Polyphonic Variations |

Polyphonic Variations – a musical form based on the repeated carrying out of a theme with changes of a contrapuntal nature. AP a. can be independent music. prod. (title to-rogo sometimes determines the form, for example. “Canonical Variations on a Christmas Song” by I. C. Bach) or part of a large cyclic. prod. (Largo from fp. quintet g-moll op. 30 Taneyev), an episode in a cantata, opera (chorus “The Wonderful Heavenly Queen” from the opera “The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia” by Rimsky-Korsakov); often P. a. – a section of a larger one, incl. non-polyphonic, forms (beginning of the central section of the 2nd movement of Myaskovsky’s 5th symphony); sometimes they are included in non-polyphonic. variation cycle (“Symphonic etudes” by Schumann). K P. a. all general Characteristics of the form of variations are applicable (shaping, division into strict and free, etc.); the term is widespread. arr. in owls musicology. AP a. associated with the concept of polyphony. variation, which implies contrapuntal. update of the theme, form section, part of the cycle (e.g., the beginning of the exposition, bars 1-26, and the reprise, bars 101-126, in the 2nd movement of Beethoven’s 1st symphony; chimes II with doubles in Bach’s English Suite No 1; “Chromatic Invention” No. 145 from “Microcosmos” by Bartok); polyphonic variation is the basis of mixed forms (for example, P. century, fugue and three-part form in aria No 3 from Bach’s cantata No 170). Main means polyphonic. variations: the introduction of contrapuntal voices (of varying degrees of independence), incl. representing melodic-rhythmic. basic options. Topics; application of magnification, theme reversal, etc.; polyphonization of chord presentation and melodicization of accompanying figures, giving them the character of ostinato, the use of imitations, canons, fugues and their varieties; the use of complex counterpoint; in polyphony of the 20th century. – aleatorics, transformations of the dodecaphone series, etc. In P. a. (or wider – with polyphonic. variation), the logic of the composition is provided by special means, of which it is of fundamental importance to preserve one of the essential elements of the theme unchanged (cf., for example, the initial presentation in bars 1-3 and polyphonically varied in bars 37-39 of the minuet of the g-moll symphony Mozart); one of the most important shaping means is ostinato, which is inherent in metric. constancy and harmony. stability; unity of form P. a. often determined by a regular return to c.-l. kind of polyphonic presentation (for example, to the canon), a gradual complication of technology, an increase in the number of voices, etc. For P. a. completions are common, to-rye sum up sounded polyphonic. episodes and summarize the techniques used; it can be difficult contrapuntal. compound (e.g. in Bach’s Goldberg Variations, BWV 988), canon (Largo from the 8th symphony, prelude gis-moll op. 87 No 12 Shostakovich); pl. variation cycles (including non-polyphonic, in which, however, a prominent role is played by polyphonic. development techniques) end with a fugue-variation, for example. in op. AP AND. Tchaikovsky, M. Regera, B. Britten and others. Because the polyphonic the technique is often attached to homophonic presentation (for example, transferring the melody from the upper voice to the bass, as in vertically movable counterpoint), and in P. a. homophonic means of variation are used, the boundaries between polyphonic. and non-polyphonic. variations are relative. AP a. are divided into ostinato (including cases where the recurring theme changes, e.g. fp. “Basso ostinato” Shchedrin) and neostinato. The most common P. a. на stubborn bass. A repeating melody can be retained in any voice (for example, masters of a strict style often placed the cantus firmus in tenor (2)) and transferred from one voice to another (for example, in the trio “Do not suffocate, dear” from Glinka’s opera “Ivan Susanin” ); the general definition for these cases is P. a. to a sustained tune. Ostinate and neostinate species often coexist, there is no clear boundary between them. AP a. come from Nar. ice practices, where the melody with couplet repetitions receives a different polyphonic. decor. Early examples of P. a. in prof. music belong to the ostinato type. A characteristic example is the motet of the 13th century. galliard type (see in Art. Polyphony), which is based on 3 bass lines of Gregorian chant. Such forms were widespread (motets “Speravi”, “Trop plus est bele – Biauté paree – je ne sui mie” by G. de Machot). Masters of strict style practiced in P. a. will express. polyphonic techniques. tongue, etc. melodic technique. transformations. Типичен мотет «La mi la sol» X. Izaka: cantus firmus is repeated in tenor 5 times with a rhythm decreasing in geometric. progressions (subsequent holding with twice shorter durations), counterpoints are produced from the main. themes in reduction (see example below). Principle P. a. sometimes served as the basis of the Mass – historically the first major cyclic. forms: cantus firmus, carried out like ostinato in all parts, was the supporting pillar of a huge variational cycle (for example, in masses on L’homme armé by Josquin Despres, Palestrina). Sov. researchers V. AT. Protopopov and S. C. Scrapers are considered polyphonic. variation (on ostinato, according to the principle of germination and strophic. type) the basis of imitation forms of the 14th-16th centuries. (cm. Polyphony). In old P. a. cantus firmus was not carried out separately before the variations; the custom of expressing a theme specifically for variation was prepared by intonation (cf. Intonation, VI) – by singing the opening phrase of the chorale before Mass; reception was fixed no earlier than the 16th century. with the advent of the passacaglia and chaconne, which became the leading forms of P. a.

An incentive for P.’s development of century. (including neostinata) was instrumentalism with its figurative possibilities.

A favorite genre is choral variations, which are exemplified by organ P. v. S. Scheidt on “Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz”.

Organ P. in. Ya. P. Sweelinka on “Est-ce Mars” – ornamental (the theme is guessed in the texture with a typical diminution (3)), strict (the form of the theme is preserved), neostinata – are a variety of popular in the 16-17 centuries. variations on a song theme.

Among neostinatny P. in. 17th-18th centuries the most complex are those that are in contact with the fugue. So, to P. century. close succession of counter-exposures, e.g. in fugues F-dur and g-moll D. Buxtehude.

The composition is more difficult. G. Frescobaldi: first 2 fugues, then the 3rd fugue variation (combining the themes of previous fugues) and the 4th fugue variation (on the material of the 1st).

Music by J. S. Bach – encyclopedia of the art of P. v. Bach created cycles of choral variations, to-rye in many. cases are approaching free due to improvisational inserts between the phrases of the chorale. The same genre includes the festive “Canonical Variations on a Christmas Song” (BWV 769) – a series of two-voiced canons-variations on cantus firmus (in octave, fifth, seventh and octave in magnification; the 3rd and 4th canons have free voices) ; in the final 5th variation, the chorale is the material of the canons in circulation (in sixth, third, second, none) with two free voices; in celebrations. the six-voice coda combines all the phrases of the chorale. The special wealth of polyphonic variation distinguishes the “Goldberg Variations”: the cycle is held together by a varied bass and a return – like a refrain – to the technique of the canon. Two-voiced canons with a free voice are placed in every third variation (there is no free voice in the 27th variation), the interval of canons expands from unison to none (in circulation in the 12th and 15th variations); in other variations – other polyphonic. forms, among them fughetta (10th variation) and quadlibet (30th variation), where several folk song themes are cheerfully counterpointed. The organ passa-calla in c-moll (BWV582) is distinguished by the unparalleled power of the steady development of form, crowned with a fugue as the highest semantic synthesis. The innovative application of the constructive idea of ​​the composition of the cycle on the basis of one theme characterizes the “Art of the Fugue” and the “Musical Offering” of Bach; as free P. in. certain cantatas are built on the chorales (for example, No 4).

From the 2nd floor. 18th century variation and polyphony are somewhat demarcated: polyphonic. variation serves to reveal the homophonic theme, is included in the classic. variation form. So, L. Beethoven used the fugue as one of the variations (often for dynamization, for example, in 33 variations op. 120, fugato in Larghetto from the 7th symphony) and asserted it as the finale of the variation cycle (for example, variations Es-dur op .35). Several P. in. in the cycle they easily form a “form of the 2nd plan” (for example, in Brahms’ “Variations on a Theme of Handel”, the 6th variation-canon summarizes the previous development and thus anticipates the final fugue). A historically important result of the use of polyphonic. variations – mixed homophonic-polyphonic. forms (see Free style). Classic samples – in Op. Mozart, Beethoven; in Op. composers of subsequent eras – the finale of the piano. quartet op. 47 Schumann, 2nd movement of Glazunov’s 7th symphony (the sarabandes in character are combined with three-movement, concentric and sonata forms), the finale of Myaskovsky’s 27th symphony (rondo sonata with a variation of the main themes). A special group is made up of works where P. v. and fugue: Sanctus from Berlioz’s Requiem (introduction and fugue return with significant polyphonic and orchestral complications); the exposition and the strettas in the fugue from Glinka’s Introduction to the opera Ivan Susanin are separated by a chorus that introduces the quality of a polyphonic variation. couplet form; in the introduction to the opera Lohengrin, Wagner likens P. v. subject and reply introductions. Ostinatnye P. v. in music 2nd floor. 18th-19th centuries used rarely and very loosely. Beethoven relied on the traditions of ancient chaconnes in 32 variations in c-moll, sometimes he interpreted P. v. on basso ostinato as part of a large form (for example, in the tragic coda of the 1st movement of the 9th symphony); the basis of the courageous finale of the 3rd symphony is P. v. on basso ostinato (initial theme), which reveal the features of rondo (repetition of the 2nd, main theme), tripartite (return of the main key in the 2nd fugato) and concentric forms. This unique composition served as a guide for I. Brahms (finale of the 4th symphony) and symphonists of the 20th century.

In the 19th century becomes widespread polyphonic. variation on a sustained melody; more often it is soprano ostinato – the form, compared with basso ostinato, is less coherent, but has great color. (e.g., 2nd variation in the Persian Choir from Glinka’s Ruslan and Lyudmila) and visual (for example, episodes in Varlaam’s song from Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov) possibilities, since in P. v. on soprano ostinato main. interest focuses on polyphonic changes. (as well as harmony, orc., etc.) melody design. The themes are usually melodious (eg, Et incarnatus from Schubert’s Mass Es-dur, the beginning of the Lacrimosa movement from Verdi’s Requiem), also in modern. music (2nd of Messiaen’s “Three Little Liturgies”). Similar P. in. are included in major form (e.g., in Larghetto from Beethoven’s 7th symphony) usually along with other types of variations (e.g., Glinka’s Kamarinskaya, Glazunov’s variations in piano op. 72, Reger’s Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Mozart ). Glinka brings together P. century. to a sustained melody with a song couplet form (e.g., vertically movable counterpoint in the couplet variations of the trio “Don’t suffocate, dear” from the opera “Ivan Susanin”; in the canon “What a wonderful moment” from the opera “Ruslan and Lyudmila” contrapuntal environment entering the rispost like P. v. on the propost). The development of the Glinka tradition led to the flourishing of the form in many ways. op. Borodin, Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Lyadov, Tchaikovsky and others. It was used in the processing of bunks. songs by A. V. Alexandrov (for example, “Not one path in the field”), Ukrainian. composer N. D. Leontovich (for example, “Because of the rocky hill”, “Poppy”), Uzbek. composer M. Burkhanov (“On a High Mountain”), Estonian composer V. Tormis (various ostinato compositions with the use of modern harmonic and polyphonic techniques in the choral cycle “Songs of St. John’s Day”) and many others. others

In the 20th century P.’s value in. (primarily on basso ostinato) has increased dramatically; the organizing ability of ostinato neutralizes the destructive tendencies of the modern. harmony, and at the same time basso ostinato, allowing for any contrapuntal. and polytonal layers, does not interfere with harmonic. freedom. In the return to ostinato forms, aesthetics played a role. installations of neoclassicism (for example, M. Reger); in many P.’s cases in. – an object of stylization (for example, the conclusion of the ballet “Orpheus” by Stravinsky). In neostinatny P. of century. the traditional tendency to use the technique of the canon can be traced (for example, “Free Variations” No. 140 from Bartok’s “Microcosmos”, the finale of Webern’s symphony op. 21, “Variazioni polifonici” from the piano sonata of Shchedrin, “Hymn” for cello, harp and timpani by Schnittke) . In P. in. the means of a new polyphony are used: variational resources of dodecaphony, polyphony of layers and polyphonic. aleatoric (for example, in the orchestral op. V. Lutoslavsky), sophisticated metrical. and rhythmic. technique (for example, P. v. in Messiaen’s Four Rhythmic Etudes), etc. They are usually combined with traditional polyphonic. tricks; typical is the use of traditional means in their most complex forms (see, for example, contrapuntal constructions in the 2nd movement of Shchedrin’s sonata). In modern there are many outstanding examples of classical music in music; an appeal to the experience of Bach and Beethoven opens the way to art of high philosophical significance (the work of P. Hindemith, D. D. Shostakovich). Thus, in the finale of Shostakovich’s late (op. 134) violin sonata (ostinato double pianos, where counterpoint in gis-moll has the meaning of a side part), Beethoven’s tradition is felt in the system of deep muses. thoughts, in the sequence of adding the whole; this is a product. – one of the evidence of the possibilities of modern. P.’s forms.

References: Protopopov Vl., The history of polyphony in its most important phenomena. Russian classical and Soviet music, M., 1962; his, History of polyphony in its most important phenomena. Western European classics of the XVIII-XIX centuries, M., 1965; his, Variational processes in musical form, M., 1967; Asafiev B., Musical form as a process, M., 1930, the same, book. 2, M., 1947, (both parts) L., 1963, L., 1971; Skrebkov S., Artistic principles of musical styles, M., 1973; Zuckerman V., Analysis of musical works. Variation form, M., 1974.

V. P. Frayonov