Romances by Vitalii Kyreiko on Poems by Taras Shevchenko (op. 128) in the Aspect of a Musical-Hermeneutic Approach

Author

Martyniuk Tetiana

a Doctor of Art Studies, a professor, a head of the Department-Professor of Art Education and Visual-Musical Practices of the Hryhorii Skovoroda University in Pereiaslav (Pereiaslav, Ukraine).

ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5236-5990

Romances by Vitalii Kyreiko on Poems by Taras Shevchenko (op. 128)
in the Aspect of a Musical-Hermeneutic Approach

Abstract

Vitalii Kyreiko’s romances on the verses by Taras Shevchenko (op. 128) in the aspect of a musical-hermeneutic approach are considered in the article. It is emphasized that the total volume of the composer’s works in the genres of chamber and vocal creativity consists of about 100 romances, including works on verses by T. Shevchenko, Lesia Ukrainka, I. Franko, M. Rylskyi, O. Oles, D. Pavlychko and others. Romances-monologues on verses by Taras Shevchenko have been created in 1986. The article is aimed at the clarifying the semantic field of interaction of poetic and musical speech in V. Kyreiko’s romances on verses by T. Shevchenko on the principles of a musical-hermeneutic approach. The analytical methods (musical-textual, intonation, harmonic, genre, hermeneutic, “hermeneutic circle”) are used to study the romances of V. Kyreiko on the verses of T. Shevchenko in the context of musical hermeneutics. They have allowed us to generalize the specifics of the process of meaning formation in the musical texts of the romances, as well as to identify the features of the composer’s style self-expression.

A musical-hermeneutic analysis of each of the six romances by V. Kyreiko based on the verses of T. Shevchenko is carried out. Thus, a three-stage interpretation of the meaning of the romance-monologue «The Wide Dnieper Roars and Moans» has proved that the composer understands deeply T. Shevchenko’s poetry and embodies the multifaceted image of the Dnieper as a national and cultural symbol. The symbolic properties of musical speech are considered, iconic and indexical signs are classified and described as means of meaning formation. The recitative-narrative monologue «Everyone has His Own Destiny» is a perfect example of combining the depth of Shevchenko’s poetry with individual style means of expression. A submitted analysis of the musical text (based on the “hermeneutic circle” method), proves that in linguistic and semantic terms it is multilayered and reflects the depth of the most acutely satirical, anti-human content of T. Shevchenko’s work. The compositional features of the romance correspond to continuous through-going formation. It is specified in the absence of structural symmetry in the construction of episodes, freedom of fixing the metric size (parlando-recitative rhythm); rhythmic flexibility depending on the length of poetic phrasing. A relatively small range of melodics based on expressive, recitative nature, intonation formulas, intensive harmonic-textural renewal are the main means of semantic emotional-figurative changes. The ethno-characteristic iconic, indexical, symbolic signification, in which the techniques of playing folk instruments (in particular, the bandura) are imitated, is generalized. The application of the “hermeneutic circle” method in the process of studying the musical text of the tragic monologue «Fate» prompts the differentiation of melodic-rhythmic figuration formulas, strokes, techniques of texture duplication, complication of chord sound, ornamentation, imitation of performance techniques and allows to generalize the palette of iconic and indexical piano-bandura signs, those have become an important channel for the formation of meaning. The reflection of philosophical problems of human existence in the psychological poetry of T. Shevchenko is carried out in the romances «Do not Marry the Rich», «The Prophet», «Water Flows from under the Sycamore» from op. 128. Mastering these romances-monologues in the aspect of the hermeneutic approach has allowed to state the common tendencies of all works at the levels of the nature of figurative meaning formation, the nature of intonation in the dramatic aspect, compositional features and appeal to the symbolic characteristic of the musical text.

The prospects for further scientific research in the study of Vitalii Kyreiko’s romances on verses by Taras Shevchenko (op. 128) are outlined with the aim of understanding the works in the context of the general evolution of the composer’s individual style.

Keywords

romance, monologue, Taras Shevchenko, Vitalii Kyreiko, musical-hermeneutic approach, musical hermeneutics, hermeneutic circle, sign, understanding the meaning of the text.

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