ANALYSIS of the choral work “In the finest hour...” Lyrics by E. Remizov music by M. Zakis

Modris Zakis is a Latvian composer. It is known that in addition to this work, he wrote the choral work “Will He Come Soon.”
Evgeny Remizov is the author of spiritual poems, such as: “Holy Spirit”, “Ascension”, “Trinity”.
This poem has two text versions. The first, about a person’s personal conversation with God:
At the finest hour

In the quiet hour of the night,
God and silence are with me.
All the pain of the soul, suffering
And I bring him grief in prayer.

And it pours over me
In that finest hour the saint
With a wonderful radiance
God's eternal light.

And I see the path before me,
Leading to heaven.
In the saint's finest hour
God and silence are with me.

The second tells about the birth of Christ:

In the quiet hour of the night

In the quiet hour of the night
In the bright shine of the stars
Christ came into the world, Emmanuel,
The heavenly son came to our world.

The whole world is sin, suffering
And sorrow, and all the guilt of people,
He will bear the pain of the earth.
One whole load of sin
He will take over.

And poured over the ground
In that quiet hour, the saint.
Wonderful light with the gentle radiance of a star,
that burns above.
And to all living he says:
"From these mangers to the cross
He will complete His way.”

Oh, how the star burns!
God gave Christ to the world,
And therein lies salvation!
Praise and praise
Christ for all his love!

At the finest hour of the night
quietly Good God,
God speaks to the Earth:
“God is with you!”
And with God there is peace, and holy peace.

Although the second text is more meaningful, I think that in terms of the content of the musical material and text, the first is most appropriate.
It talks about prayer, a person’s turning to God and the grace that comes to people who sincerely pray, about the consolation that prayer brings.

II. Music-theoretical analysis

The choral work “In the Finest Hour” by M. Zakis was written for a mixed 4-voice a capella choir.
The genre of the work is song.
A simple 3-part reprisal form with a code.
The chord texture predominates throughout the work.
Part I is a period consisting of two sentences of 10 bars each.
Part II is a period consisting of three sentences, the first is 10 bars, the second is 6 bars, the third is 11 bars.
Coda is a sentence of 9 bars.
Predominance of chord texture.
Melodic line. In each part, the same motif is repeated repeatedly in different voices, but sounds in different keys: the leitmotif of the night. It is built on the sounds of a major triad - this gives stability to the theme. In the first part and coda, the motive begins on the first beat, in the middle - due to the measure:

In the first part, the melody sounds alternately in different voices (bars 1-5). After showing the theme, which consists of a leitmotif that sounds 4 times, the melody becomes more dynamic due to rising eighth notes. This creates tension, which is resolved in bars 8-10, first with a downward movement, then on one note:

Then the melody moves to altos (10-14). There are few leaps in it, only in bars 11 and 13 there are quarto-fifth leaps, which gives the melody a dramatic feel. And the theme ends for the violas with a subdominant quintextac chord with a raised prima without permission from the entire choir.

Then the melody again moves to the first sopranos, and the chord only reaches its resolution in bar 15.
The melody moves without jumps, tension is achieved through the repetition of m.2, uncharacteristic for e-moll (raising 4 steps) in 15-16 bars and a melodic minor in the cadence (19 bars):

The second part begins with a double conduct of the main theme in the keys of G-dur and C-dur due to the soprano’s beat:

A characteristic feature of the second part is the undulation of the melody: alternation of ascending and descending moves. During the climax, the melodic line reaches its peak, then the echo of the climax (its appearance begins abruptly on beat 6, measure 44) ends with a gradual lowering of the melody by the female choir. And it ends with a constant melody in the range of thirds for tenors, the rest of the choir holds one note:

The coda begins with four iterations of the theme; by the end, the entire choir sings two motives on one note, which are separated from each other by level 5 for the soprano. Within the first motive there is a transition from the natural mode to the harmonic mode.
The work ends with the singing of the second soprano (the second division of the soprano, the first at the climax) while the entire choir sings the note.

Rhythm. The first and third parts are characterized by a certain rhythmic pattern:

Another, more acute, rhythmic pattern is characteristic of the second sentence of the first part and the entire second:

Tempo - Adagio. In the second movement the tempo becomes more agile (piu’ mosso). The agitated movement, increased dynamics, undulating melody and lyrics all create tension that builds toward the climax. After the climax, the tempo again becomes Adagio, which tells us about calm. At the very end of the work, the tempo slows down even more and brings us to complete peace after the tense climax.

Dynamics. The work begins with p and in the first part does not increase by more than mf. The first part is showing the situation in which the author finds himself: there is silence around him, he turns to God to alleviate suffering - there is no need for loudness here.
But in the second part there is a dialogue with God, who sends his gracious light to the one who asks, and the light fills the author, inspires, illuminates him - all this is expressed in dynamics: a gradual increase from mf to ff at the climax.
In the third part there is peace, harmony with oneself, silence again, so the dynamics gradually subside to pp.
Tonal plan.
The work is written in a parallel-alternating mode (E-minor – G-dur), which is determined by the content: minor sounds in the first part, which tells about the suffering of a person, major – in the second, which talks about God’s light that descended on the person praying .
At bars 25 and 40 there is a deviation in C major, which resulted from the sequence. The deviation gave the sound more solemnity.
Harmonic analysis.

III. Vocal and choral analysis
The range of the 4-voice work “In the Finest Hour” is expanded, which corresponds to its character.
Range:
Soprano: Tenor:

Alto: Bass:

Tessitura conditions are, in general, convenient for execution. All parts sing in their own range. Basically, the approach to the extreme notes of the range for sopranos and basses is carried out gradually, without jumps.

However, the bass part often contains fifths and octave leaps, which can be difficult to perform, so you need to study these places separately. For training, while chanting, it is recommended to sing exercises in fifths and octaves with retention on the top note.

In the soprano part, the approach to the climax on A of the second octave should not be difficult, since the approach to it is gradual and without jumps, it is sung on ff, which is convenient when singing high notes, and since this is the culmination of the work, it is elated sings easily.

System is an artistic and expressive category, and intonation shades of vocal sound are one of the means of musical expressiveness. Choir members must be educated and trained in such a way that they are able to quickly tune in to the tonality set by the choirmaster, and can sensitively respond to the need to raise, “sharpen”, or slightly lower, to adjust to the overall tone, tempo, rhythm, dynamics. For a good choir to sing unaccompanied, two conditions are important:
the need for preliminary tuning (setting the tone by the choirmaster);
the need for constant active vocal-auditory (intonation) control in singing by choir members and the conductor.

Melodic structure. In this work, all parties are full-fledged and have a number of common difficulties:
1) Descending singing of a major triad - there is a desire to sing the note lower than it is, therefore, when singing, it is necessary to create a feeling of closeness of each note and singing with inflation:

2) Singing one note for a long time can also lead to understatement, so you need to sing with a feeling of lifting. The same applies to singing several syllables on one note:

3) Performing downward second intonations (see example 12). As an exercise, you can use singing scales up and down tetrachords.

In the male choir parts separately, it may be difficult to sing the jumps from part 4 to part 8. Difficult parts should be taught separately; singing octaves is recommended as an exercise.

Harmonic structure. The work also encounters difficulties with
from the point of view of harmonic structure: changing keys (see example 14), harmonic and melodic mode (see example 9), prolonged chanting of one note with a closed mouth (see example 12).

Working on difficult areas requires special attention. Among the main techniques are:
1) Intonation “out of rhythm”, i.e. according to the conductor's hand, using fermatas on individual, difficult-to-build chords.
2) Singing solfeggio, per syllable, with the mouth closed, which helps to build the musical material in timbre.
3) Alternating intonation “to oneself” with intonation out loud, which contributes to the development of inner hearing.
Good order in the choir is the result of constant attention to it on the part of the conductor, proper vocal education of the singers, and the creation of an atmosphere of increased auditory control not only of intonation, but also of all means of musical expressiveness.

Metrorhythmic ensemble. There are no complex rhythmic patterns in the work. Throughout the entire piece, there are two rhythmic formulas that should not pose any difficulties for performance; the only possible thing is not listening to notes with a dot (especially in the second part due to the acceleration of the tempo), loss of pulsation on a long note:

Work on a metrorhythmic ensemble in a choir begins with developing in singers a sense of pulsation, alternating strong and weak beats, and then developing a sense of the ratio of durations. The formation of a metrical ensemble in a choir is closely related to the development in singers of the skills of simultaneously taking breath, starting to sing (introduction) and releasing the sound (ending), with mastering various meters and rhythmic groups.
The following techniques can be used when working on a metrhythmic ensemble:
1) Clapping the rhythmic pattern of vocal parts;
2) Pronouncing the musical text with rhythmic syllables;
3) Singing with tapping intralobar pulsation;
4) Solphing with division of the main metrorhythmic beat into smaller durations;
5) Singing at a slow tempo with fragmentation of the main metro-rhythmic beat, or at a fast pace - with enlargement of the metric beat.

Tempo ensemble. Tempo (from the Latin Tempus - time) is the speed of performance, expressed in the frequency of alternation of metric beats. Tempo determines the absolute speed of a piece, as opposed to the relative speed. This is an important means of expression in a choral work. Deviations from the correct tempo lead to distortion of the musical image and mood. When building a tempo ensemble in a work, the conductor must find the optimal speed of performance. The first part is sung calmly, the second with movement, the third also calmly and slowed down at the end. The choir needs to follow the conductor's hand so as not to diverge in tempo, this is especially important when changing tempos. And the conductor, therefore, needs to accurately show the speed of each tempo and the transition from one tempo to another.

Dynamic ensemble – balance in the strength of the voices within the party and consistency in the volume of the sound of the choral parts in the overall ensemble. The dynamics of this work are contrasting: from pp to ff. The dynamics of the first and third parts are no louder than mf. The climax, which takes place in the second part, is held at ff.
Each part should achieve a simultaneous climax and equivalent dynamic shades, in which none of the parts will stand out from the composition and will listen to the sound of the others. The tenuto in bar 16 must be taken into account. When singing on pp, you should avoid sluggish, toneless singing. Breathing should be active, diction should be clear and intelligible.

Timbre ensemble. The brightness of the choir's timbre colors depends both on the natural singing voices and on the vocal work carried out by the conductor. In a beginning choir, work on the timbre ensemble is aimed at eliminating timbre diversity in choral parts and creating holistic timbre combinations. The conductor should remember that this problem can be solved only if the parties develop one manner of forming a vocal sound.
The sound attack is soft, there is a light, barely perceptible beginning of singing, characterized by a soft approach of the vocal cords. When using a firm attack, the choirmaster must carefully monitor so that the singers do not have a moment of ligament closure, which is expressed by a tightness of the sound, acquiring an unpleasant guttural tone. The entire work requires richness, full timbre sound, in order to show the entire deep philosophical meaning of the work.

Diction ensemble. It is necessary to achieve clear, simultaneous, intelligible and, most importantly, meaningful pronunciation of a literary text.
The first technical task of the choir in working on diction is to develop the correct and simultaneous pronunciation of the words of the choral combination. It is necessary to comprehend the text: correctly place logical stresses in phrases.
Diction
To achieve good diction you need:
1) Sing the syllable with a covered rounded sound;
2) Pronounce the endings of words clearly, without pushing or shouting them out. All consonants at the end of words are pronounced especially clearly and definitely (words: sorrow, wonderful, light, heaven).
3) Work on the pronunciation of whistling and hissing consonants; they need to be pronounced briefly and carefully (words: holy, light).
4) According to the rules, the ending in the word “God” will not be [g] or [k], but [x].
5) Join the last consonant with the first consonant of the next word.
In order to achieve dictionary clarity in the choir, it is necessary to expressively read the text of the choral work in the rhythm of the music, highlighting and processing difficult-to-pronounce phrases. It is useful to sing various tongue twisters as exercises.

Breath. Singing breathing plays a huge role in sound production. This piece uses chain breathing.
With chain breathing, the choir singers do not take at the same time, but sequentially one at a time. The use of chain breathing is that it is a collective skill that is based on the singers’ upbringing and sense of ensemble.
Basic rules of chain breathing:
1) Do not inhale at the same time as your neighbor sitting next to you;
2) Do not inhale at the junction of musical phrases, but only, if possible, within long notes;
3) Take your breath imperceptibly and quickly;
4) To merge into the general sound of the choir without a push with a soft attack, intonationally exactly “without approach”;
5) Listen sensitively to the singing of your neighbors and to the general sound of the choir;
Breathing should be light, but not shallow, as there is a danger of sounding sluggish and dull without support, which should be avoided.

IV. Performance analysis
The work of M. Zakis “In the Finest Hour” poses artistic tasks for conveying content to listeners.
To perform a piece requires not only absolute mastery of technical skills, but also a high vocal and general cultural level.
To reveal the holistic artistic image of a work, its content, it is necessary to consider the semantic points that need to be approached. The work clearly shows phrasing and dynamics, which most often includes movement towards the top of the phrase and a decline in development. This wave principle emphasizes the main word, the thought to which you need to come.
The top of the first wave occurs at bar 16. The monologue of the altos leads us to it. It is not for nothing that the author entrusted the words: “I carry all the pain of my soul, suffering and sorrow in prayer” to the violas. Their low, rich timbre is perfect for conveying to the listener all the pain of a person. And the choir, supporting them with closed-mouth singing, creates intimacy and emphasizes the depth of torment of the worshiper. Then, like a cry from the soul, the entire choir picks up the singing of the altos and the climax of the first part sounds. To make the climax more dramatic, small seconds, an octave jump in the bass, a high tessitura for tenors and accents on each syllable in the word “suffering” are used:

After the climax, the intensity subsides, but the tension remains and the sadness does not go away, only becoming a little lighter due to consonance and melodic harmony.

The entire second part strives for the culmination of the work. This is expressed in tempo, tessitura, dynamic shift and expansion of the score. In bars 32-35, the soprano is already soloing, which is also justified: their high, bright voice is associated with spiritual purity, grace, and the choir seems to show the path where the soul is moving.

In bars 42-43, the long-awaited climax of the work comes, because throughout the second part the music was striving towards them, the tension was growing, but not negative, but precisely the expectation of God's light, which is about to be shed on those praying. It has everything: high tessitura of the entire choir, dynamic explosion, and beautiful words.

The emotional intensity of this climax is so strong that it can lead to forcing. This work does not accept shouting, there are no passions, here it is sung about high spiritual uplift. The soul does not scream to God - it asks. For a greater sensory understanding of the climax, it is recommended to sing it in pp, as was often used by Rachmaninoff, the so-called “quiet climax.” This will make the performers feel the trembling of the soul during prayer, and they will no longer have the desire to force the sound. Having sung, in this way, you need to ask to remember the feeling and, when singing on ff, reproduce it.
The conductor must show these climaxes emotionally, vividly and prominently. An important task faces the conductor in showing the content through the conductor's gesture. The culture of sound formation should correspond to the mood and reflect sublimity. Therefore, the gesture should be smooth and soft. The shape of the brush should remain covered, “dome-shaped,” which indicates a covered, academically high position of the sound.
Legato techniques are performed using a soft, “singing” hand, similar to the bow of a string instrument, which allows you to combine a phrase and perform changes in harmonic consonances in one wide breath. Depending on the nature of the work, the dynamics, changes will be observed within the legato gesture. Light legato on p and pp is carried out with a gesture of small amplitude, as if with a “weightless” hand. On f, on the contrary, it is wide and energetic.
To create a bright artistic image during a performance, the conductor needs to be very precise in his gestures: accurately show the entry of choral voices, the release of sound, breathing, and accurately and expressively convey all dynamic shades. The gesture should be neat, clear, collected. Particular clarity should be present in the shade pp. The conductor's hand should also reflect the melodic pattern of the parts.
For active and good breathing of the participants of the choral group, preparedness and clarity of introductions and releases are required, which is achieved by understanding the phrasing, compositional structure and understandable aftertaste. The role of afteracts here is especially great - in particular, in accurately showing the entry of voices, as well as at the end of phrases with consonant sounds.
It is important for the conductor to determine the role of each voice in the overall choral texture. In general choral sonority there is no division into any solo part, only in some moments it is necessary to give the opportunity to a specific part to sound so that it is not drowned out by others.
Important in performance is correct breathing and sound attack. In this work, an economical and uniform exhalation should be used. When performing high sounds in the soprano part, it is necessary to spend the least amount of breath. Otherwise the sound will be harsh and loud. The sound attack should be soft.
If you organize the work correctly, then the main performing principle - integrity, continuity of movement - will be achieved with the greatest success.
When starting to learn compositions with a choir, first of all, the performers need to talk about the theme and range of images embodied in this work. It is necessary to introduce them to both the author of the words and the author of the music. Then it is recommended to play the entire score on the piano, thereby introducing the performers to specific musical material. To achieve artistic performance of a work, it is necessary, first of all, the attitude of the singers themselves to this composition. Understanding and penetration into its content will contribute to the expressiveness of the performance.
The conductor plays a huge role in the work on the work - he is the main performer. Every sound, every phrase, every word, the general mood in the work must be promptly suggested to the choir with your gesture and facial expressions.
Before starting to work with the choir, the conductor independently studies the work, “bears” it, and develops a conducting gesture that reflects the musical intent of the work. When you start learning this composition, you need to work with the team separately on each part. It is necessary to solmize, and then solfegge the voices based on pulsation, to work on the purity of intonation in particularly problematic areas in terms of vocal technique, as well as rhythm. If in each part separately the sound of the unison in the intonation, timbre, and rhythmic ensemble corresponds to the conductor’s plan, you can begin to work on the ensemble, the formation in a holistic choral sound. The next stage of work is learning with a literary text. Pay attention to difficulties in subtext, work on competent diction (according to all the previously mentioned laws of vocal pronunciation of the text). It is also necessary to do phrasing, take into account agogy, tempo changes, comprehend the nature of the work, expressively perform each musical thought and the entire composition as a whole in accordance with the conductor’s gesture.
The problem of the relationship between the artistic and technical elements in choral performance occupies an important place in the work on a choral work. Many choirmasters believe that the artistic period in work should begin after technical difficulties have been overcome: first one should learn the notes, and then work on artistic finishing. It is not right. The most correct and effective method of work will be in which the conductor, learning, for example, a part with violas, gradually brings it closer to a character that is close, according to the composer’s plan, to a concert performance. The main thing is that when working on vocal and choral technique, the conductor must see one goal in front of him - a masterful disclosure of the ideological and artistic essence of the work and connect the immediate technical tasks with this goal.
Only by achieving coherence of the ensemble and meaningful performance can the content of the work be truthfully and fully conveyed to the listener.
Thus, the performance of this choral work requires both the conductor and the choral group to have a high musical and aesthetic culture, flexibility of sensitivity based on professional skills and choral technique.

Conclusion
In the work of M. Zakis “At the Finest Hour”, written for a mixed 4-voice choir a capella, the skill of the composer was revealed, who was able not only to create a composition harmonious in form and rich in content based on small poetic lines, but was also able to amazingly subtly penetrate into content of the literary text. The content of the musical material follows directly from the content of the poetic source.
Simplicity and clarity of presentation, combined with the masterful use of a variety of vocal and choral performing means, complement the sincere warmth of the artistic image and the expressiveness of the musical language.
Learning works of this type enriches and develops the musical horizons of performers and listeners. Overcoming various vocal and choral difficulties in the process of working on a piece improves professional skills and helps to acquire many skills necessary for further improvement.
The choral group that has chosen this work for learning and performing must have significant vocal and choral culture and great emotionality.
The ideal conditions for conveying artistic content and the idea of ​​composition are high musical, aesthetic and universal human culture, musicality in the broad sense of the concept, sensitivity to artistic images and the conductor’s interpretation, his gestures and facial expressions.
It is also necessary for the conductor to strive to achieve from the group the correct standard of choral sound, which he ultimately wants to achieve. The ability of the artistic director to properly organize all the singing activities of the group is very important.

St. Petersburg State Institute of Culture

Faculty of Arts

Academic choir department

Essay

In the discipline "Conducting"

Topic: Analysis of a choral work

S.I. Taneyev poems by Ya. P. Polonsky

"Evening"

Completed by a 5th year student

FIS/BZ 161-5/1 Rogoza S.V.

Associate Professor Class

Polyakova V.Yu

St. Petersburg, 2017

Introduction.

The end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries for Russian music were sometimes characterized by unusually rapid, rapid development and the emergence of new forces and trends, which is associated with a general reassessment of values, a revision of many ideas and criteria of aesthetic evaluation established in the previous era. This process took place in heated disputes and clashes between various, sometimes converging, sometimes opposing tendencies that seemed irreconcilable and mutually exclusive.

The genre of landscape poetry was formed in Europe in the 18th century during the era of sentimentalism. In the 19th century, the era of romanticism led to numerous works by composers in this genre. Russian composers of the second half of the 19th century, representatives of the “Mighty Handful” and the “Belyaev Circle” laid a rich and fruitful foundation that allowed a large number of composers to grow and develop creatively, who made a huge contribution to the formation and development of choral genres.

Sergei Taneyev, Viktor Kalinnikov and Pavel Chesnokov were outstanding representatives of Russian choral music at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries, who managed to preserve and develop the experience gained in their work. Each of them turned in his work to the genre of landscape lyricism, using a cappella and accompanied choir, mixed and homogeneous.

Sergei Taneyev wrote choral music of exclusively secular content. At the same time, his works cover a variety of topics: from conveying thoughts about the meaning of life through images of nature to revealing deep philosophical and ethical problems.

Sergey Ivanovich Taneyev

13 11.1856 - 06 06.1915

Russian composer, pianist, teacher, scientist, musical and public figure from the noble family of Taneyev.

The family supported the boy’s early-discovered talent, and in 1866 he was admitted to the newly opened Moscow Conservatory. Within its walls, Taneyev became a student of P. Tchaikovsky and N. Rubinstein - two major figures in musical Russia. The brilliant completion of the conservatory in 1875 (Taneev was the first in its history to be awarded the Big Gold Medal) opens up broad prospects for the young musician. This includes a variety of concert activities, teaching, and in-depth composing work.

His work is distinguished by its content and perfection of forms of musical embodiment. One of the most extensive sections of Taneyev’s work is works for choir. He wrote 37 acapella choirs and about ten vocal ensembles, often performed as choirs. The cantatas for choir and orchestra and large choirs showed the composer's highest polyphonic mastery.

The cantata “John of Damascus” (1883) was written to the words of the poem of the same name by Alexei Tolstoy, which tells the story of the fate of the Byzantine theologian and philosopher John of Damascus. An important role is played by the chorus in the opera trilogy “Oresteia” (1984) based on the ancient plot of Aeschylus’ tragedy. Here the choral numbers are distinguished by their monumentality, majestic simplicity, and epic power. The composer's last major choral work was the cantata “After the Reading of the Psalm” (1914) based on the verses of Alexei Khomyakov.

If we consider only a cappella choirs, their appearance can be roughly attributed to two periods. The first period is approximately from the late 1870s to the early 1890s. The choirs “Sosna” (lyrics by Mikhail Lermontov, 1877), “Serenade” (lyrics by Afanasy Fet, 1877), “Venice at Night” (lyrics by Afanasy Fet, 1877), “Merry Hour” (lyrics by Alexei Koltsov) belong to this period , 1889), “Song of King Regner” (lyrics by Nikolai Yazykov, 1881), “I drink to Mary’s health” (lyrics by Alexander Pushkin, 1881), “Fountain” (lyrics by Kozma Prutkov, 1881), “Evening Song” (words by Alexei Khomyakov, 1882) and others. The choirs of this period are close in content and form to the choral miniatures of Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, Felix Mendelssohn, Cesar Cui, Pyotr Tchaikovsky and others. Also, Sergei Taneyev’s choirs during this period are not distinguished by their philosophical depth of thought and do not pose particularly difficult tasks for the performers. But already here one can notice a number of features characteristic of a cappella choirs of the second period. This refers to expressive melodicism (“Serenade”), alternation of chord texture and polyphonic elements (“Venice at Night”), the method of ending the work in the major key of the same name (“Pine”) and others.

Large mixed choirs are much more complex in form and means of musical expression: “Sunrise” (words by Fyodor Tyutchev), “Stars” (words by Alexei Khomyakov). They are dominated by the polyphonic principle and end-to-end musical development.

The choral writing of Sergei Taneyev reaches complete perfection in the cycle “Twelve Choirs a cappella,” written in 1909 for mixed choirs to the words of Yakov Polonsky. These choirs showed the most fully characteristic features of Sergei Taneyev's creativity: expressive melodic language, colorful and rich harmony, polyphonic mastery, monumental form, excellent knowledge of the vocal capabilities of voices and hence the perfection of voice control, the use of an a cappella choir as an independent performing organism with unlimited artistic possibilities expressiveness.

The “Evening” choir belongs to the works of landscape lyricism by Sergei Taneyev. By means of music, the composer subtly depicts pictures of nature and reproduces its sounds. The reflections of the evening dawn reflected in the dewdrops, the fading ringing of bells, the distant song of the drivers, the swaying of sea foam near the shore - all the captivating beauty of the southern evening arises in the imagination at the sound of this choir.

Of the poets, F.I. Tyutchev and Ya.P. Polonsky enjoyed Taneyev’s greatest love. Much in the creative appearance of these poets was close to the composer. Faith in a bright future, striving for an ideal, understanding of human sorrows (Tyutchev - “Sunrise”, “From edge to edge, from city to city...”, etc.). Optimism and will in work, understanding the meaning of human gift and ethically high principles in relations between people, the desire to philosophically understand the life of the universe, often allegorical interpretation of images of nature (Polonsky “On the Ship”, “Prometheus”, “On the Grave”, “Stars”, “Evening”, etc.) - all this was accepted, changed his mind and experienced by Taneyev himself as an artist.

Yakov Petrovich Polonsky

06 12. 1819- 18 10.1898

Russian writer, known mainly as a poet.

He published his first poem in the journal Otechestvennye zapiski in 1840. Participated in the student almanac “Underground Keys”. At this time I met I. S. Turgenev, whose friendship continued until the latter’s death.

After graduating from the university (1844), he lived in Odessa, then was assigned to Tiflis (1846), where he served until 1851; Caucasian impressions inspired his best poems, which brought the young official all-Russian fame.

The first collection of poetry is “Gammas” (1844). The second collection of “Poems of 1845”, published in Odessa, caused a negative assessment by V. G. Belinsky. In the collection “Sazandar” (1849), he recreated the spirit and life of the peoples of the Caucasus. A small part of Polonsky’s poems refers to the so-called civil lyrics (“I must admit, I forgot, gentlemen,” “Miasm” and others). In his later years he turned to the themes of old age and death (collection “Evening Bells”, 1890). Among Polonsky’s poems, the most significant is the fairy tale poem “The Grasshopper the Musician” (1859). From 1851 he lived in St. Petersburg, edited the magazine “Russian Word” in 1859-60.

Many of Polonsky's poems were set to music by A. S. Dargomyzhsky, P. I. Tchaikovsky, S. V. Rachmaninov, S. I. Taneyev, A. G. Rubinstein, M. M. Ivanov and became popular romances and songs. “The Gypsy Song” (“My fire shines in the fog”), written in 1853, became a folk song.

Musical theoretical analysis.

The musical form of this work is strophic, but one can also speak of a three-part form with a mirror reprise. The tempo of the piece is Andantino, the dotted quarter note is 72. The time signature is variable – 6/8 and 9/8. The key is B major.

The tonal plan in the first bars represents plagal turns - T-S (I-IV). In the next 10 bars, in addition to T-S, various types of seventh chords of the dominant group and II degree with a lowered VI degree appear. From bar 16, a sequence of 2 links begins: 16-17 t., with a deviation in c-moll.

In bar 29 the dominant is towards g-moll and until bar 36 there is a deviation in g-moll. From the 37th to the 42nd measures - deviation into harmonic G-dur. Bars 43-44 are the overall culmination of the work and the deviation: in the key of Es-dur and C-moll. From bar 47, the main key returns - B-dur.

The work begins with the introduction of three parts, without tenors - in the bass part there are long durations on the tonic of B flat, and in the women's parts there is a melodic movement in the third and sixth. The tenors enter only in bar 6 and a roll call with the basses occurs. Next, their roll call is picked up by the soprano part, forming in the 10th measure the opposite melodic movement with the tenor part. The local climax of this section is bars 12-13, with a melodic ascending movement in the sopranos and syncopations in the altos.

The second section begins with a tonic triad from the upbeat to a large augmented seventh chord on the 1st beat, which bends the key to C minor; the sequence in bars 18-19 returns us to the main key – B major. In the 20th measure, a seventh chord of the second degree sounds from the upbeat, and on the 1st beat of the 20th measure, a dominant triad. In bar 21, at the organ bass point on the F sound of the small octave, the eighth durations of the remaining three parts sound, moving parallel to the sixth and quarter sext chords of the IV and V steps. In the 24th measure, the bass switches to the B flat sound of the small octave, continuing to hold the organ point until the 27th measure. And at this time, the solo tenor sounds in the main key, in the nuance em f. In the 27th bar, on the last eighth of the third beat, all parts except the tenors fall silent. Only on the 2nd beat of the 28th measure does the female group enter on the sounds of the VI degree, and on the 29th on the dominant to g-moll. Here there is a deviation in g- of the 37th measure.

In the 30th bar, at the organ point D, in the tenor part, female parts are heard, moving in parallel thirds along the sounds of the dominant and tonic of G minor; in the 31st and 32nd bars, a melodic minor is heard, since the lowered VI degree of G flashes in the alto part minor.

The bass solo from the upbeat to the 33rd measure represents a melodic movement within the third from IV to VI degrees of natural G minor, and in the 35th measure the melody gradually comes to the tonic g-moll.

In the off-beat to the 37th measure, the soprano part sounds B bekar, but at the same time, on the 1st beat the tenors sound E flat, which deviates the tonality to the harmonic G major.

On the 2nd beat of the 42nd measure, the triad of the 3rd degree to Es-dur sounds. On the 1st beat of the 43rd bar, the seventh chord of the second degree in E flat major sounds; on the 3rd beat, it sounds passing from the dominant seventh chord to the fifth sixth chord, which resolves in the 44th bar into the triad Es-dur. In the 45th measure there is a deviation in c-moll through a large increased seventh chord of the third degree. In the 47th measure, the tonality returns to the main one – B-dur – on the 1st beat a small minor seventh chord of the 2nd degree sounds, and on the 3rd beat in the bass line a G flat – VI lowered degree in B-dur sounds. Then the harmony is repeated, as at the beginning of the work (vols 10-14).

From the 53rd measure until the end of the work, plagal T-S turns sound, as at the beginning of the work on the tonic organ point in the bass and viola parts. Only in bars 55-56 and 58-59 does the melody, as at the beginning of the work, sound in the soprano and tenor parts, forming a parallel movement in third and sixth.

Vocal and choral analysis.

This work was written for a four-voice mixed choir.

Overall range of the choir:

Range of choral parts:

At the very beginning of the work, the female choir group has a low tessitura, and therefore the sound should be round and voluminous, relying on breathing, since a medium tessitura very often provokes breathless singing and a flat sound. In the very first phrase of the musical text in the soprano part there is a jump to the sixth in the 2nd and 4th bars. The conductor needs to practice these melodic moves with the singers so that the D sound does not sound louder than the rest of the sounds of the phrase due to the high tessitura. These leaps should sound calm, smooth, in a high vocal position, at the same dynamics as the entire phrase. The same applies to the tenors in measures 6 and 8 and the basses in measures 7.

The entry of the tenors in bar 6 should sound on the mp speaker, not loudly, but expressively. Their phrase is echoed by the basses in the 7th bar, which must also sing their phrase softly and tenderly (as indicated by the composer – dolce), in the nuance of mp. The sopranos in bar 7 should enter softly, carefully weaving into the overall sound, accompanying the roll call of the male parts. But already in bar 9, the sopranos echo the tenors and then lead the phrase together.

By the 12th measure, the entire choir should come to the mf dynamics in crescendo. In the viola part, syncopation must be heard over 12-14 bars. Tenors also have syncopation in bar 15 on the F¹ sound, which they should sing not shouting, but easily, in falsetto, carefully.

From the 16th bar, a new phrase begins in the poetic text, and in the musical text it seems that there is also a new phrase, but it resembles the melody of the beginning of the work. Here, from the off-beat, all the parts enter in the mp nuance, but the melody is for the soprano, where the composer indicated the term above their part in this placeesppressivo, which means expressive. The soprano should sound soft and easy; the sounds of the upper tessitura should be formed by singers in a high vocal position. The same applies to tenors, who pick up the melody from the upbeat in bar 17, also in the upper tessitura. In the 18th measure, only the soprano part enters from the outset in the nuance p, and the remaining parts enter on the 1st beat of the 18th measure. This second phrase represents, as it were, the second link of the sequence - the melody of the 16th bar, but a third lower.

Before the start of the 20th measure, the composer placed a caesura only in the tenor parts, because they end the phrase at the eighth duration. But the choir conductor can show a caesura here to the entire choir before a new phrase. In the 20th bar, all parts sound in the middle tessitura, which corresponds to the poetic text - “calm”. And with the help of a staccato touch, three parts - except for the basses, holding the organ point on the dominant - imitate the “bells” from the poetic text, and the rhythmic syncopations depict “discordant speech”:

In bar 26, against the background of a tonic “lull,” a solo tenor part sounds on mf, which should portray the “mushers’ ringing song” with the help of free, expressive singing. But on diminuendo, their phrase comes to the piano nuance on the words “lost in the dense forest,” where their part sounds alone, without the accompaniment of the other parts. But on beat 2 of bar 28, the women's group enters neatly, accompanying the end of the tenor solo. And from the 30th bar, the sopranos and altos conduct their phrase on pp in the middle tessitura, which resembles the phrase of 20-22 bars, but with a legato touch, and at this time the tenors’ part has an organ point on the third step until the 32nd bar. Melodic leaps into the upper tessitura in the female parts are determined by the poetic text “a noisy seagull flashed and disappeared” - fourth and sixth leaps musically depict this “flickering”.

From the 33rd measure, the solo in the bass part begins, accompanied by the dominant third to g-moll – F# and A. The basses should sing their solo phrase muffledly, carefully, reverently, with a translucent sound, as if afraid of waking up “a sleeping child in the cradle.” Their melodic movement resembles the swaying of waves, corresponding to the poetic text: “white foam sways on a gray stone...”. The composer also added small diminuendos on each descending movement and the arrival of piano dynamics to ppp at the end of the phrase.

From the upbeat to the 37th measure, three parts enter with the words “like pearls,” except for the basses, which have the syllable “-nok” on the 2nd beat of the 37th measure and then an organ point on the G sound of a large octave. The female group and tenors need to very clearly pronounce the poetic text from bars 37 to 41, since a lot of sound cannot be produced on the ppp speaker, but with good diction you can compensate for this and make a phrase that is very quiet in sound, but very expressive due to the text . "TO Ak p e-R lyR o-sy o-St. e-and And-T e-lyy ka -orP O-V and-if on whether-st yax ka - PC a-na” - all consonants at the end of words when singing must be added to the next syllable.

At the culmination of the entire work (43-44 bars), in the mf and then forte nuances, good diction is added to the rich, dense and voluminous sound: “Andv[f]k A-railway Oy r o[ra]-With And-NK etr e[three]-P e-sch et s A-R Andd Oh yeah]-G o[ha]-R a-yu-sch eth pl a-me." It is very important to take into account the rules of orthoepy when singing. Some vowels and consonants are pronounced differently from how they are written. For the word “trembles”, the soprano has the sound G², which must be sung roundly, volumetrically, in the upper vocal position. Here, the correct formation of the vowel “e” in singing will help, which must be sung as [e], so that the sound is not flat and straight.

Performance analysis.

This work, in an artistic sense, is a picture of a summer evening, the beauty of the evening dawn, calm, and tranquility.

The general dynamics of the work are piano, mp, therefore the conductor should have a smooth legato gesture of low amplitude: the fingers are joined together, but not pressed, the palms are slightly rounded, the thumb is not connected to the index finger, but is loosely adjacent to the hand. In size 6\8, a two-part scheme is applicable in this work.

It is necessary to show an accurate and understandable aftertact in the piano nuance - a wave of the hand in a very small amplitude, the hand should show a “point” to the 1st beat of the 1st measure. It is very important to maintain a small amplitude of the gesture until the 6th measure, since the dynamics and character of the sound do not change here. In the 6th bar from the upbeat it is necessary to show the aftertaste of the tenor part, which then in the 7th and 8th, 9th bars echo the basses and sopranos, who also need to show the afteracts.

In the 10th bar, the conductor can gradually increase the gesture, showing a crescendo by 12-13 bars, where the nuance increases to mf. In measures 12 and 14, it is very important to show the syncopation in the viola part. This can be done by sharply lowering the hand to the 3rd eighth of the 2nd beat in the 12th measure and in the same way highlighting the 3rd eighth of the 1st beat with a gesture in the 14th measure. Here, in the 14th bar, it is necessary to reduce the gesture in order to show a diminuendo to the piano nuance in the 15th bar and change the two-beat scheme of 6/8 to a three-beat scheme, since the time signature changes to 9/8. After removal in the 15th measure, it is immediately necessary to give an aftertaste to the choir on the off-bar chord to the 16th measure in the mp nuance. The second phrase must be started in the piano nuance and the aftertaste must first be shown to the soprano parts (with one hand) from the upbeat, and on the 1st beat of the 18th bar, the introduction should be shown to all other parts (with both hands), also on the piano dynamics.

Before the 20th measure, it is necessary to show with a gesture the caesura before the off-bar introduction of all parts in the pp nuance. In the 21st measure, the gesture should change in the stroke – legato is replaced by staccato. The conductor's hand must make sharper movements up and down in order to convey the desired stroke, and by the 23rd measure it is necessary to slightly increase the amplitude of the gesture on crescendo and be sure to show syncopation, but in the same legato stroke. And in the 24th measure, reduce the gesture again to a piano nuance. In bar 25, after showing the 2nd beat to the female group, it is immediately necessary to give an aftertaste to the tenor part in a three-beat scheme, since the time signature changes to 9/8, in the mf nuance, with a free and melodious gesture, to legato, in medium amplitude - this is the introduction you can show from the beat with one hand. In the 28th measure, the amplitude of the gesture decreases, and after showing the aftertact to the female group on the 2nd beat in the piano nuance, it is necessary to show the 2nd beat to the tenors in the 29th measure already in the pp nuance. After this, it is necessary to show the caesura in the women’s parts and the aftertaste to the introduction from the outset to the 30th measure, in the same nuance –pp. Until the 32nd measure, the gesture remains unchanged in the pp nuance.

The tenors in the 32nd bar need to show the lifting, and immediately from the lifting gesture the bass should appear as an aftertaste when they enter from the off-beat to the 33rd measure in the piano nuance. It is very important to choose the right, appropriate gesture in this episode, since the bass always sounds thick, rich and quite loud in tone. And in this place a muffled, neat sound is needed, so the conductor’s gesture must correspond to the required sound - small amplitude, movement of the entire hand, and without individual wrist movements, the palms are open, but the fingers are collected. The gesture needs to show the melodic “waves” that sound in the bass line, using small crescendos and diminuendos. In bars 35-36, the indicated emphasis on sounds should be shown with the hand and even a slight tempo slowdown should be made.

But in the 37th bar the tempo resumes and it is necessary to show a neat, very quiet, in ppp nuance, introduction of three parts, except for the bass. In bars 38-39 the staccato touch appears again, which must be conveyed through gesture - this phrase resembles the phrase in bars 21-22. You can refine the sound using a gesture on the syllables “per-”, “ka-”, “-ta-”. But in general, over the course of 37-41 clock cycles, the dynamics remain extremely minimal – pp, ppp.

On the 2nd beat of the 42nd bar, there is an almost sudden change in dynamics and character - mf, size 9/8, three-beat pattern, free gesture of large amplitude with a crescendo to the 44th bar. In the 44th measure, the conductor must very accurately show the release of syncopation - the 2nd eighth of the 2nd beat - by moving the hand down and closing the fingers. This is followed by an out-tact from the out-beat to the 45th bar in the mf nuance with the same free gesture.

Only in the 46th bar the dynamics decrease by diminuendo, the 6/8 time signature and the two-beat scheme return. In the 47th bar, the time signature is again 9/8 and it is necessary to show the aftertaste first from the upbeat of the soprano part, and on the 1st beat of the 47th bar - to the entire choir, all in piano nuance. In 48, the size changed again to 6\8. In the 49th measure the gesture gradually increases in amplitude, showing a crescendo by the 50th measure. This phrase (48-52 volumes) repeats the phrase at the beginning of the work (10-14 volumes).

In the 53rd bar the time signature changes again to 9/8 and the gesture reduces the amplitude, since in the diminuendo choir and in the 54th bar the dynamics should be pianissimo. In the 53rd measure, on the 2nd beat, it is necessary to show the transition to the tenors with a gesture with minimal amplitude, and from the upbeat to the 54th measure - the alto and bass parts. In the 55th measure, in the pp nuance, the soprano and tenor enter from the off-beat, carrying out the phrase as at the beginning of the work, so the gesture should be minimal, unchanged, showing a gradual diminuendo towards the end of the work.

In the last two bars of the work, the time signature changes to 9/8 and the conductor should end the work in a three-beat pattern, in minimal dynamics, slightly holding back the tempo towards the end.

Conclusion

In Russian music at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, S. Taneyev occupies a very special place. However, the main work of his life, composing, did not immediately find true recognition. The reason is not that Taneyev is a radical innovator, noticeably ahead of his era. On the contrary, much of his music was perceived by his contemporaries as outdated, as the fruit of “professorial learning”, dry desk work. Taneyev’s interest in the old masters, J. S. Bach, W. A. ​​Mozart seemed strange and untimely; his commitment to classical forms and genres was surprising. Only later did an understanding of the historical correctness of Taneyev come, who was looking for a strong support for Russian music in the pan-European heritage, striving for a universal breadth of creative tasks.

S. Taneev has great merit in raising the genre of a cappella choir to the level of an independent, stylistically separate type of musical creativity. His compositions were the highest achievement in Russian pre-revolutionary choral art and had a huge influence on the galaxy of Moscow “choral composers” who represented a new direction.

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The work of the oldest, remarkable Soviet composer Alexander Abramsky is widely known to music lovers.

Having graduated from the Moscow Conservatory, a student of N. Ya. Myaskovsky, Alexander Abramsky, at the very beginning of his creative career, experienced the charming and powerful influence of folk music; from that time on, everything that the composer created was inextricably, vitally connected with folk musical art, especially with Russian folk music and song. For more than 40 years, while traveling around his native country (Arkhangelsk, Vologda, Ryazan, Moscow, Kurgan and other regions), the composer selected and recorded folk instrumental music and songs; the result was the following collections: folklore - “Songs of the Russian North”, “Russian folk songs” for children and “Modern Russian ditties” recorded and arranged by A. Abramsky, a large cycle “Northern Lights”, based on the musical folklore of the Finno-Ugric peoples. Under the influence of the richest impressions during his travels and folklore expeditions, he wrote a five-part suite for a folk choir “I Walk on the Good Land” and music for the folk performance “Strong, Brave and Skillful”. But not only folk music, the song captivates the composer, he is excited and inspired by themes that are especially close to the people. One of the most significant works is the multi-part cycle “We Sing About Lenin” (for Russian folk choir).

“We, composers, must look closely and listen to folk art in all its diverse manifestations, learn and widely use in our work all the inexhaustible wealth of folk musical speech,” says the composer. In search of new means of expression, the composer invariably turns to folk musical colloquial speech. A. Abramsky - composer, tireless creative search; Each of his works contains features of the new, and this new is always suggested by life itself: the oratorio “A Man Walks” is dedicated to the theme of patriotism, work, love. In the recently created oratorio “Round Dances,” the composer brings together a Russian folk choir, its soloists, an academic choir, its tenor soloist and a large symphony orchestra.
A special section of the composer’s work is occupied by arrangements of folk songs. An excellent connoisseur of folk art, Russian ancient and modern folk music, songs, their various genres and regional styles, a composer possessing genuine high skill and invariably impeccable taste, a man in love with Russian “song, devoting his entire life to it, bound by creative friendship with such choral groups, such as the state Northern, Ryazan, Volga folk choirs, the Academic Russian Choir of the All-Union Radio and Central Television. A. A. Abramsky has a special, long-standing friendship with the latter: the choir is the first performer of the composer’s works, which were included in the “golden fund” of sound recordings and are often performed on the radio.

Russian folk songs in A. Abramsky's arrangements can be distinguished from thousands of others by the special charm of the music, by its deeply Russian, discreet beauty, which is akin to the beauty of a summer field, a winter steppe, a spring meadow or the intricate pattern of branches of an autumn forest. everything is simple, understandable, and infinitely close and dear to everyone who loves Russian song as a part of the great Motherland.
The collection offered to your attention includes choral works based on poems by Soviet poets, songs taken from the repertoires of regional choirs: Volzhsky (“Volga-River”, lyrics by V. Bokov, “Volzhanochka Girl”, lyrics by V. Semernin), Ryazansky (“Whatever life blossomed”, “The earth is getting younger”, words by G. Georgiev), Severny (“Northern Round Dance”, words by L. Vasiliev), Academic Folk Choir of the All-Union Radio and Central Television (“Steppe Eagle”, broken by D. Martynov, “No Edge , no end”, words by V. Semernin, “In a Clean Field”, words by V. Bokov).
The collection also includes folk songs recorded and arranged by A. Abramsky: “Vanya bought a braid”, “You are servants’ girlfriends”, “The swan was lagging behind” (Arkhangelsk region), “My child, child”, “No one to spend the night with "(songs of the Moscow region).
The collection is addressed to Russian folk choirs (professional and amateur), and also as material for the study of Russian musical folklore.
G. Pavlova

• 1. CHORUS
  • No edge, no end. Words by V. Semernin
  • The earth is getting younger. Words by G. Georgiev
  • For life to blossom, Words by G. Georgiev
  • Volga river. Words by V. Bokov
  • Steppe eagle. Words by D. Martynov
  • And our river is wide (Northern round dance). Words by L. Vasilyeva
  • Housewarming. Words by V. Bokov
  • My falcon flew away. Words by D. Martynov
• II. CHORUS, DITTS
  • Balalaechka is my sister. Words by V. Semernin
  • In a clean field. Words by V. Bokov
  • Volzhanochka girls. Words by V. Semernin
  • I will not wither. Words by V. Bokov
  • Since that week all the gardens have turned white. Words by V. Bokov
  • There is a white branch outside the outskirts. Words by V. Kuznetsov and V. Semernin.
• III. RECORDING AND PROCESSING OF RUSSIAN FOLK SONGS
  • My child, my child
  • No one to spend the night with
  • Tomorrow is a holiday,
  • The swan was lagging behind
  • Servants, you are girlfriends
  • Vanya bought a braid,
  • What about the bright month
  • spinning spinner
  • Yavrysh ditties