Nº 3 (2025)
Articles
Diamond in a double bass setting
Resumo
The purpose of this article is to popularize the music of our famous compatriot, composer Efrem Iosifovich Podhaits. His chamber music is the subject of research, and the sonata for double bass and piano is the object of study. Efrem Iosifovich is a very prolific composer who, year after year, pleases musicians and ordinary listeners with composing more and more new works, confirming his professional worth. The author's interests cover all musical genres. Along with symphonic, opera, and choral music, there are chamber compositions for all instruments. And the double bass is no exception. Despite the established opinion about it as an instrument exclusively accompanying, orchestral and jazz, Efrem Iosifovich goes beyond stereotypes and gives the double bass in his sonata a full-fledged solo part, which includes new playing techniques such as pizzicato on the fingerboard, glissando with flageolets, cross pizzicato on open strings with two hands and others. The author of the article claims that the sonata for double bass and piano is unique because it combines deep philosophical content and knowledge of all the subtleties of playing this instrument. Based on a detailed study, the author gives a subjective assessment of the form and inner world of the work. The main conclusion of the acquaintance with Efrem Iosifovich's chamber composition is the conviction that it is necessary to familiarize oneself with and include one of the most remarkable contrabass opuses in the current repertoire of performing musicians. This is confirmed by the release of the Anthology "Modern Music for Double Bass" by the publishing house of the Moscow Conservatory, which includes three sonatas, including the sonata by Podhaitz. The article emphasizes that despite the modern language of writing, Efrem Iosifovich's style remains recognizable and unique. The composer does not deviate from the classical canons of art and relies in his work on three main musical "whales" – rhythm, harmony and melody. The novelty of the article lies in the fact that before the author, this work unfairly remained in the shadow of other works, and did not act as an object for special research. The article is a huge contribution to spreading information about this little-known work among fellow musicians and students.
PHILHARMONICA. International Music Journal. 2025;(3):1-12
1-12
Zhenya Komelkova’s Image in Tan Jianping’s Opera “The Dawns Are Quiet Here”
Resumo
This study analyzes the musical and dramatic features of the opera The Dawns are Quiet Here by Chinese composer Tang Jianping, based on the novella by Boris Vasilyev. The work examines the interaction of Russian literary tradition with Chinese musical style, as well as the expressive means used in the opera to reveal the characters’ personalities. Special attention is given to the musical image of Zhenya Komelkova, one of the opera’s key characters. Her vocal line, the evolution of the musical accompaniment, and her dramatic role in the plot are explored. Key scenes are considered in which Zhenya goes from cheerfulness to the realization of her tragic fate. The article analyzes vocal and instrumental means, such as timbral solutions, harmonic content, and rhythmic changes that enhance the emotional impact on the listener. The study employs methods of music-theoretical analysis to identify features of vocal parts and orchestral accompaniment. A comparative method is used to study the musical language of the opera in the context of Russian and Chinese traditions. The novelty of the research lies in the detailed examination of the interaction between Chinese musical tradition and the Russian literary original. The analysis of Tang Jianping’s opera demonstrates how the composer adapts traditional methods of Chinese musical theater to convey the dramatic line of Russian classics. An important contribution is the study of Zhenya Komelkova’s vocal part, her evolution throughout the work, and the musical means used to convey her emotional state. The main conclusions of the conducted research are the identification of musical techniques that contribute to the creation of vivid artistic images and the revelation of the dramaturgical role of music in shaping the emotional impact on the audience. An original methodology for analyzing military themes in musical works has been developed. The study opens new perspectives for investigating intercultural dialogue in contemporary music.
PHILHARMONICA. International Music Journal. 2025;(3):13-26
13-26
Toward the Origins of the Concertmaster-Pianist’s Profession: The Art of Maestro al Cembalo
Resumo
The relevance of the research lies in the urgent need for modern musicology to reconstruct the profession of a concert pianist. The subject of the study is the art of maestro al cembalo. The object of the research is the work of maestro al cembalo and the features of his creative activity. The purpose of the research is to study the process of formation of the initial stage of the development of the profession of a concert pianist, which spanned the period from the late Renaissance to classicism. Research objectives: to highlight the main characteristics of joint performance using basso continuo; to provide information about the specific skills and knowledge that maestro al cembalo should have possessed; to show the importance of these musicians in the musical performances, as well as in the evolution of musical creativity; to present portraits of the most significant representatives of this profession. The author of the study focuses on the influence of the maestro al cembalo’s art on the formation of European concertmaster schools. To disclose the author's stated topic, the following methods are used: anthropological, hermeneutic, comparative-historical, theoretical, and analytical. A special contribution of the author is the search, analysis, and systematization of archival materials from Italian theaters and city archives, based on which information about the life, work, and specifics of the maestro al cembalo’s creative and pedagogical work has been introduced into scientific circulation. The main conclusions of the study show that the most important principles of professional activity of a modern pianist-concertmaster of a musical theater were formed several centuries ago. The results obtained can be applied both in conducting courses on the theory and history of performing arts and in the practical activities of modern concert pianists. The study’s conclusions allow us to form a clear picture of the initial stage of the formation of concertmaster art and trace its leading trends, which will be reflected in the subsequent development of this creative specialty.
PHILHARMONICA. International Music Journal. 2025;(3):27-36
27-36
Peter Andreevich Gusev and the Origins of the Classical Choreographic School in China
Resumo
This article examines the activities of the outstanding Russian Soviet choreographer, teacher, and dancer, P.A. Gusev, during his time in the People’s Republic of China in the 1950s. It describes Gusev’s work in terms of its general influence on the formation of the Chinese classical choreographic school. The features, forms, and methods of his pedagogical work are reflected, and its diversity and multifaceted nature are emphasized. Gusev’s desire to train and educate a new generation of Chinese choreographers and dancers is noted in the course of classes at the choreography courses at the Beijing Choreographic School, as well as the first ballet troupe in China, Experimental Ballet, which was part of the Beijing Choreographic School (now the National Ballet of China), combining the trends of classical world choreographic art and traditions of the great national dance art of China. The article presents an analysis of the productions of classical ballets by Gusev, as well as by students and young Chinese choreographers studying at the choreography courses. Among them are “Swan Lake” by P.I. Tchaikovsky, “Le Corsaire” and “Giselle” by A. Adan. The process of preparation and the course of rehearsals of these ballets are described. A detailed description of the first Chinese national ballet, “The Beautiful Fish,” which later became known as the Chinese dance drama, is given. The article presents an analysis of P.A. Gusev’s results as a basis for the further development and prosperity of Chinese classical choreographic art. In conclusion, the importance of organizing ballet masters and dance school courses at the Beijing Choreographic College, the outstanding role of P.A. Gusev in it, and the need for interaction and continued cooperation in the field of ballet between the PRC and the USSR, established by Soviet figures in the middle of the last century.
PHILHARMONICA. International Music Journal. 2025;(3):37-51
37-51
On the Study of the Stylistic Features of Accordion Music of the Peoples of the Northern Caucasus
Resumo
The object of the study is the accordion music of the peoples of the North Caucasus. The subject of the research is the stylistic features of instrumental performances by the Adyghe, Ossetians, and Vainakh, which are acquired within the framework of professional training in playing national instruments at the North Caucasian State Institute of Arts. The authors operationalize the concept of "accordion music," reconstruct the history of the appearance of the chromatic accordion in the Adyghe environment, analyze the process of forming the educational and concert repertoire of accordionists, and identify the most characteristic intonational and metro-rhythmic features of the instrumental performances of the peoples of the North Caucasus. The role of M. Mamedov and K. Tletsaruka is especially highlighted in the establishment of the professional school of accordion performance. The conclusion emphasizes the pedagogical focus on developing universal accordionists capable of improvisation, performing on a professional stage, and simultaneously remaining wedding accordionists well versed in the traditional repertoire. The work employs a cultural approach that examines the issue of stylistic features of the instrumental music of the peoples of the North Caucasus in the context of the sociocultural transformations of the 20th century, as well as the method of comparative analysis of the metro-rhythmic and intonational characteristics of the accordion performances of the Adyghe (Kabardians and Adyghes), Ossetians, and Vainakh. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the formulation of the problem. For the first time, the question of the distinctive features of accordion performances by the peoples of the North Caucasus is raised, which, on one hand, share many commonalities (the connection of instrumental music to dance culture, high speed of performance, diverse ornamentation, and a special kind of polyphony), while on the other hand, possess unique specific characteristics in melody, modal-harmonic language, metro-rhythm, and texture. The conclusions highlight the sociocultural significance of accordionists mastering the stylistic performance features of various ethnic performances. The ability to perform the music of historical neighbors largely corresponds to mastering their verbal language. Thus, not only is trust strengthened between them, fostering empathy and regional identity, but the status of the musician is also elevated, enhancing their involvement in the musical culture of the region.
PHILHARMONICA. International Music Journal. 2025;(3):52-62
52-62