NEOCLASSIC TRENDS IN THE MUSICAL CULTURE OF FRANCE IN THE LATE 19TH – EARLY 20TH CENTURIES AS MANIFESTATIONS OF NATIONAL MENTALITY

Abstract

The article presents the features of the mental traits and general cultural values of the French people, an analysis of their reflection in the musical art of France at the turn of the XIXth–XXth centuries. The objects considered were works by French composers for piano, in which neoclassical tendencies are present. The aim of the study was to identify the features of the manifestation of neoclassical tendencies in the work of French composers of the late XIXth – early XXth centuries through the prism of national mentality. This process is closely related to the characteristic features of the national style and it is these features that are reflected in the musical language and artistic decisions of composers, which forms a characteristic stylistic identity. The research methodology is based on the structural-functional method, which was intended to study the compositional and dramaturgic principles of the works under consideration, and the theoretical basis, which consists of sources of history and theory of musicology. Scientific novelty. Neoclassical trends, which are closely related to the manifestations of national mentality, style and traditions in the work of French composers, although recognized as extremely important, have not yet been integrated into a single theoretical model with a universal method of analysis, therefore, special attention was paid to the definition of the term “French national style” in the work. Conclusions. French musical culture of the late XIXth and early XXth centuries is characterized by an unique combination of preserving national traditions and openness to foreign influences. This ability to organically assimilate allowed French music not only to preserve its originality, but also to become a center of innovation and development. The emergence and use of neoclassical genres became a powerful stimulus for the development of French instrumental music. This made it possible to idealize and use the traditions of the past, creating unique works where different stylistic components coexist. Practical significance neoclassical trends in the work of French composers of the late XIXth and early XXth centuries remain insufficiently researched both in world musicology and in the Ukrainian scientific space. Prospects for further research may include a detailed study of the resource potential of piano art, the features of the transformation of neoclassical ideas in the creative activity of French composers, as well as a comparative analysis of their piano works.