KOLYMA CHRISTMAS (ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE ANALYSIS OF “PRELUDE AND FUGUE IN F-SHARP MINOR” NO. 8 FROM THE CYCLE “24 PRELUDES AND FUGUES” BY V.P. ZADERATSKY)

Abstract

The study is devoted to the diptych “Prelude and Fugue in F-sharp minor” No. 8 from the cycle “24 Preludes and Fugues” by Vsevolod Petrovich Zaderatsky. The cycle was created in the terrible, inhuman conditions of the Stalinist concentration camp – on telegraph blanks, without access to a musical instrument, without certainty about tomorrow and the satisfaction of minimal needs for food and warmth. The scientific novelty of the work lies in a comprehensive interdisciplinary approach that combines musicological, psychological, historical-culturological and theological- symbolic analyses. The cycle appears as a musical-psychological diary that preserves the composer’s personal identity and reflects his inner resilience in extremely difficult life conditions. Diptych in F-sharp minor No. 8 is a kind of page of the musical-psychological diary “24 Preludes and Fugues”. The musical language of the work creates a feeling of a “prayerful pause” in the midst of existential trials. The prelude resembles a pastoral and symbolizes the expectation of the moment of the birth of the Messiah, who will give humanity spiritual renewal and hope for freedom. The fugue acts as a dialogue of three existential voices: the voice of will and struggle (Nietzsche), the voice of presence and peace (Heidegger), and the voice of lived experience (Zaderatsky). The interaction of these voices forms a musical structure that combines personal and collective memory, transforming experiences into a common cultural code of the Ukrainian nation. The combination of traditional musicological analysis with psychological, culturological, and theological approaches allows us to reveal the deep meaning of the musical text. The use of dolce cantabile and cantando remarks, contrasts of tripartite metrical patterns emphasize the symbolic meaning of musical sound as a form of spiritual concentration, inner prayer and psychological resistance of the composer's "I", which transforms extreme personal experience into a harmonious, spiritually rich musical expression. The study confirms that the work of Vsevolod Petrovich Zaderatsky is a special page of Ukrainian musical culture of the 20th century, reflecting the cruel truth of the contemporary reality.