INTERSECTION OF THE FIRST AND SECOND VIENNESE SCHOOLS TRADITIONS IN EARLY WORK OF NIKOS SKALKOTTAS

Abstract

Greek composer Nikos (Nikolaos) Skalkottas (Greek: Νίκος Σκαλκώτας, German: Nikos Skalkottas, 1904 – 1949) became famous due to his outstanding talent, realized in numerous works of a unique individual style. Τhe purpose of the paper – to investigate the formation of the individual manner of the N. Skalkottas as a representative of the Greek musical avant-garde of the first half of the 20th century using the example of his early work. His early piano composition – 15 Little Variations for piano, created before he began his studies in Arnold Schoenberg’s class, used an attempt to analyze its formation. The scientific novelty of the research is that mentioned Variations are considered as a kind of introduction to the work of the composer, which makes possible to determine the components of his style and their interaction. Usage of the classical clichés of the Beethoven’s piano variations texture are shown as well as their interaction with dodecaphonic principles of composition – serial rows, reflection and asymmetry of their fragments. The interface of two stylistic giants – Viennese and the Second Viennese schools which produced internal conflict of the N. Skalkottas’ music. The special importance is attached to the linguistic and psychological aspects of the classical and modern components communication and the birth of the individual “self-speech” of N. Skalkottas, which can be considered as the early indication of the compositor’s idiom. The emergence of a psychological internal contradictory dialogue between a successful violinist, a skilled pianist, educated in classical music, and a novice composer who strives for a modern musical language is shown. Methodology: The research applied methods of musical, linguistic, psychological phenomenological and comparative analysis. Conclusions were drawn about the multifaceted interaction of the stylistics of the Viennese and New Viennese schools in the formation of the individual composer’s manner of N. Skalkottas.