«The Christmas notebook» piano cycle by Mykhailo Synytsin: genre and style context

Abstract

The article analyzes the piano cycle «Christmas Notebook» by M. Synytsin in a genre-style context. The structural, melodic, and harmonic features of the cycle are determined. It is noted that the musical art of the ХХІ century is characterized by genre-style transformations, the search for new means of musical expression. In this context, «Christmas Notebook» by M. Synytsin is a vivid example of understanding the holiday through the prism of an individual composer’s style. It is determined that the stylistic tendencies of Ukrainian piano art were studied by N. Dovgalenko, A. Kalashnikova, L. Kiyanovska, O. Ligus, R. Stelmashchuk, 3. Yuzyuk, and others. The works of A. Kalenichenko, I. Kokhanyk, O. Ligus, S. Shyp, and others are devoted to the study of genre and style. Methodological aspects of piano art were studied by N. Kashkadamova, I. Novosyadla, Yu. Portny, and others. The purpose of the article is to characterize the piano cycle «Christmas Notebook» by M. Synytsin, focusing on the features of the genre and style context. The collection of piano pieces reflects various events related to the holiday of Christmas in historical space and time – «The Star of Bethlehem», «Shepherds with the Lamb», «Three Glorious Kings», «The Old Year is Passing, the New Year is Coming» (celebrated on Basil’s Day), «Elder Simeon» (a symbolic meeting of the Old and New Testaments) and «Generous Evening» (a traditional New Year’s greeting at the end of the Holidays). The cycle begins with the piece «The Star of Bethlehem» – an image of a wonderfully shining heavenly light announcing the birth of the Savior. Its extreme sections, connected with the theme of the star, create a certain meaningful arch, in the middle of which a festive carol sounds solemnly in a bell-like tone. The next piece, «Shepherds with a Lamb» also has a poetic epigraph from the carol of the same name: «Shepherds with a lamb, before that child, kneel down, praising the Tsar-God». The «Christmas Notebook» is concluded with a jazz arrangement of «Generous Evening»! In form, these are almost classical variations. The theme of generosity appears in a low register in the second measure, as an establishment of rhythmic balance by chanting after a syncopation in the previous measure. M. Sinitsyn creatively rethinks traditional Ukrainian ritual songs of the winter cycle in a modern arrangement and interpretation. At the same time, the author preserves their traditional motifs.