Peter Sokalskiy — first Ukrainian professional opera composer
The article deals with the problems of formation of Ukrainian opera. The main stylistic features of the opera art by P. Sokalskiy have been covered. We analyzed the expression of the specific characteristics of dance genres of European and Ukrainian dance culture in «The Siege of Dubno» opera, especially their implementation and impact on the typological characteristics of drama. In the modern period of a rapid revival of the national Ukrainian culture the questions of formation of national musical and opera theater art in Ukraine are particularly important. The development of the opera genre in the XIX century is characterized by the appearance of a significant amount of original works of the Ukrainian composers. The opera «The Siege of Dubno» has a special place in the history of the Ukrainian opera. P. Sokalskiy was the first Ukrainian composer who appealed to the plot of the story by N. Gogol «Taras Bulba». The libretto, written by the composer himself, contains significant changes and additions (compared to the literary original source). The large-scale opera work consists of a prologue and four acts. The opera was started in 1876, and it was published — in 1884. In Kharkov, in the house of the brother of the composer — Ivan Sokalskiy — at one of the amateur musical evenings by local and touring in the city of musicians and artists, the opera «The Siege of Dubno» was performed. In the orchestral introduction (¹1) of the prologue of the opera (before the curtain) the composer has already prepared rhythmic saturation and tonal scope of the subsequent dance scene. The whole dance fragment Allegro moderato alla Polacca takes place in the background: from the room Panna Ursula, the daughter of Kiev voivodes the hall with the colonnade is seen where guests pass in Polonaise. Polonaise in opera by P. Sokalskiy is filled with triumphant C major. We should note that different rhythmformulas of Polonaise persist throughout the prologue (¹2, 4, 5). The internal structure of Polonaise is quite non-traditional, composer offers original, distinctive interpretation of the genre. In the opera by P. Sokalskiy the Polonaise begins the formation of a «Polish image» (like in the opera «Ivan Susanin» by M. Glinka), bright and quite diverse embodied in the work. We should note that during further development of the musical dramaturgy of the opera the Polonaise becomes the value of a leithgenre. The characteristic dance rhythms (rhythmformulas Polonaise, Mazurka) repeatedly appear in the orchestra party throughout the opera (especially in the prologue and two scenes of the third act), and acquire the value of leithrhythmes and leithmotives. The dance elements appear even against the musical characteristics of the heroic epic image of Taras Bulba, as the anticipation of a conflict confrontation. In addition to the use of specific features of the Polonaise and Mazurka genres which perfectly embody the national dance trends to create a «Polish image» the composer also uses the Waltz genre. The temp and rhythm of Waltz in the Arioso (No. 4) of Panna Ursula accurately convey her internal state. A variety of rhythmic sequences create a light, dancing image. However, the central image of the drama incarnated in the opera by P. Sokalskiy becomes the image of the Ukrainian people. Its musical feature is based on song and dance of the Ukrainian and Russian folklore. The composer uses dance genres Gopak, Kazachok and also creates scenes in which the dance is synthesized with the choir. Melodies of Gopak and Kazachok appear in the first (No. 11 dance with the choir) and the second act of the opera (No. 20 dance with the song in the scene of the revelries of the Cossacks). In No. 11 — a dance with chorus (Allegro assai, B–dur) — different types of quotations used of typical folk song intonations in combination with the orchestra party and dance characteristic constituents create a vivid genre picture of Ukrainian life. In general, dance numbers of the opera «The Siege of Dubno» by P. Sokalskiy produce a great dance form (the term has been introduced by us) — a set of individual dance scenes scattered throughout the opera, more or less completed, but held together by a single principle of dramatic development. Dance genres included in the great dance form of this opera, play an important role in the dramaturgy of the work: the genre of Polonaise, Mazurka and Waltz, which are the embodiment of the Polish camp, the composer contrasts the dance genres that proclaim the Ukrainian mentality (Gopak, Kazachok). We should note that this sample of a great dance form has a polygenre base. In addition to a constantly introduced leithgenre of Polonaise, starting with the entry, permeating the whole opera, an important role is also played by the genre of Mazurka, Waltz and of the Ukrainian folk dance. We should also note the original approach of P. Sokalskiy to the drama of the main actors, the appearance of developed mass folk scenes in the operas, the introduction to the dramatic structure of the works of the folk-song melodies, reinterpreted in accordance with the author’s intention, a new interpretation of the musical recitatives. These features of the opera creativity of P. Sokalskiy allow us to call him the first Ukrainian professional opera composer. Especially acute is the question of the revival, preservation of his operas, and finding a full-fledged stage of life by them