Western Slavic Motifs in the Works of Russian Composers of the Second Half of the 19th Century

Elizaveta A. Shavyrina

Abstract


The article focuses on pan-Slavism and its reflection in Russian musical culture of the second half of the 19th century. Slavic peoples sought cultural dialogue which manifested itself in numerous cultural events. The pinnacle was the Second Slavic Congress (1867) and the Slavic Concert timed to it. The article discusses three compositions: the symphonic poem In Bohemia by M.A. Balakirev; N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov’s Fantasy on Serbian Themes, written specifically for this concert; and P.I. Tchaikovsky’s Slavonic March (1876) that also embodied the ideas of unification and interaction of the Slavs.

The research methodology is based, primarily, on the historical approach, i.e., the compositions are explored in the context of their time. Structural and functional methods were used to determine the musical form, while a comparative method helped identify similarities and differences in the composers’ use of compositional techniques and the folklore material. The article considers the principle of working “according to the model”—Rimsky-Korsakov was guided by the example of his teacher Balakirev and it found its reflection in Fantasy. A separate place is given to the comparison of compositions produced by Rimsky-Korsakov and Tchaikovsky as both are based on a Serbian folk song.

The compositions analyzed in the article are little known to the public and rarely attract the attention of researchers. At the same time, they have never been considered as a manifestation of the ideas of Slavic dialogue in Russian musical culture. The article is the first attempt to explore the context (history of creation, reception) of the three musical pieces. Besides, it specifically focuses on how these works embrace the folklore material.

Keywords: pan-Slavism, Tchaikovsky, Balakirev, Rimsky-Korsakov, folklore, quote, Slavic

For citation: Shavyrina E. A. Western Slavic Motifs in the Works of Russian Composers of the Second Half of the 19th Century [Electronic source]. In: Sovremennye problemy muzykoznaniya / Contemporary Musicology, 2022, no. 4, pp. 64–85. (In Russ.) DOI: 10.56620/2587-9731-2022-4-064-085


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.56620/2587-9731-2022-4-064-085

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