FIVE MAZURKAS BY VIKTOR KOSENKO

Abstract

Viktor Kosenko is the author of five mazurkas for piano. As of today, there is no special study devoted to the mazurka genre in the artist’s work. The fact of “silencing” these early miniatures is perhaps a consequence of the erroneous perception of these works as something too small and therefore unimportant in the context of the composer's entire work. On the other hand, perhaps such situation is the erroneous interpretation of these works exclusively as an imitation of the styles by F. Chopin and O. Scriabin. However, in our opinion, such approach is one-sided and does not reveal the true intonation of V. Kosenko’s mazurkas, which, although belong to early works, still very prominently reflect the composer’s creative handwriting. These works are highly artistic and vividly representative both in the context of the artist's individual style and in the context of their Ukrainian stylistic face. The main objective(s) of the study is to reveal the originality and significance of V. Kosenko’s mazurkas in the aspect of individual and national style formation. Methodology. Author uses the next scientific methods: intonation, genre and style analysis, methods of observation, comparison, generalization. Scientific novelty. The study of the specified problem has never been conducted, although its solution has the great importance for understanding the scale of the figure and creativity of the outstanding Ukrainian composer Viktor Kosenko. It is important for the reconstruction of the history of Ukrainian music from the standpoint of Ukrainian centrism and the proper inclusion of national achievements in the European context. Conclusions. The early mazurkas by Viktor Kosenko (op. 3, op. 9), unlike the mazurka from the cycle “24 children’s pieces for piano”, demonstrate distinct features of the Ukrainian style. This is indicated by the bright melodism, which is simultaneously one of the most important factor of the composer’s individual style. Lyrism and melodiousness are characteristic features of national style-making, which began to manifest themselves since the formation of the genres as a cant, lyrical song and song-romance. The Ukrainian style of Kosenko’s mazurkas is also indicated by its vocal melodism. All of this are despite the fact that mazurka is a dance genre, and in its romantic interpretation (F. Chopin, O. Scriabin, etc.) it often acquires signs of instrumental melodism, with its broken melodic line, wide jumps. The vocal melodism of mazurkas by V. Kosenko is formed by using of gradual melodic steps, singing of stable steps, including in the melodic relief of numerous melismas, intonations of the melodic and harmonic major/minor third/sixth both in direct motion and as a way of outlining a melodic phrase, various non-chord sounds, sequential and variant development of melodic material, constructive features of vocal phrasing. All features of V. Kosenko’s Ukrainian style in the analyzed mazurkas are inextricably linked with modern writing, which is a characteristic feature of the art of the first quarter of the twentieth century. This fact testifies the high education, professionalism of the composer, his awareness of the latest speech features of his era. The modern features of V. Kosenko’s mazurkas are manifested in rhythmic improvisation, altered harmony, synthetic multilayer texture. Thus, mazurkas op. 3 and op. 9 by V. Kosenko, unlike Mazurka No. 20 from the cycle “24 Children’s Pieces for Piano”, are a vivid example of Ukrainian musical modernism, while the latter should be interpreted within the system and means of expression of socialist realism.