Title of the article:

ELEGY IN THE RUSSIAN SINGERS’ REPERTOIRE AS A FORM OF EXPRESSION OF NATIONAL MENTALITY

Author(s):

Elena N. Lushnikova

Information about the author/authors

Elena N. Lushnikova — Assistant Professor, Piano Department, Far Eastern State Institute of Arts, Petra Velikogo St., 3a, 690091 Vladivostok, Russia. E-mail: lus-elena@yandex.ru

Section

History of Arts

Year

2019

Volume

Vol. 54

Pages

pp. 292–299

Received

September 25, 2018

Date of publication

December 28, 2019

Index UDK

781.1

Index BBK

85.314(2)  

Abstract

The paper deals with the relationship of the genre of vocal elegy with the Russian mentality. One of the distinctive features of the Russian mentality is its contradictive character and ambivalence of the Russian soul. Concentrating predominantly on sad aspects of life is characteristic of the Russians` worldview. Suffering has a special meaning in the system of their spiritual values. Compassion, sympathy, confessionalism and tenderness are inherent to the Russian national character. The author shows that the distinctive features of the Russian worldview found expression in the genre of elegy, both poetic and musical ones. For many decades, the elegy songs of the Russian composers have been enthralling the audiences of literary-musical salons and concert halls. They are popular among both professional singers and amateurs. A tendency for elegiac pondering is illustrative of the artistic individuality of the great Russian singer Feodor Chaliapin, whose chamber repertoire included elegies of various composers. The genre is neither ignored by the musicians of the 20^th–21^st cs., as evidenced by various concert programs. The study involved materials from the composer Zara Levina’s archive. 

Keywords

Russian mentality, elegy, vocal elegy, chamber vocal pieces, singers of the 20^th century, Feodor Chaliapin, Natalia Shpiller, Zara Levina, Oleg Pogudin.

References

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