 3 (1979) – were composed by V. Silvestrov in the period of the formation of his style, when the elements of avant-garde techniques (serial and aleatory) are becoming lyrical, and there is a gradual departure from their expressionistic sharpness. T. Cherednychenko calls it the feeling of "a new backward". Sonata No. 1 is a sample of V. Silvestrov’s "early" neo-romanticism. Created in 1967 as a 4-part cycle, in 1972 it was edited by the composer and takes the form of a two-part sonata. It embodies the idea of equality of all known technical approaches of tonal music: polyphonic, homophonic, and those of the extended tonality. The sonata form is interpreted through the prism of lyrical contemplation. The main attributes of the sonata principle are preserved: the through development, dynamization, motive-thematic work, "germination" of the theme and its intonation homogeneity, interaction and mutual influence of the main and secondary parties and achievement of a qualitatively new result in the reprise. The sonata represents the typical stylistic features of V. Silvestrov’s music: a special type of a lyrical sound formation, gradation of a quiet sonority, "equality" of all piano registers, and attraction to one-part composition (Attacca), later to be inherent in the instrumental works by the composer. Piano sonata No. 2 is a vivid example of the embodiment of the idea of the sonata form dialectic character with the veiled feature of its components and stages. This sonata is a one-part one; it combines the lack of time and the saturation of the themes. The "sonata plot" (the composer’s words) is connected with the purposeful movement to the climax of the composition – the chorale, and the return in the preclimax direction. A kind of a concentric form is being created, and with this the sequence of themes in the second half of the sonata has a reprisal character. The main idea of the work is the combination of different types of the sound organization: the atonal (serial, cluster background), aleatory, sonorous, tonal (the elements of the chord vertical, three-sound figures, the theme of the chorale), and, more broadly, of different types of sounding which at the philosophical level represent the eternity of the sound being. Sonata No. 3 clearly depicts the features of V. Silvestrov’s composing style. The intonation and dramaturgical development is more deeply connected with the structure of the sonata. The intersection of the polyphonic technique with the principles of the sonata form occurs from the position of the openness of all the previous styles; the unifying factor is the individuality of the composer’s thinking, which opens the way to the meta-language. Parts ˛-˛˛ are a baroque couple of prelude-fugue, part ˛˛˛ – the postlude – is a semantic center of the sonata. The "post-ludeness" will become a special type for the modern composer to express himself, and the "postlude" – one of his favourite genres; it will open the road to a new simplicity. The tendency to have a single part, the special detailing of the texture and the presence of a leitmotif sound formation (the mediant (decimal) vertical, which passes through all the parts and at the end of the sonata becomes the semantic point of the previous development) are typical for the sonata. Conclusion. V. Silvestrov refers to the sonata genre, while preserving its compositional, dramaturgic, and intrinsic features. At the forefront there is the principle of the sonata form or its idea. The three piano sonatas analyzed here give an understanding of the specifics of the composer’s style, the leading feature of which is lyricism. It manifests itself at all levels (themes, textures, and dramaturgy). Its carrying signs are the mediant form (in melody and intonation turns, harmonic vertical, tonal relations), the classical four-voice (choral) chord with the stress on the three-soundness (but of a modal type), and the harmonic shapes of a sequential kind. The modern techniques are also put through the prism of lyricism; the sonority comes to the front, and the aleatory fragments are also subject to the ideas of phonism; the serial form is treated with freedom, it only concerns the presentation of the main themes without further options for working with the series. The expressiveness of dissonances is softened by the rhythm: all the "sharp" moves seem to hang in long durations. The atonality coexists with tonal soundings and is perceived as its logical continuation