Chamber instrumental genre play miniature. Chamber instrumental music

Chamber- instrumental ensembles occupied a place in Taneyev’s work that had never before belonged to this sphere of creativity in Russian music: the “world of composers” was embodied to a much greater extent in their operas or symphonies. Taneyev's chamber cycles not only belong to the highest achievements of his work, but belong to the heights of domestic pre-revolutionary music of the chamber genre as a whole.

It is well known that in the 20th century there was an increase in interest in chamber-ensemble music in various national cultures. In Russia in the second half of the 19th century, and especially towards its end, this phenomenon had a basis. For Russian art of that time, psychologism is important and characteristic. Deepening into the world of man, showing the subtlest movements of the soul are also inherent in the literature of that time - L. Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, later Chekhov - and portraiture, and opera, and vocal lyrics. It was psychologism, combined with an attitude towards non-programming of instrumental music, that was embodied in Taneyev's chamber-ensemble work. Classical tendencies were also important.

Chamber-ensemble music is fuller, more consistent and brighter than other genres, it reveals the evolution of Taneyev's creativity. It is hardly accidental that Taneyev, a student of the conservatory, manifested himself most clearly in the string quartet in D minor (not completed), in terms of both thematics and methods of development. The theme of the main part of the first part is mournful. The drooping seconds, so frequent in Tchaikovsky, sound here not elegiacly and openly emotional, but more restrained, stern. The theme, consisting of four sounds, is not singsong, but is already concise, thesis in Taneyev's way. The second beginning of the motive is immediately aggravated by a reduced fourth, in combination with other voices, wide unstable intervals arise. The presentation of the main part in polyphonic form is extremely interesting and revealing: imitation appears already in the second measure.

In the second performance (bars 9–58), the imitative nature of the exposition is emphasized by the stretta. In the third section of the development - the fugato with four complete passages (from p. 108) - an important event occurs: the theme of the fugato synthesizes both themes of the exposition.

Chamber ensembles took the main place in the years that were a continuation of the student period and preceded the creation of John of Damascus (1884). At first glance, the tasks that Taneyev set for himself at this stage look paradoxical and untimely (even in the eyes of Tchaikovsky: polyphonic technique, “Russian polyphony”), but their solution moved the composer in exactly the direction that eventually turned out to be not only the general line of his work, but also a significant trend in the development of Russian music of the 20th century. One of these tasks was the mastery of chamber writing, and initially it was based on the development - practical, composing, moreover, consciously set - intonation and compositional structures chamber music Viennese classics. “The model and object of imitation is Mozart,” the young musician writes to Tchaikovsky about his quartet in C major.

Thematic prototypes and principles of work, dating back to the music of Mozart, layer Viennese classicism for Taneyev was not exhausted. No less important was the orientation towards chamber, and partly symphonic and piano cycles Beethoven. The very significant role of imitation polyphony is connected with the Beethoven tradition. The very beginning of the E-flat major quartet speaks of Taneyev's "polyphonic setting"; the second sentence (vol. 13 et seq.) is a four-voice canon; contrapuntal techniques are found both in the exposition and in the development sections. The first fugue forms appear as well, which are included in a larger structure - in the extreme parts of the trio in D major, in the finale of the quartet in C major. Here, earlier than in the first three symphonies (in the same years), the tempo designation Adagio appears. And although these slow parts do not have the deep content of Taneyev's later Adagios, these are almost the best parts of the cycles.

Taneyev himself judged his first chamber compositions strictly (cf. diary entry dated March 23, 1907). The few reviews of the only performances of the E flat major and C major quartets were strongly negative. The ensembles of the 1970s and 1980s were published three quarters of a century after their appearance by the works of G. V. Kirkor, I. N. Iordan, B. V. Dobrokhotov.

Subsequent chamber-instrumental cycles were published during the composer's lifetime and can be regarded as examples of his mature style. It has its own more fractional internal periodization: the quartets in D minor (1886; revised and published in 1896 as No. 3, op. 7) and in B-flat minor (1890, No. 1, op. 4), written before the Oresteia, with their more melodious melody; opening with a quartet in C major, op. 5 (1895) a number of the most significant string ensembles, among which a special place is occupied by two quintets - op. 14 (with two cellos, 1901) and op. 16 (with two violas, 1904); finally, following the quartet in B-flat major (op. 19, 1905) ensembles with the participation of the piano: the quartet in E major, op. 20 (1906), trio in D major, op. 22 (1908) and Quintet in G minor op. 30 (1911). But this grouping is largely arbitrary. Each of the Taneyev ensembles is a building built according to an "individual project". They express different moods, each has its own special task, its own special goal.

L. Korabelnikova

Chamber instrumental ensembles:

sonata for violin and piano a-moll (no op., 1911)

trio
for violin, viola and cello D-dur, no op., 1880,
and h-moll, without op., 1913
for 2 violins and viola, D-dur, op. 21, 1907
pianoforte, D-dur, op. 22, 1908
for violin, viola and tenor viol, Es-dur, op. 31, 1911

string quartets
Es-dur, without op., 1880
C-dur, without op., 1883
A-dur, without op., 1883
d-moll, without op., 1886, in the 2nd edition - 3rd, op. 7, 1896
1st, b-moll, op. 4, 1890
2nd, C-dur, op. 5, 1895
4th, a-moll, op. 11, 1899
5th, A-dur, op. 13, 1903
6th, B-dur, op. 19, 1905
G-dur, without op., 1905

piano quartet in E-dur (op. 20, 1906)

quintets
1st string - for 2 violins, viola and 2 cellos, G-dur, op. 14.1901
2nd string - for 2 violins, 2 violas and cello, C-dur, op. 16, 1904
piano, g-moll, op. 30, 1911

Andante for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons and 2 horns (no op., 1883)

The development of individual genres of instrumental music proceeded unevenly in the 1920s. Thus, concert literature was presented only by single works. But among them are such masterpieces as Prokofiev's piano concertos, which belong to the greatest achievements of Russian music of the 1920s and early 1930s. Interest in this genre manifested itself in Prokofiev during his studies at the conservatory. The first two concertos written by the composer in early years, still captivate with the unfading freshness and inexhaustible ingenuity inherent in youth. The third concerto is a composition marked by the maturity of mastery, that certainty of possession expressive means, which is characteristic of an experienced artist.
According to the author, the idea of ​​a "large and passable cop Iert" dates back to 1911. Two years later, a theme arose, which then became the basis for the variations (second part). The concert also included two themes from the unrealized "white" diatonic quartet Nachalo systematic work above the concerto dates back to 1917, and it was finally completed in 1921. Thus, the composition, which became one of the pinnacles of Prokofiev's creativity, was nurtured by the author for a long time.
The best properties of Prokofiev's music were concentrated in the Third Concerto. It contains many energetic dynamic pressures, bravura motor skills, purposeful passages in Prokofiev's style. But the virtuoso beginning, expressed in the concerto in all its splendor, does not become an end in itself, suppressing the rest. The concerto is notable for its internal content, especially in the lyrical episodes, where Prokofiev clearly showed himself as a Russian artist. Finally, in this work, much comes from a cheerful theatrical performance, the rapid pace of the comedy dell'art? with her mask characters. This line of Prokofiev's creativity, which was so vividly expressed in the opera The Love for Three Oranges, was also reflected in the Third Concerto.
The main images of the concerto are already shown at the beginning of the first movement: the enlightened melody of the introduction with Prokofiev's characteristic departure to the high register is answered by the efficient motor skills of the passages of the main part. This contrast becomes leading for the first part. But within its limits a wide variety of shades has been achieved. Piano passages now sound straightforwardly offensive, then acquire grace and subtle sharpness. In the stream of toccata injections, separate episodes crystallize, where prominent melodic images appear. Along with the theme of the introduction, a lyrical-scherzo secondary theme plays a significant role, the expressive melodic line of which is saturated with unexpected, sometimes bizarre twists against the background of a sharply staccato measured accompaniment.
One of the pearls of Prokofiev's creativity was the second part, written in variational form. In its theme, intonationally far from the Russian song, one can feel the soft tenderness of Russian round dance songs, the smooth movement of the round dance:

Sharp contrasts distinguish the variational development of the theme. Violent and perky variations, like a buffoon dance (FI), alternate with gentle, dreamy (IV). Subtle transparent presentation is replaced by a brilliant virtuoso technique, energetic movement of octaves. Variations especially clearly confirm B. Asafiev's idea that
“The texture of the Third Concerto rests on the intuitive premise of melos - the basis musical dynamics» *.
The element of Russian dance prevails in the finale of the concerto, with its initial diatonic theme, where the intonations of folk dance songs are given a special rhythmic sharpness. But here, too, the merry omniscience, in which one feels the turmoil of an eccentric comedy, is set off by the broadly melodious theme of the middle episode.
In the Third Concerto, Prokofiev enriched his piano technique and used the possibilities of the instrument in a new way. At the same time, the Concerto is firmly based on the traditions of world piano literature, combining the Russian national principle with the properties of the Viennese classical style. Along with the First Concerto of Tchaikovsky, the Second and Third Concertos of Rachmaninoff, it belongs to the largest phenomena of this genre in the work of Russian composers.
By the beginning of the 1930s, the composition of two subsequent piano concertos dates back. The Fourth Concerto (1931) was commissioned by | pianist Wittgenstein, who lost his right hand in the war. Stylistically, this concerto is close to the works of the early 1930s, in particular the ballet The Prodigal Son and the Fourth Symphony. The characteristic features of Prokofiev's piano concerto style are presented here on a more modest scale, due to a significant limitation of the performer's virtuoso capabilities. The lively running of passages here again gives way to carnival-scherzo episodes, pages of heartfelt lyrics. The lyrical theme that opens the second part of the Concerto is distinguished by its amazing simplicity of presentation. However, this concerto is not devoid of some fragmentation. Compared to Prokofiev's other concertos, his thematic material is less vivid.
Boles turned out to be significant Fifth - the last piano concert Prokofiev. This work could rather be called a concert-suite: it contains five genre-specific parts, saturated with sharp contrasts of thematic material. A large place in the Fifth Concerto is occupied by scherzo-dance images close to a number of fragments of Romeo and Juliet. The element of graceful ballet dancing dominates in the second part of the Concert, representing. a vivid embodiment of Prokofiev's humor.
Prokofiev's inexhaustible ingenuity was fully manifested in the developed, virtuoso piano part. Doeta accurately recall the passage through the entire keyboard from the finale (Piu tranquil 1o). where left hand overtakes the right. “At first I didn’t want to make the concerto difficult and even suggested calling it “Music for Piano and Orchestra” ... But it ended up that the piece turned out to be
complex, a phenomenon that fatally pursued me in a number of opuses of this period. What is the explanation? I was looking for simplicity, but most of all I was afraid that this simplicity would not turn into rehashings of old formulas, into "old simplicity", which is of little use in the new composer. In search of simplicity, I certainly pursued the “new simplicity”, and then it turned out that the new simplicity with new techniques and, most importantly, new intonations was not perceived at all as such. This critical statement by Prokofiev reveals the direction of his searches in the early 1930s, showing how difficult the paths to achieving a new quality of style were.
In those years, apart from Prokofiev's concertos, almost nothing significant was created by Soviet composers in this area. Only the Concerto for Organ and Orchestra by A. Gedicke deserves mention.
Prokofiev's compositions also belonged to the most striking phenomena in chamber instrumental creativity. For the first time in this period, he turns to the genre of chamber instrumental ensemble, which had not previously attracted his attention.
Overture on Jewish Themes (1919) for clarinet, violins, viola, cello and piano is notable for its simplicity of style and classical completeness of form. In 1924, a five-part Quintet was written, which Prokofiev ranked, along with the Second Symphony and the Fifth Piano Sonata, among the "most chromatic" of his compositions. This estimate now seems exaggerated; in style, the Quintet is closer, perhaps, to the neoclassical line, although at that time very radical means were used in it. Classical tendencies were even clearer in the First Quartet (1930), commissioned by the Library of Congress in Washington. The final Andante stands out, in which, according to the composer, the most significant material of this opus is concentrated.
With all the interest of the listed compositions, it is still hardly legitimate to talk about a distinct line in the development of the genre of chamber instrumental ensemble in Prokofiev's work. Much more "important" position was occupied by his music for the piano.
In 1917, the cycle "Fleeting" was completed, the title of which was born from a poem by Balmont:
In every evanescence I see worlds.
Full of "changing, iridescent play.
The twenty miniatures that make up this cycle are extremely concise - none of them exceeds two or even one page of musical text. Compared to a number of early piano opuses, these pieces are more graphic in presentation, devoid of brilliant concert attire, and are distinguished by the simplicity of textured drawing. However, their language, based on a complex modal foundation, uses bold full harmonic combinations, subtle polytonal and full modal effects.1 Each of the pieces has a genre identity: penetrating lyrical sketches alternate with motor toccata, scherzo or dance miniatures. Laconic strokes or throw-ups are bright pictures, sometimes not devoid of pictorial "picturesqueness".
The cycle “Tales of an Old Grandmother” (1918) is even simpler in language, saturated with melodies of a Russian warehouse, close to the traditions of Borodin’s piano work. The neoclassical line is represented by the Four Pieces op. 32 (1918), among which stands out for the brightness of the material and the purely Prokofiev "folding" of the fis-moll gavotte form. Of the later pieces, two "Things in themselves" (1928) can be noted, as well as two sonatinas op. 54, written in 1932.
Prokofiev's most significant solo piano composition of the 1920s was the large three-part Fifth Sonata (1923) Her main topic represents one of the brightest embodiments of the "new simplicity", which will later become the main leitmotif of Prokofiev's work:

Clear major, simple triads, modest presentation are combined with features of unique originality. The composer's creative style is clearly visible in the special smoothness of the flow of the melody, saturated with unexpected turns, soft-sounding jumps, as well as in characteristic shifts that introduce steps of the minor of the same name.
In further development, more complex, even sophisticated techniques come into play. The intonations of the theme are gradually aggravated, in which the means of harmonic polytonality play a significant role. The tension, reached towards the end of the development, is discharged in the reprise, where the theme takes on its original appearance.
The middle part of the sonata combines the properties of the lyrical center and the scherzo. Against the background of dimensional repetitions of chords in the size of three-eighths, a melody unfolds, the subtle curves of which are similar to the play of highlights or the whimsical braiding of arabesques. The dynamic finale is dominated by images characteristic of Prokofiev's motor-toccata music, with its characteristic forcing towards the general climax. At the same time, the third part of the sonata is characterized by lightness, reminiscent of the final rondos of the Viennese classical style.
The Fifth Sonata clearly expressed the neoclassical tendencies of Prokofiev's music: graphic parsimony of presentation, clarity of melodic pattern and texture, and elegance of passages. In many ways, she anticipated the style of the famous sonata "Triad", created in the early 40s.
The chamber instrumental creativity of the 1920s as a whole is a very heterogeneous and variegated picture, so it is very difficult to establish the leading, defining lines here.
In the field of the string quartet, the older generation of composers continued the classical tradition of the Russian chamber instrumental ensemble. These are Glazunov's two quartets - the Sixth and the Seventh (1921 and 1930). Both of them (especially the Seventh) approach the genre of a program suite: the music is characterized by great concreteness of expression (individual parts have names). It should be noted the obvious desire of the composer to push the boundaries of the chamber genre, to symphonize the quartet. Particularly indicative in this respect is the finale of the Seventh Quartet - "Russian Holiday".
The product of great maturity and skill is R. Gliere's Third Quartet.
An. Alexandrov, V. Nechaev, V. Shebalin in their early quartets showed themselves to be worthy representatives of the “Moscow school”, which adopted and developed the Taneyev tradition. First quartet An. Alexandrova (1921) was a reworking of a work created back in 1914. It shows the same tendency to emphonize the chamber genre that we noted in Glazunov's quartets. This is felt not only in the scale of the work, in the richness of the sound, but also in the contrast of the compared images, an example of which is the third part of Andante affettuoso: the light, pathetic first part is compared with the tragic declamatory nature of the second, the more often against the backdrop of an expressive ostinato rhythmic figure. ll<>light lyrical tones prevail in the quartet. The first theme with "Snow Maiden" intonations determines the appearance of the entire work
A notable debut as a composer was the V. Nechaev Quartet (NIM), which brought fame to the author not only at home, but also abroad. This work is one-part and is a kind of “quartet-poem”, with brightly contrasting themes, developed and in some cases to the size of an independent part within a one-part composition.
The first quartet of V. Shebalin - subsequently major master this genre - written in 1923 (when the author was still a student at the Moscow Conservatory). The quartet immediately attracted the attention of the musical environment to the young composer. The music of the quartet breathes youthful freshness and at the same time is marked by sufficient maturity and skill. It already distinguishes the characteristic features of Shebalin's instrumental style: a tendency to polyphony (fugato and contrapuntal combination of themes and the code of the finale), to unite parts of the cycle by repeating thematic material, to use natural modes (side part of the finale).
The composer's individual style is also felt in the theme itself - very clear and plastic, but with unexpected "turns" that make the musical idea more "tenacious" and memorable. Such, for example, is the main theme of the first movement:

The completeness of the form of the quartet, its conciseness (there are three parts in the quartet, and the third unites the features of the scherzo and the finale) make it possible to consider the Shebalin quartet one of the best chamber works 20s.
One of the chamber music sensations of the 1920s was G. Popov's septet from Leningrad (for flute, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, violin, cello and double bass). This work, emphatically experimental, is based on a comparison of contrasting to the point of paradoxical elements. In Russian, the melodious theme of the first part (Moderato canlabile) is contrasted with the sharp, motor themes of the second, the dramatic Largo - a constructive, hard finale. The most attractive feature of this work is the sense of form, understood as a "form-process", as the development of rhythmic energy inherent in musical themes.
In the piano music of the 1920s, extremely different, even opposite, tendencies coexist, among which two are felt most strongly. The first is a continuation of the line of Scriabin's piano creativity: let's conditionally call it a "romantic" trend. The second trend, clearly and emphatically anti-romantic, began to be felt in the second half of the 1920s, when Western “novelties” and, in particular, works by composers who in those years defiantly opposed romanticism and impressionism in music began to penetrate into the concert life of Moscow and especially Leningrad. (French "six", Hindemith, etc.).
The influence of Scriabin was refracted in different ways in the work of Soviet composers. It had a very noticeable effect in the piano sonatas of Myaskovsky, Feinberg, An. Alexandrov, as evidenced by the very interpretation of the soggaga genre as a piano poem with a single intensive line of development (many of the sonatas of that time are single-movement), a characteristic texture, a sophisticated and nervous rhythm, typical "scriabpiisms" in harmony.
Myaskovsky's Third and Fourth Sonatas (both in C minor) are based on a tragic concept close to that of his Sixth Symphony. This proximity is especially clearly felt in the Third Sonata (one-movement) - impetuous, striving. But the impulse does not reach its goal, and the ever-growing tension is not resolved; this is its difference from the symphony, in which, as mentioned above, light, lyrical images are of great importance. Lyrical image Third! sonatas (side part) is only a fleeting enlightenment.
The Fourth Sonata is truly symphonic in terms of the scale of the monumental four-movement cycle and the breadth of the range of images. The Soviet researcher rightly pointed out the “Beethovianism” of the first part of the sonata, which begins almost with a quotation from Beethoven’s sonata op. 111 . The dramatic first movement, the strict and serious sarabande, the finale of the "Perpetuum mobile" type - such is the "classic" appearance of this sonata. As often happens in Myaskovsky's symphonies, the cycle is held together by the repetition of one of the central images: in the finale, a side part of the first movement takes place.
Scriabin's influence was most noticeable, perhaps, in the piano work of S. Feinberg. The most complex texture, bizarre rhythm, frequent changes in tempo and nature of movement - all this will give it piano works(including sonatas) features of improvisation, fascinating in the author's interpretation, but creating great difficulties for other performers. Characteristic of Feinberg's work in the 1920s is his Sixth Sonata (1923). It begins with an epigraph theme - twelve strikes of the clock. This symbolism is clear enough: the theme of world historical cataclysms, which worried many artists in those years, was reflected here. But it is interpreted abstractly and in a gloomy subjectivist way. The striking of the clock in the introduction, the rebellious and restless images of Allegro, the final mourning episode - all this evokes formidable tragic associations.
A different circle of images underlies the Fourth Sonata of An. Alexandrov, in which dramatic and sometimes even tragic, lyrical and solemn images are compared. The work is characterized by "broad breathing", free and bright development of themes. The dramaturgy of the sonata is not traditional: from the dramatic, passionate first part, the main theme of which turns into a victorious hymn in the coda, through the lyrically thoughtful second part to the tragic finale (in minor of the same name, which is quite rare). The finale ends with a new and even more solemn presentation of the theme of the anthem. Thus, in this work, characteristic for the work of An. Alexandrov theme of the joy of life. In the sonata, she sounded brighter, more courageous than in the Alexandrian Songs, without their inherent self-sufficing hedonism.
For all the differences in the sonatas of Myaskovsky, Feinberg and Alexandrov, they have something that unites and is typical of a whole trend of Soviet chamber music. This is an understanding of the sonata genre itself as a tense dramatic form. large scale, expressive "improvisation" of a musical statement, requiring the performer to completely merge and, as it were, "identify" with the author of the work. What unites them is the desire, although expressed in a very subjective form, to reflect the rhythm of the time of “unheard of changes”. It is this (and not just individual features of form or harmony) that makes the considered piano sonatas related to the work of Scriabin and, more broadly, to the entire tradition of the romantic sonata, which received such an individually vivid implementation in Scriabin's work.
In a different and even opposite direction, the work of young composers developed, carried away by the novelties of Western piano music that first penetrated to us.
In Soviet music, the anti-romantic trend did not produce anything artistically valuable. It manifested itself in different ways. The attempts of some composers to reflect "industrial" images in piano music usually came down to simple onomatopoeia ("Rails" by V. Deshevov). The theory of “making music” by N. Roslavets, which was in search of a deliberately non-piano, graphic texture and harsh harmonies, did not give any creative results.
We also find these traits in a number of young authors who began their work in the 1920s (A. Mosolov, L. Polovinkin). Polovnikin in those years was characterized by extreme eccentricity, which manifested itself even in the titles of his plays. Incidents, Electrificat, The Last Sonata.
Sometimes, however, under the shocking "urban" names, in general, rather harmonious and prosperous music was hidden. Such, for example, are the piano pieces by Polovinkin, op. 9 ("Elegy", "Electrificat", "Neotvyaznoe"). The incomprehensible heading "Electrificat" is related to a rather unpretentious piece, both musically and by performing techniques, in the rhythm of a foxtrot or ragtime.
Shostakovich's Aphorisms (op. 13) is the purest example of anti-romantic tendencies. Having given his works program names traditional for piano pieces (“Recitative”, “Serenade”, “Nocturne”, “Elegy”, “Funeral March”, Canon”, “Legend”, “Lullaby”), the composer interprets them deliberately unexpectedly, unusual (such is the very loud and by no means lyrical “Nocturne”). Shostakovich uses in his Aphorisms* bizarre, broken melodic moves, harsh collisions of linearly developing voices. In a number of plays, even the feeling of tonality disappears, the composer interprets it so freely. Each piece is, in essence, a solution to some formal problem, which is of interest to the composer, but, apparently, not designed for the direct perception of the listener.
The most illustrative example is No. 8 from this cycle, a three-voice canon in a complex “vertically and horizontally movable counterpoint with very unconventional intervals for the introduction of voices (lower undecima and upper second). The most difficult task also determined the way of presentation: the melodic line of each voice is angular, broken by pauses (without which the sharp combinations of voices would have sounded even more harsh). On the whole, the piece is an example of what is usually called "music for the eyes". And only in one episode of the cycle - "Lullaby" - the composer speaks in a simpler and clearer language.
Most of the piano compositions of the 1920s have not been preserved in concert practice, despite the fact that some of them (Myaskovsky's Third and Fourth Sonatas, Alexandrov's Fourth Sonata) were later revised by the authors. The musical consciousness of the mass of listeners remained unaffected by either the subjectively colored tragic pathos of the "romantic" direction, or by the rationalistic constructions of the "anti-romantics". It was necessary to find a different way and other means of expression. The greatest difficulty was presented by the problem of thematism, which is equally difficult for both directions. Among the "scrappers" the expressiveness of thematism was often replaced by the expressiveness of agogics; in the constructivist experiments mentioned above, the theme was extremely dry and indistinct.
Much more vital were the works of the 1920s, directly connected with folk songs, with everyday genres or by converting them into classical music. We have in mind, for example, Myaskovsky's cycles of piano miniatures "Whims", "Yellowed Pages", "Memories". The second of these cycles has become especially firmly established in performing and pedagogical practice.
The author called these pieces "simple little things", and they are really very simple to perform and perceive. However, there is no simplification of thought here. In “Yellowed Pages” we encounter a number of themes-images very similar to the images of Myaskovsky’s symphony of the 1920s, but expressed with the “objectivity” that the composer so intensely sought in his work. Here we will find both a theme typical of Myaskovsky, which sounds like a persistent, desperate appeal that remains unanswered (No. G), and themes of a declamatory warehouse (the middle part of VK "1, the main theme of Ki 2), and melodically melodious themes close to the lyrical images of the Fifth and the Sixth Symphony (main theme No. 1, middle movement and coda No. 6).
In these piano pieces, Myaskovsky's successive connection with the work of his teachers, especially Lyadov, is clearly felt. Thus, for example, the harsh epic character of the seventh piece from The Yellowed Pages directly resembles Lyadov's ballad "About Antiquity", and the fifth piece is very close to "Lullaby" from "Eight Songs for Orchestra". This piece can serve as an example of a highly individualized implementation of folk song principles. There is a clearly perceptible connection with folk lullabies in it, and at the same time, we will not find exactly such intonations in any of the possible prototypes. The chants characteristic of lullaby songs are, as it were, “spread apart”, expanded, which gives the melody a more transparent and characteristically instrumental sound.
It is important to note that such images not only coexist with images of a more individual nature, but also influence them, giving them greater objectivity of expression.
The clarity and completeness of the form, the relief and expressiveness of the tempo images make it possible to attribute Myaskovsky's cycle to the best piano compositions of the 1920s.

Probably every person is not indifferent to music. It accompanies humanity inextricably, it is impossible to determine exactly when a person learned to perceive it. Most likely, this happened when our ancestor, trying to express his emotions, hit the floor. Since then, man and music are inextricably linked, today there are many of its genres, styles and trends. This is folklore, spiritual and, finally, classical instrumental - symphonic and chamber music. Almost everyone knows that such a direction, how chamber music exists, but few know what its differences and features are. Let's try to figure this out later in the article.

History of chamber music

The history of chamber music dates back to the Middle Ages. In the 16th century, music began to go beyond church churches. Some authors began to write works that were performed outside the church walls for a small circle of connoisseurs. It should be noted that at first it was only vocal parts, and chamber-instrumental music appeared much later. But first things first.

Enchanting chamber music. What is the name comes from the Italian word camera ("room"), probably everyone remembers. Unlike the church and theater music, chamber music was originally intended to be performed indoors by a small group for a narrow circle of listeners. As a rule, the performance took place at home, and later - in small concert halls. Chamber-instrumental music reached its peak of popularity in the 18th-19th centuries, when similar concerts were held in all living rooms of well-to-do houses. Later, aristocrats even introduced positions musicians.

Images of chamber music

Initially, chamber music was intended to be performed in front of a small circle of people who were its connoisseurs and connoisseurs. And the size of the room where the concert was held allowed performers and listeners to closely contact each other. All this created a unique atmosphere of belonging. Perhaps that is why such art is characterized by a high ability to reveal lyrical emotions and various nuances of human experiences.

The genres of chamber music are most accurately designed to be conveyed with the help of concise, but at the same time detailed means. Unlike where the parties are performed by groups of instruments, in such works each instrument has its own party, and all of them are practically equal to each other.

Types of chamber instrumental ensemble

With the development of history, chamber music also developed. That such a direction should have some features in relation to the performers does not require proof. Modern instrumental ensembles are:

• duets (two performers);
• trio (three members);
• quartets (four);
• quintets (five);
• sextets (six);
• septets (seven);
• octets (eight);
• nonets (nine);
• decimeters (ten).

At the same time, the instrumental composition can be very diverse. It can include both strings, and only strings or only wind instruments can be included in one group. And there may be mixed chamber ensembles - especially often the piano is included in them. In general, their composition is limited to only one thing - the composer's imagination, and it is most often unlimited. In addition, there are also chamber orchestras - groups that include no more than 25 musicians.

Genres of instrumental chamber music

Modern genres of chamber music were formed under the influence of such great composers as W. A. ​​Mozart, L. Beethoven, J. Haydn. It was these masters who created works that are unsurpassed in terms of sophistication of content and emotional depth of the work. Sonatas, duets, trios, quartets and quintets were once paid tribute to by the most famous romantics of the 19th century: F. Mendelssohn, R. Schumann, F. Schubert, F. Chopin. In addition, the genre of instrumental miniatures (nocturnes, intermezzo) gained immense popularity at that time.

There are also chamber concerts, suites, fugues, cantatas. Back in the 18th century, the genres of chamber music were very diverse. In addition, they absorbed the stylistic features of other trends and styles. For example, L. Beethoven's desire to push the boundaries of such a phenomenon as chamber music is so clearly traced that such a work of his as the Kreutzer Sonata, in its monumentalism and emotional intensity, is in no way inferior to symphonic creations.

Genres of vocal chamber music

In the 19th century, vocal chamber music gained immense popularity. The emerging new genres of art song and romance were paid tribute to by such as R. Schumann, F. Schubert, I. Brahms. Russian composers made an invaluable contribution to the world collection of chamber music. The magnificent romances of M. I. Glinka, P. I. Tchaikovsky, M. P. Mussorgsky, M. A. Rimsky-Korsakov do not leave anyone indifferent today. Apart from small works, there is also a genre of chamber opera. It implies the presence of a small number of performers and does not require a large room for staging.

Chamber music today

Of course, today there are practically no such houses where, as in past centuries, chamber ensembles play surrounded by a limited circle of people. However, contrary to existing stereotypes, this direction remains very popular. Halls of organ and chamber music around the world gather millions of fans of both the works of classical composers and contemporary authors. Festivals are held regularly, where famous and emerging performers share their art.

"Music Lessons" No. 16. Mozart. Chamber-instrumental creativity.

Hello. We again dedicate the next issue of the Music Lessons program to the work of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a representative of the Viennese classical school 18th century, which found its highest expression in his face. The Age of Enlightenment found its Olympus of musical development precisely in the work of the Viennese classics - Haydn, Mozart, Gluck. The music of the Viennese classics is related to ancient art by common aesthetic and ethical features: the depth and vitality of ideas, sublimity and balance of images, harmony and clarity of form, naturalness and simplicity of expression. The ideologists of the Enlightenment saw the harmony and beauty of the art of Hellas as an artistic reflection of the free and harmonious human world. Mozart is a musical encyclopedia of the Enlightenment, striking in its versatility. For my short life(incomplete 36 years old) he created more than 600 works.

The thematic catalog of Mozart's works, compiled by Koechel (it was published in Leipzig in 1862), is a volume of 550 pages. According to Koechel's reckoning, Mozart wrote 68 spiritual works (masses, oratorios, hymns, etc.), 23 works for the theater, 22 sonatas for harpsichord, 45 sonatas and variations for violin and harpsichord, 32 string quartets, about 50 symphonies, 55 concertos and etc., a total of 626 works.

Pushkin succinctly and accurately described the work of Mozart in the little tragedy “Mozart and Salieri”: “What depth! What courage and what harmony!

Today we will pay more attention to the composer’s chamber and instrumental work, and our musical part of the program opens with a fragment of the most popular “Little Night Serenade” performed by the Arabesque quintet

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The time of Mozart's life coincided with the awakening in Europe of great interest in spiritual and mystical teachings. In the relatively calm period of the middle of the 18th century, along with the desire for enlightenment, the search for an intellectual and social-educational order (French enlightenment, encyclopedists), there was an interest in the esoteric teachings of antiquity.

On December 14, 1784, Mozart entered the Masonic Order, and by 1785 he had already been initiated into the degree of Master Mason. The same thing happened in the future with Joseph Haydn and Leopold Mozart (the father of the composer), who came to the degree of Master in 16 days from the date of entry into the lodge.

There are several versions of Mozart joining the Masonic brotherhood. According to one of them, Emmanuel Schikaneder, his friend and future librettist of The Magic Flute, was the guarantor for admission to the Viennese lodge called “In the Name of Charity”. Later, on the recommendation of Mozart himself, Wolfgang's father, Leopold Mozart, was admitted to the same lodge (in 1787).

After becoming a Master Mason, Mozart within a short time created a lot of music intended directly for work in the box. As Albert Einstein points out:

“Mozart was a passionate, convinced Freemason, not at all like Haydn, who, although he was listed as such, from the moment he was accepted into the fraternity of “free masons”, never participated in the activities of the lodge and did not write a single Masonic work. Mozart not only left us a series significant works written specifically for Masonic rites and celebrations - the very thought of Freemasonry permeates his work.

Musicologists note the characteristic features of these works: "a simple, somewhat hymnical warehouse, chordal three-voice, somewhat rhetorical general character."

Among them are such works as: “Funeral Masonic Music”, Adagio for an ensemble of wind instruments (used to accompany ritual Masonic processions); Adagio for 2 clarinets and 3 horns (for entry into the lodge brothers); Adagio and Rondo for flute, oboe, cello and celesta and others.

The opera The Magic Flute (1791), the libretto for which was written by the freemason Emmanuel Schikaneder, is most saturated with the views, ideas and symbols of Freemasonry.

In the symbolism of the opera, a declaration of the basic Masonic principles is clearly traced. Both in the first and second acts of the opera there are clear echoes with Masonic symbols denoting: life and death, thought and action. Mass scenes are woven into the plot, literally demonstrating Masonic rituals.

According to musicologist Tamar Nikolaevna Livanova, Doctor of Art History, professor at the Moscow Conservatory and the Gnessin Institute,

“Mozart even brought the episodes associated with the image of Sarastro closer to the musical style of his Masonic songs and choirs. Not to see in all the fantasy of The Magic Flute, first of all, Masonic preaching means not to understand the diversity of Mozart's art, its direct sincerity, its wit, which is alien to any didactics.

The main key of the orchestral overture is the key of E-flat major. Three flats in the key are symbols of virtue, nobility and peace. This tonality was often used by Mozart in Masonic compositions, and in later symphonies, and in chamber music, which we are talking about today.

But, in fairness, we note that there are also other points of view on the relationship between Mozart and Freemasonry. In 1861, a book was published by the German poet H. F. Daumer, a proponent of the Masonic conspiracy theory, who believed that the image of the Masons in The Magic Flute was simply a caricature.

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Leonard Bernstein, an American pianist and conductor, needs no introduction. (By the way, his parents are from the Ukrainian city of Rivne.) Bernstein is the only conductor who has twice recorded the full cycle of Gustav Mahler's symphonies, the full cycle of Tchaikovsky's symphonies, his recordings of Haydn and Mozart are especially valuable. Piano Concerto No. 17 in G major sounds, soloist and conductor - Leonard Bernstein.

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Peru Mozart owns a huge number of works in ALL genres of instrumental music. Symphonies, serenades, divertissements, string duets, trios, quartets, quintets, piano trios, ensembles with wind instruments, violin and piano sonatas, fantasies, variations, rondos, works for piano in 4 hands and two pianos, concertos with orchestra accompaniment for various instruments (piano, violin, flute, clarinet, horn, flute and harp).

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A fragment of one of these concerts is performed by flutist Patrick Gallois and harp player Pierre Fabris. Conductor Sir Neville Marriner, English violinist and conductor. The amazing fate of this 88-year-old musician. He performed with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, worked with Toscanini, Karajan, led the orchestras of Los Angeles, Minnesota, Studgar Radio, was knighted in 1985. And a few words about the orchestra - Oquestrdella Sviceria Italiano (Orchestra of Italian Switzerland). This team was founded in 1933 in the Swiss city of Lugano. Pietro Mascagni, Arthur Onneger, Paul Hindemith, Richard Strauss, Igor Stravinsky and many other outstanding musicians performed with him as conductors. So, Mozart sounds, Concerto for flute and harp.

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And now we will be transported to the Vatican, to the hall "Aula Paolo-6th", which is not far from St. Peter, for the celebration of the 80th birthday of Pope Benedict the 16th. But first I will introduce you to the soloist. This is Hilary Hahn, about whom they say that it is rare to hear such an accurate and mathematically verified violin playing. A game imbued with restrained emotions that completely subjugate the instrument. This is pure craftsmanship! This is a rare talent! Born in 1979 in Virginia, Hilary began playing the violin a month before her fourth birthday. She studied in Philadelphia with Yasha Brodsky himself. At the age of 12, he made his debut with the Baltimore Orchestra. Twice Grammy Award winner. Hilary Hahn plays with the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra. At the conductor's stand Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Adolfo Dudamel Ramirez. He was born in 1981 and made a dizzying career.

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The Violin Concerto No. 17 in G major sounds, the recording was made in the Vatican on April 16, 2007.

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“Mozart’s melody,” Turgenev said, “flows for me quite naturally, like some beautiful stream or spring flows.”

Another world-famous writer, Stendhal, in the project of his own epitaph, asked that the following words be placed on his tombstone: "This soul adored Mozart, Cimarosa and Shakespeare."

This concludes the next issue of "Music Lessons" in order to meet again with the enchanting music of Mozart in the next program. See you soon!

Let us briefly dwell on the characteristics of individual works. For clarity, we will consider these 24 compositions according to the compositions that are used in them. As indicated, the piano is involved in sixteen. But first, about string ensembles.
There are seven of them in total - three quartets, two quintets, two sextets \ These compositions, different in their colorful possibilities, attracted the composer in different periods of creativity: in the years 1859-1865 sextets were written, in 1873-1875 - quartets, in 1882-1890 - quintets. The content of the early and late compositions - sextets and quintets - is simpler, closer to the old divertissements of the 18th century or orchestral serenades of Brahms himself, while the music of quartets is more profound and subjective.
Sextets (for two violins, two violas, two cellos) B-dur, op. 18 and G-dur, op. 36 are melodic, clear and simple in composition. These are early examples of Brahms' music of a popular type (see, in addition to the above-mentioned serenades, Waltzes op. 39, Hungarian dances and others). The study of the Viennese classics - Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert - affected the first work; the second is somewhat weighted by contrapuntal work. But both of them affirm a bright, joyful acceptance of life.
Other aspects of reality are displayed in string quartets.
Brahms once admitted in a conversation that before the beginning of the 70s he wrote about twenty works for string quartet, but did not publish them, destroyed the manuscripts. Of the surviving two - c-moll and a-moll - were published in a revised form under the op. 51 in 1873; three years later the Third Quartet in B-dur, op. 67.
The idea of ​​the first of these compositions dates back to the mid-50s, to the period of spiritual instability, stormy experiences of Brahms. Pathetics, restless mood permeated all parts of the quartet - extremely collected, succinctly stated; gloomy colors prevail here. This music is related to Mozart's Symphony in g-moll. I also recall the image of Goethe's Werther with his drama of a broken dream. The melancholic coloring is also characteristic of the Second Quartet, but its tones are lighter; in the finale, and before that in a number of episodes of other parts, joyful feelings erupt. The third quartet is artistically weaker than the previous ones, but contains many expressive episodes, especially in the middle parts.
Two quintets - F-dur, op. 88 and G-dur, op. 111 - written for a homogeneous composition - two violins, two violas and a cello. The supremacy of the rich alto-tenor timbre1 contributes to the expression of warm, cordial feelings, and the distinctness and brevity of the presentation - to their general accessibility. A melodious, courageous character is inherent in the First Quintet; joyful ease in the spirit of I. Strauss - to the Second. Bright light the music of its first movement and the trio in the third movement radiate, while in the second there are moments of passionate lamentation. With all the greater immediacy, the wild merriment of the finale blossoms, especially where the intonations and rhythms of the Hungarian czardas sound.
The second quintet belongs to the best chamber compositions of Brahms.
Sonatas are endowed with varied content - two for cello (1865 and 1886) and three for violin and piano (1879, 1886 and 1888).
From the passionate elegy of the first movement to the melancholy, Viennese in its turns minuet of the second movement and the fugue finale with its assertive energy - such is the circle of images of the First E-moll Cello Sonata, op. 38. The Second Sonata in F-dur, op. 99; it is all permeated with acute conflict, agitated spiritual impulses. And if this work is inferior to the previous one in integrity, it still surpasses it in the depth of feelings and drama.
A living testimony of the inexhaustible creative fantasy Brahms can serve violin sonatas - each of them is uniquely individual.
First sonata in G-dur, op. 78 attracts with poetry, wide, fluid and smooth movement; it also has landscape moments like the spring sun breaking through the gloomy rain clouds. Second sonata A-dur, op. 100, songful, cheerful, succinctly and collected. Unexpectedly, Grieg's influence is revealed in the second part. In general, a certain "sonality" - the lack of great development, drama - distinguishes it from other chamber works by Brahms. The differences from the Third Sonata in d-moll, op. 108. This is one of the most dramatic, conflicting works of the composer, in which the rebellious-romantic images of the Second Cello Sonata are developed with great perfection.
The first part is indicative in this respect. Despite the contrast of content, its main and side parts are close to each other; the second theme gives the reversal of the main motives of the first, but in different ratios of durations.

Both themes are nervously excited, which further leads to an acutely dramatic development, especially in the episode of a long sustained organ point on the dominant (46 measures). The tension is amplified by a false reprise (deviation in fis-moll, then D-dur). Only after a violent explosion of feelings does the original appearance of the main party emerge. An expressive stroke in the coda is a clearing in major after the final organ point on the tonic (22 bars).
If the music of the second part, where the main theme, wonderful in its melodious generosity, is complemented by another, more passionate one, is full of warmth and humanity, then images of terrible visions predominate in the next part. Like a haunting thought, like a reminder of some kind of nightmare, the dominant short motive sounds.
In the finale, the violently protesting beginning breaks through with the same force. On the rhythmic movement of the tarantella, images of either a proud assertion or an unrestrained fall arise - this is how an effective atmosphere of struggle is created. This finale can be ranked among the best heroic-dramatic pages of Brahms' music (compare with the Third Symphony).
The content of the three piano trios is less even.
First trio H-dur, op. 8 is written by a 20-year-old author. It captivates with the youthful freshness of the invention, romantic excitement. But, as it happened in early stage creativity of Brahms, figurative comparisons are not always proportionate. The composer was not able to completely eliminate this shortcoming in the later edition (1890), when about a third of the music was cut. Second trio C-dur, op. 87 (1880-1882) lacks this emotional immediacy, although it is more perfect in form. But the Third Trio in c-moll, op. 101 (1886) is at the level of the best chamber works of Brahms. The masculine strength, juiciness and full-bloodedness of the music of this trio leaves an indelible impression. The first movement is imbued with epic power, where the steady pace of the theme of the main part is complemented by an inspired anthem melody of the side.
The initial grain of their intonations coincides. This turnover permeates further development. The images of the scherzo, its whole bizarre warehouse, contrast with the third movement, where a simple, exciting tune in the folk spirit dominates. The final completes the cycle with dignity, glorifying the creative will of man, his daring exploits.
In a different, unsophisticated plan, Brahms sang the joy of life in Tr and o Es-dur, op. 40, which uses an unusual composition - a natural horn (can be replaced by a cello), violin and piano. Created in the mid-60s, this work, however, captivates with a young and fresh, emotionally open perception of life. Music develops freely and easily. Melancholic languor and passionate intoxication with nature are heard in it; there are also cheerful pictures of forest hunting. Perhaps, in no other work, the pure, enthusiastic soul of Brahms-romanticism has been so fully revealed!
Three piano quartets conceived at the turn of the 1950s and 1960s belong to an even earlier period. The first two are g minor, op. 25 and A-dur, op. 26 were completed at the same time. In these works, two different figurative solutions are given. The first quartet, like the first trio, is distinguished by a generous abundance of themes, a romantic change of images, and a wide scope various shades states of mind: pathos, not devoid of tragedy, feelings of vague anxiety or serene joy - using Hungarian-gypsy motifs. The second quartet, which gives out a strong influence of the Viennese classics, is less contrasting in content - a light, cheerful color reigns supreme in it. The Third Quartet in c-moll, op. 60 (conceived at the same time, completed only in 1874), but its structure is different, close to the First String Quartet. Again, as there, the image of the tragically unfortunate Werther, who doomed himself to death, is recalled. But the impulses of despair are conveyed here with even greater passion.
The perfect expression of the period of "storm and stress" in the creative biography of Brahms is given by the Piano Quintet in f-moll, op. 34. This work is the best not only in given period, but, perhaps, in the entire chamber-instrumental legacy of the composer. V. Stasov rightly called the quintet "truly brilliant" * noting the "tragic and nervous strength" of the first movement and the "incomparable power", "colossalness" of the scherzo.
Brahms turned to the composition in 1861, having conceived it for a string composition. But the power and contrast of the images blocked the possibilities of the strings. Then an edition for two pianos was written, but it did not satisfy the composer either. Only in 1864 was the necessary form found, where the string quartet was supported by the piano K
The music of the quintet reaches a genuine tragedy. Each part is saturated with images of action, disturbing impulses and passionate anxiety, masculinity and unyielding will. An exciting emotional drama is conveyed with great force in the first part, the various themes of which are united by subtle contrapuntal and variational work, flexible motivic connections that prepare the transitions from one state to another (see examples 39a - e),

The second part is characterized by a circle of those images that express feelings of hidden spiritual pain, timid hope, typical of Brahms. The swaying rhythm of the lullaby combines with landler elements. The outlined moments of genre generalizations are reinforced in the scherzo, which exacerbates conflicts in Beethoven's way. The trio emphasizes the nature of the march, which acquires an epic sound - the idea of ​​​​folk processions is born (cf. with the finale of the First Symphony). The fourth part moves the action into a new conflict situation, but does not show its outcome. There are thematic echoes both with the first movement and with the "evasive" theme of the scherzo. The finale of the quintet speaks of an endless struggle for happiness, full of drama and sharp contradictions.
By the end of his life, Brahms returned to the same theme, each time solving it differently, in the Third Violin Sonata and in the Third Piano Trio. But in the last four chamber compositions (1891-1894) other themes and images are embodied.

These pieces are related to the clarinet!. Not only acquaintance with a wonderful performer on this instrument (Muhlfeld from the Meyingen orchestra), but also the very timbre of the clarinet - its plastic, full-sounding and at the same time soulful intonation - attracted Brahms.
Less successful is the Trio for clarinet, violin and piano a-moll, op. 114. Despite some expressive pages, the rationality of the composition prevails in it over inspiration. Ideally, these two factors are in next work— Quintet for clarinet and string quartet in h-moll, op. 115 \ Its theme is farewell to life, but at the same time the joy of existence, restrained by mental pain. Similar themes agitated Brahms in both the First String Quartet and the Third Piano Quartet. But there their resolution took on a nervously overwrought, condensedly dramatic tone; here, in all parts of the cycle, uniform in mood, an even mournful light is poured, as if radiating from the gentle setting sun. The unity of mood is also supported by the constant return of the modified main motive of the work. On the whole, his music is striking in its wise simplicity: the composer achieves the utmost expressiveness with stingy means.
Two sonatas for clarinet and piano - f-moll and Es-dur - op. 120 Brahms said goodbye to the chamber-instrumental genre; the first is dramatic, with features of epic breadth, the second is more lyrical, in the nature of a passionate elegy. Two years after the end of these sonatas, in 1896, Brahms created two more, his last works, but in other genres: “Four Strict Melodies” for bass and piano and “11 Choral Preludes for Organ” (published posthumously).