Search

The relevance of the study The author’s interaction in his creative work with folklore is one of the main ways of shaping national composers’ musical school. Spanish music culture is not an exception. There was discovering the uniqueness of flamenco culture through the searching of musical personal identity during the end of the XIX–first decades of the XX century. Original rhythms, modes and harmony specialty were inspiring for composers who searched the code of musical national composers’ school. Federico Garcia Lorca was one of them. His work «Canciones Españolas Antiguas» became not only restrained documentation of folkloric finds. His scientific interest was realized there with his own well-known authored style what provoked us to have some doubts about song’s origin. Was that songs stylization or authentic? How high was composer’s influence percent? The answer can be founded only through assesses the knowledge of flamenco tradition. We could find out real author’s creative participation thanks determining authentic flamenco components in the songs. These are the reasons and became the basis of the proposed article. The main objective of the study is to characterize the collection "Spanish ancient songs" by F. D. Lorca as creative project which arose at the intersection of the tradition of flamenco and author's style. The methodology of study includes historical method (in searching of context and historical background creation of collection «Spanish ancient songs»), biographical method (for clarify details of creation the collection, musical environment what was connected with Lorca’s views on the folk), comparative (for the comparing folkloric sources with author’s variants) structural-functional, system analysis, genre-style what allows to give characteristic of collection and to prove it’ artistic integrity as a song cycle. Results and conclusions. In the process of studying «Canciones Españolas Antiguas», it became clear that the balance of authenticity and authorial activity in this case can be ascertained only by relying on the knowledge of general folklore paradigms.We found out genres as sources for building the collection which were taken from flamenco culture. The «oriental» intonation nature of melodies saturated with melismas, mostly of a dance nature, is preserved. But the composer does not soften all these characteristic features, trying to bring them to the panEuropean musical standard, on the contrary, he strengthens them by using dissonant harmonies. He brings the rhythmic sophistication of authentic samples to the point of unpredictability thanks to the frequent use of hemiola, accents on weak parts, and syncopation. Impetuous performance and rubato, characteristic of the para cantar form of life (flamenco music focused on the singer), the composer conveys with the help of laconic remarks about tempo, dynamics, articulation, touches., Актуалізовано проблему взаємодії авторської творчості з фольклорною традицією. Крізь призму художньої практики кінця ХІХ ― перших десятиліть ХХ століття висвітлено вектор формування іспанської національної композиторської школи. Її своєрідність базується, передусім, на самобутній культурі фламенко, яку у той чи інший спосіб відтворювала творчість митців Іспанії, в тому числі Федеріко Гарсіа Лорки. Музична збірка «Іспанські стародавні пісні» стала не лише результатом сухого документування архівних знахідок, але й втіленням живого сприйняття фольклору іспанських gitanos. Характерні ритми, інтонаційна структура та ладогармонічні особливості фольклорної традиції фламенко надихали поета, інспірували його композиторський азарт. Набувала подальшого розвитку дослідницька тема «Лорка ― музикант»: зокрема, конкретизовані його фольклористична та композиторська діяльність; уточнені характеристики зафіксованого в аудіозапису (1931) та друкованому виданні (1961) музичного тексту в аспекті авторського і виконавського відтворення культури фламенко. У процесі вивчення збірки стало зрозуміло, що баланс автентичності та авторської активності у цьому випадку можливо з’ясувати, лише спираючись на знання загальних фольклорних парадигм, оскільки конкретні першоджерела, на які спирався Ф. Г. Лорка, невідомі. Нас зацікавило виявлення компонентів фламенко-коду, які залучав поет. Їх віднайдення посприяло встановленню історичних зв’язків авторського тексту із автентикою на рівні інтонаційних, ладових, гармонічних, метроритмічних, жанрових структур. Окрім того, у збірці виявлені ознаки циклічності, які розкриваються шляхом осмислення образно-поетичної сфери «Іспанських стародавніх пісень». Детальний коментар семантики конкретних номерів та музично-мовленнєва єдність дозволили встановити циклічність у побудові збірки, яка відтворює цілісний образ Іспанії та своєрідність іспанської ментальності.

Processing and publication of this issue were made possible through the financial support granted in 2023 by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport of the Czech Republic and the Faculty of Education, the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen. The study will aim to characterize the songwriting of Dominick Argento (1927−2019), a leading American composer and Pulitzer Prize winner, and to outline the possibilities of its application in the education of solo singers in faculties of education. Argento’s songwriting is rich (he composed cycles for every voice except bass) but not well known and rarely performed in Europe. It may be due to the difficulty of some cycles and the fact that not all sheet music is readily available. Part of the study presents the musical compositions of Dominik Argento with a focus on songwriting, the characteristics of textual aspects of songs, and the composer’s approach to the musical treatment of song cycles. The second part of the study deals with using Dominik Argento’s songwriting in teaching voice at faculties of education. This section includes a short musical and interpretative analysis of selected songs and suggests specific compositions for voice study. The topic’s treatment benefits Central European vocal teachers and the professional public.

Die beeld van Arnold van Wyk as liedkomponis berus op sy liedsiklusse Vier weemoedige liedjies en Van liefde en verlatenheid, asook enkele losstaande liedere. Die beeld behoort uitgebrei te word deur kennis te neem van die ongepubliseerde Petronius-liedere, waarvan die komposisiesketse en outograwe bewaar word in die Arnold van Wyk-versameling by die Universiteit Stellenbosch. Die Petronius-liedere is 'n liedsiklus vir bariton en klein instrumentale ensemble (fluit, altviool, tjello, Franse horing, perkussie, harp en klavier) op vyf Latynse tekste uit die Satyricon van Petronius Arbiter (c. 27-66 GE). Die komposisieproses, begin gedurende 1957-1959, is toe onderbreek en is eers in 1964 voltooi. Die onderskeie liedere toon Van Wyk se vermoe om gedigte verbeeldingryk te toonset en om 'n oortuigende vormeenheid te gee aan elke lied en die siklus as geheel. Hy ontgin die instrumente se klankkarakter in die ensemble op vindingryke wyse en gebruik die begeleiding tegelyk as middel tot klankskildering en vormgewing. Saambindende elemente in die siklus is die eensoortige sentiment van die tekste, die klavier se deurlopende teenwoordigheid, die wisselnootmotief, en die gebruik van die tritonus in verskillende toonsoorte, asook pedaalpunte. Akkoordsamestellings lees dikwels moeilik weens die dubbele spelling van note. Nadat elke lied individueel bespreek word, word gewys op die moontlike invloed van Benjamin Britten se werk op die Petronius-liedere. Arnold van Wyk's reputation as a composer of art songs rests on his two song cycles Vier weemoedige liedjies and Van liefde en verlatenheid as well as several single songs. The Petronius songs, a cycle of five songs for baritone and small instrumental ensemble (flute, viola, cello, horn, percussion, harp and piano), are still unpublished and thus unknown to the wider public. The songs offer rich research material and deserve to be published and performed. The texts of these songs, in Latin, are taken from the Satyricon by Petronius Arbiter (c. 27-66 CE), a member of the inner court of the Roman emperor Nero around 62 CE. Petronius describes Roman life of that era in a simple but colourful way. The mood of the chosen five poems is nocturnal and, in some cases, borders on the melancholic. The topics do not shy away from the occasional eroticism or even homoeroticism. Van Wyk began working on the song cycle during 1957-1959 but, following an interruption, only completed it in 1964. Factors that contributed to the slow compositional progress included the composer's heavy workload at the College of Music, Cape Town, his preoccupation with other compositional projects, such as the orchestral work Primavera, and his unstable health, depression and periodic compositional droughts. During February 1960 Van Wyk resigned as senior lecturer at the College of Music and in October that year became a lecturer at Stellenbosch University's Department of Music. Like Van liefde en verlatenheid, the Petronius cycle is cast in a symmetric form: the first and fifth songs balance each other in respect of sentiment and style, as do the second and fourth, while the third song displays a character of its own. The first and last songs (Qualis nox and Sit nox) are lyrical, while the second and fourth ones (Lecto compositus and Somnia quae mentes ludunt) represent a more narrative approach. For the third song, Foeda est, the accompaniment was restricted to piano, giving a unique character to the song and emphasising its singular position at the centre of the cycle. In discussing the various songs, this article draws attention to Van Wyk's ability to set words to music in a highly imaginative way, and to his sensitivity for the feelings expressed in the texts. His compositional proficiency is highlighted, especially his extraordinary skill in creating atmosphere and "painting" with musical sounds. The article highlights how the accompaniments - through recurring motives, varying textures, changes in tempo, the frequent use ofpedal points and the continuous presence of the piano - not only underline the songs' formal structure but contribute to the music's evocative character. Because of their length and picturesque content, Lecto compositus and Somnia quae mentes ludunt posed a special challenge to the composer. Van Wyk succeeded in representing colourful scenes by means of an imaginative use of the timbre of the accompanying instruments. In each song one instrument is accorded prominence, to capture and represent the poem's essence. Complex chord structures, double spelling of notes in a chord, some abrupt modulations and frequent use of the tritone in different keys, as well as the already mentioned pedal points, characterise the harmonic content of the songs. The taxing vocal part requires a skilled baritone voice. Considering the wider context of this Van Wyk song cycle, one should not overlook the possible influence that some of Benjamin Britten's works may have had on it. Although Van Wyk's songs exhibit their own characteristic style there are several areas where marked similarities with Britten's works are noticeable. Worth mentioning are the original high tessiture and lyrical sound of Van Wyk'sfirst attempts at setting Qualis nox and Sit nox to music. These characteristics remind one of Britten's Les illuminations and Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings. The B-section ofVan Wyk's Somnia quae mentes ludunt could be compared with many examples of explicit word painting in Britten's songs, such as Rats Away! from Our Hunting Fathers, as well as Below the thunders of the upper deep and Midnight's bell goes ting, both from Nocturne. Even the use of descriptive melismas on words like ludunt (tease), sanguine (blood) and quatit (shake) can be compared with Britten's treatment of l'ecume (the foam) and tourbillons (whirlpools) in Marine from Les illuminations and lulling in Sonnet from Serenade. The aim of this article is to bring this extraordinary song cycle to the attention of performers and researchers alike.