COMPOSER’S CREATIVITY IN MODERN MUSICOLOGICAL DISCOURSE: RESEARCH VECTORS

Abstract

This article examines contemporary theoretical approaches to understanding the functioning of a composer’s creativity. Key musicological studies foundational to exploring the individuality and artistic expression of composers are considered. The purpose of this work is to synthesize modern theoretical frameworks that address composer creativity within a systematic interpretation of this artistic phenomenon. In this respect, the methodology of the research is quite comprehensive and combines the following procedures: analysis and synthesis, which enable uniting the results of various musicological observations in a single framework of a look into composer creativity; comparison is intended to reveal different aspects of the understanding of compositional activity; system analysis, which provides the establishment of links of musicological observations within the discourse; generalization-the conclusions are to be logically cohesive and wellsubstantiated. The article’s scientific novelty lies in the organization and evaluation of contemporary musicological concepts on composer creativity, a crucial aspect for a comprehensive study of artistic activity. The paper synthesizes the core ideas from prominent Ukrainian musicological works on composer creativity. One more example is the concept of composition individuality by I. Drach, based on the personal method: according to him, such individuality is “the integrity of the artist’s artistic world,” which is embodied in one’s own system of language and imagery and shapes the features of an individual style. It corresponds to T. Husarchuk’s point, which puts an accent on the role of personal determinants in the composer’s creativity, especially on the individualization of musical style as a structure expressing the composer’s creative personality. One can present O. Komenda’s research where she proposes a definition of “universal creative personality” and a typology of the musician representatives as the new approach to the problem of universalism in a musician’s creative personality. A new approach to the problem of composer creativity viewed from the position of interpretative activity is presented by R. Kashyrtsev. He convincingly argues that the interpretation saturates the whole process of creation, starting from a concept determined both by internal factors-like the creative individuality of the composer-and external ones like the objective conditions of creation. Most often, the genre and stylistic features of the work of a composer are treated separately in special studies, because modern composition activity is extremely genre-diverse and individually stylized. A genre-stylistic model is that analytical tool developed in the historical process which allows for the comprehensive study of musical works and the artist’s contribution to creativity. With these modern composition techniques finding their place within the lexicon of modern styles-especially the use of the computer-their practice enriches the musical and sonic palette, fosters new musical genres, and enhances selfexpression possibilities for composers and performers alike. The national identity has remained one of the most urgent topics of contemporary Ukrainian music, organically connected with the works of Ukrainian composers. Its results are reflected in genres, often inspired by song and dance folklore; stylistics, like intonational and linguistic expressions; and the artistic and conceptual substance of the compositions. In conclusion, contemporary musicological discourse encompasses multiple research vectors on composer creativity. The enduring focus on the composer’s personality – the individual, which is viewed as a universe producing “new spiritual meanings, soundscapes, and artistic structures, as well as genre and stylistic spaces” – reflects the paradigm of modern musical art and points to its future development.