“I admire the beauty of this plasticity: the impression is that the voice, like a sculptor’s hand, sculpts sound-tangible forms...” (B. Asafiev, “Glinka”)

“I want the sound to directly express the word. I want the truth” (A. Dargomyzhsky)

Both Glinka and Dargomyzhsky turned to the romance genre throughout their entire creative careers. The romances concentrate the main themes and images characteristic of these composers; In them, old types of the romance genre were strengthened and new types emerged.

At the time of Glinka and Dargomyzhsky in the 1st half of the 19th century, there were several types of romance: these were “Russian songs”, urban everyday romances, elegies, ballads, drinking songs, barcarolles, serenades, as well as mixed types that combined various features.

The most significant stages in the development of romance are associated with the work of Glinka and Dargomyzhsky. Glinka’s work laid the foundations of romance lyrics and revealed a variety of genre varieties. Dargomyzhsky enriched the romance with new colors, closely combining words and music, and continued Glinka’s ideas. Each composer in his own way captured the spirit of the time and era in his works. These traditions were continued by other Russian classics: Balakirev, Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky (the path from Glinka), Mussorgsky (the path from Dargomyzhsky).

Romances in the works of M.I. Glinka

Glinka's romances continue the development of the genre and enrich it with new features and genre varieties. Glinka’s work began precisely with romances, in which his compositional appearance was gradually revealed.

Subject and musical content early romances differs from the romances of Glinka’s mature period of creativity. Also, throughout the composer’s creative path, the range of poetic sources also changes. If at first Glinka gives preference to the poems of Baratynsky, Delvig, Batyushkov, Zhukovsky, then later the beautiful poetry of A.S. Pushkin inspires him to create the best examples of the genre. There are romances based on poetry little-known poets: Kozlov, Rimsky-Korsak, Pavlov. Quite often in his mature period, Glinka turns to the texts of Kukolnik (“Farewell to Petersburg,” “Doubt,” “A Passing Song”). Despite the varied quality and weight of poetic lines, Glinka is able to “wash even a minor text with beautiful music” (Asafiev).

Glinka pays special attention to the poetry of Pushkin; his music accurately reflects the subtleties of the poetic touch of the great Russian poet. Glinka was not only his contemporary, but also a follower, and developed his ideas in music. Therefore, when mentioning a composer, they often also talk about a poet; they laid the foundation for “that one powerful stream that carries the precious burden national culture"(Block).

The music of Glinka's romances is dominated by the poetic image of the text. Facilities musical expressiveness both in the vocal melody and in the piano part are aimed at creating a holistic, generalized image or mood. Also promotes integrity and completeness musical form, chosen by Glinka depending on the figurative structure or simply on the features of the text. The largest number of romances are written in verse-variation form - this is “Lark” in the genre of a Russian song based on the text of Kukolnik, as well as romances early period creativity (elegy “Do not tempt”, “Autumn Night”, etc.). The 3-part form is quite common - in romances based on Pushkin’s poems (“I remember wonderful moment", "I'm here, Inesilla"), and a complex end-to-end form with signs of tripartiteness, and a rondo form. Characteristic feature Glinka's form is rigor, symmetry and completeness of construction.

The vocal melody of the romances is so melodious that it also influences the accompaniment. But sometimes Glinka uses the cantilena in juxtaposition with a recitative style (“I remember a wonderful moment,” middle part). Speaking about the melody of the voice, one cannot fail to mention Glinka’s vocal education: “Initiated into all the mysteries of Italian singing and German harmony, the composer deeply penetrated the character of Russian melody!” (V. Odoevsky).

The piano part of romances can deepen the content of the text, highlighting its individual stages (“I remember a wonderful moment”), concentrates the main dramatic emotion (“Don’t say that your heart hurts”), or performs visual functions: creates landscape characteristics, Spanish flavor (“Night marshmallows”, “The blue ones fell asleep”, “Knight’s romance”, “Oh my wonderful maiden”). Sometimes the piano part reveals the main idea of ​​the romance - this occurs in romances with a piano introduction or frame (“I remember a wonderful moment”, “Tell me why”, “Night view”, “Doubt”, “Do not tempt”).

In Glinka’s work, new types of romances are formed: romances with Spanish themes, popular in Russia, acquire the bright, national-coloristic features of Spanish genres. Glinka turns to dance genres and introduces new type romance - in dance rhythms (waltz, mazurka, etc.); also turns to oriental themes, which will subsequently find continuation in the work of Dargomyzhsky and composers “ Mighty bunch».

Romances in the works of A.S. Dargomyzhsky

Dargomyzhsky became a follower of Glinka, but his creative path was different. This depended on the time frame of his work: while Glinka worked in the era of Pushkin, Dargomyzhsky created his works about ten years later, being a contemporary of Lermontov and Gogol.

The origins of his romances go back to everyday urban and folk music that time; Dargomyzhsky's romance genre has a different orientation.

Dargomyzhsky's circle of poets is quite wide, but the poetry of Pushkin and Lermontov occupies a special place in it. The interpretation of Pushkin's texts is given by Dargomyzhsky in a different aspect than that of Glinka. Characteristics, showing the details of the text (unlike Glinka) and creating diverse images, even entire galleries of musical portraits, become defining in his music.

Dargomyzhsky turns to the poetry of Delvig, Koltsov, Kurochkin (translations from Beranger) (most of the romances), Zhadovskaya, and folk texts (for the veracity of the image). Among the types of romance in Dargomyzhsky are Russian songs, ballads, fantasies, monologues-portraits of different nature, new genre oriental romance.

A distinctive feature of Dargomyzhsky’s music is its appeal to speech intonation, which is very important for showing the hero’s various experiences. The nature of vocal melody, which is different from Glinka’s, is also rooted here. It is composed of different motives that convey the intonations of speech, its features and shades (“I’m sad”, “I still love him” - tritone intonations).

The form of romances of the early period of creativity is often verse-variation (which is traditional). Characteristic is the use of rondo (“Wedding” to the words of Timofeev), a two-part form (“Young Man and Maiden”, “Titular Advisor”), a form of through development (the ballad “Paladin” to the text of Zhukovsky), a couplet form with features of a rondo (“Old Corporal” ). Dargomyzhsky is characterized by a violation of the usual forms (“Crazy, without reason” - a violation of the verse-variation). Romance-scenes at first glance have a simple form, but the content and richness of the text change the perception of the form (“Melnik”, “Titular Advisor”). The form of “The Old Corporal,” for all its verse, is dramatized from within thanks to the text, since the semantic load is very important, a tragic core clearly emerges in it, this is a new understanding of the form based on continuous development.

Dargomyzhsky’s piano part in most cases occurs in the form of a “guitar” accompaniment (“I’m sad,” “We parted proudly,” “I still love him,” etc.), serving as a general background. Sometimes she follows the vocal melody by repeating the chorus ("Old Corporal", "Worm"). There are also piano introductions and conclusions, their meaning is often the same as in Glinka’s romances. Dargomyzhsky also uses sound visualization techniques, which enliven the monologue scenes: the march of soldiers and the shot in “The Old Corporal”, portraits in “Titular Councilor”, etc.

The themes of Dargomyzhsky's romances are varied, and the characters are also different. These include petty officials and people of ignoble origin. For the first time in Dargomyzhsky’s work, the theme of a woman’s lot, an unhappy fate appears (“Fever”, “I Still Love Him”, “We Parted Proudly”, “Crazy, Without Reason”). There are also oriental romances that continue Glinka’s “Ratmirov” theme (“Oriental Romance” based on the text of “The Greek Woman”).

Dargomyzhsky

1813 - 1869

A.S. Dargomyzhsky was born on February 14, 1813. His father graduated from the University Noble Boarding School in Moscow. Family tradition preserved romantic story his marriage to Maria Borisovna, who came from the family of the Kozlovsky princes. According to contemporaries, the young man “did not marry like other people, but kidnapped the bride because Prince Kozlovsky did not want to marry his daughter to a small postal official. Namely, it was the postal department that gave him the opportunity to gallop away from his pursuers on post horses, without a travel one.”

Sergei Nikolaevich was a capable and hardworking person, and therefore quickly received the rank of collegiate secretary and an order, as well as an invitation to work in St. Petersburg, where the family moved in 1817.

Parents wanted to give their children a good education, invited the best teachers. Sasha learned to play the piano and violin, tried to compose, and took singing lessons. In addition to music, he studied history, literature, poetry, and foreign languages. At the age of 14, the boy was assigned to the civil service, although his salary began to be paid two years later.

In St. Petersburg, young Dargomyzhsky was considered a strong pianist. He often visited the music salons of his friends. Here the circle of his acquaintances was very wide: Vyazemsky, Zhukovsky, the Turgenev brothers, Lev Pushkin, Odoevsky, the widow of the historian Karamzin.

In 1834, Dargomyzhsky met Glinka. As Mikhail Ivanovich recalled in his “Notes,” a friend brought to him “a little man in a blue frock coat and a red vest, who spoke in a squeaky soprano. When he sat down at the piano, it turned out that this little man was a lively piano player, and later a very talented composer- Alexander Sergeevich Dargomyzhsky.”

Communication with Glinka left a huge mark on the life of Alexander Sergeevich. Glinka turned out to be not only a friend for him, but also a generous teacher. Dargomyzhsky was unable to go abroad to continue his education. And Glinka gave him notebooks with his studies on counterpoint with Siegfried Dan. He studied Dargomyzhsky and the score of “Ivan Susanin”.

The composer's first work in the field of musical theater was the large romantic opera "Esmeralda" based on the novel "Notre Dame de Paris" by V. Hugo. Although Dargomyzhsky gave the finished score to the directorate of the imperial theaters in 1842, the opera saw the light of day in Moscow only five years later. The opera was not staged for long. Interest in it was soon lost, and the composer himself later treated the opera critically.

In the 1930s, Dargomyzhsky's fame as a vocal teacher and composer increased. Three collections of his romances were published, among which “Night Zephyr”, “I Loved You” and “Sixteen Years” were especially loved by listeners.

In addition, Dargomyzhsky turned out to be the creator of secular choral singing a cappella. For the entertainment beloved by St. Petersburg residents - “music on the water” - Dargomyzhsky wrote thirteen vocal trios. When published, they were called “St. Petersburg Serenades.”

In 1844, the composer traveled abroad for the first time. His path lay in Berlin, then Brussels, and the final goal was Paris - the musical capital of Europe. European impressions left a bright mark on the composer’s soul. In 1853, a gala concert of his works was held to coincide with the composer’s fortieth birthday. At the end of the concert, all his students and friends gathered on the stage and presented Alexander Sergeevich with a silver conductor’s baton inlaid with emeralds with the names of admirers of his talent. And in 1855 the opera “Rusalka” was completed. Its premiere received good feedback, gradually the opera won the sincere sympathy and love of the public.

In 1860, A. S. Dargomyzhsky was elected an honorary member of the Russian Musical Society. At the same time, he began to collaborate with the magazine Iskra, whose creators opposed Italian dominance in musical theaters and admiration for everything Western. These ideas were embodied in the best romances of that time - the dramatic romance “The Old Corporal” and the satirical “Titular Councilor”.

They say that...

Already in the first years of his creativity, Dargomyzhsky showed a penchant for creating satirical works. The composer inherited his sarcastic nature from his father, who instilled in his children a love of humor. It is known that their father even paid them twenty kopecks for each successful joke!

The mid-60s were a difficult time for the composer. His father, to whom Alexander Sergeevich was very attached, died. The composer did not have his own family; all his economic and financial affairs were managed by his father. In addition, Dargomyzhsky had a hard time with the cold attitude towards his work from the musical community. “I'm not mistaken. My artistic position in St. Petersburg is unenviable. Most of our music lovers and newspaper scribblers do not recognize me as an inspiration. Their routine gaze searches for melodies that are flattering to the ear, which I do not pursue. I don't mean to reduce music to fun for them. I want the sound to directly express the word. I want the truth. They don’t know how to understand this,” wrote the composer.

In 1864, Dargomyzhsky again visited abroad. He visited Warsaw and Leipzig. A concert of his works was successfully held in Brussels. Then, after visiting Paris, he returned to St. Petersburg.

In the spring of 1867, the composer took up the post of chairman of the St. Petersburg branch of the Russian musical society. In this post, he did a lot to strengthen Russian music. In particular, he appointed M. Balakirev as conductor symphony concerts RMO. Members of the “Mighty Handful” gathered around Dargomyzhsky. Representatives of different generations of Russian musicians especially became friends during Dargomyzhsky’s work on a new opera based on the tragedy of A.S. Pushkin "The Stone Guest". This opera is a unique example in the history of music. The libretto for it was a literary work - Pushkin’s little tragedy, in which the composer did not change a single word. Suffering from a serious heart disease, Dargomyzhsky was in a hurry to work on the opera. In the last period he was bedridden, but continued to write, hurrying, suffering from excruciating pain. And yet he did not have time to completely complete the work.

Early in the morning of January 6, 1869, the “great teacher of musical truth” passed away. The “Mighty Handful” have lost their mentor and friend. IN last way the whole artistic Petersburg saw him off.

At his request, The Stone Guest was completed by Cui and orchestrated by Rimsky-Korsakov. In 1872, members of the “Mighty Handful” achieved the production of the opera on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg.

Listening to music:

Dargomyzhsky A. Opera “Rusalka”: Miller’s Aria, Choir “The Wicker is Braided”, 1 d., Choir “Svatushka”, 2 d.; Orchestral piece "Baba Yaga".

Romances and songs of Dargomyzhsky

Dargomyzhsky's vocal heritage includes more than 100 romances and songs, as well as a huge number of vocal ensembles. The composer turned to this genre throughout his life. It formed the characteristic features of the composer's style and his musical language.

Of course, Glinka's romances had a great influence on Dargomyzhsky. But nevertheless, the basis for the composer was the everyday urban music of his era. He addressed popular genres from a simple “Russian song” to the most complex ballads and fantasies. At the same time, the composer rethought familiar genres, introduced new means into them, and on this basis new genres were born.

At the beginning of his career, Dargomyzhsky wrote works in the spirit everyday romance using the intonations of folk songs. But already at this time works appeared that were among the composer’s best achievements.

Great place The romances of this period feature Pushkin's poetry, which attracted the composer with its depth of content and beauty of images. These poems spoke of sublime and at the same time such understandable and close feelings. Of course, Pushkin’s poetry left its mark on Dargomyzhsky’s style, making it more sublime and noble.

Among Pushkin's romances of this time, it stands out "Night Zephyr" Glinka also has a romance based on this text. But if Glinka’s romance is a poetic picture in which the image of a young Spanish woman is constant, Dargomyzhsky’s “Night Zephyr” is a real scene filled with action. Listening to it, one can imagine a picture of a night landscape, as if cut through by intermittent guitar chords, clearly defined images of a Spanish woman and her gentleman.

The features of Dargomyzhsky’s style appeared even more clearly in the romance "I loved you". For Pushkin, this is not just a love confession. It expresses love, great human friendship, and respect for a woman who was once dearly loved. Dargomyzhsky very subtly conveyed this in music. His romance is like an elegy.

Among Dargomyzhsky’s favorite poets the name of M.Yu. Lermontov. The composer’s lyrical talent was clearly revealed in two monologues based on Lermontov’s poems: "Both boring and sad" And "I'm upset" . These are really monologues. But if in the first of them we hear reflections alone with ourselves, the second is an appeal to our beloved, full of sincere warmth and affection. It sounds pain and anxiety for the fate of a loved one, doomed to suffer because of the callousness and hypocrisy of the world.

Song "Sixteen years" to poems by A. Delvig - bright musical portrait. And here Dargomyzhsky remained true to himself. He somewhat rethought the image of the naive shepherdess created by Delvig. Using the music of a simple waltz, which were very popular at that time in home music-making, he gave the main character of the romance the real features of a modern, simple-minded bourgeois woman. So, we see that already in Dargomyzhsky’s early romances there were character traits his vocal style. First of all, this is the desire to show a wide variety of human characters in romances. In addition, the heroes of his vocal works are shown in motion, in action. The lyrical romances revealed the composer’s desire to look deeply into the soul of the hero and reflect with him on the complex contradictions of life.

Dargomyzhsky's innovation was especially evident in the romances and songs of his mature period.

Dargomyzhsky’s ability to show opposing images within the framework of one romance was clearly demonstrated in his song “Titular Advisor” to the poems of the poet P. Weinberg. This song is a satirical story on behalf of the author, which talks about the unsuccessful love of a modest titular adviser (as one of the lowest ranks was called in Russia) for the general’s daughter, who pushed him away with contempt. How timid and humble the titular adviser is depicted here. And how powerful and decisive the melody is, depicting the general’s daughter. In his romances based on poems by Iskra poets (Weinberg was one of them), Dargomyzhsky showed himself to be a real satirist, denouncing the system that cripples people, makes them unhappy, and encourages them to lose their human dignity for petty and selfish purposes.

Dargomyzhsky’s art of drawing portraits of people with his music reached its peak in the romance “The Old Corporal” to the words of Kurochkin from Beranger. The composer defined the genre of romance as a “dramatic song.” This is both a monologue and dramatic scene simultaneously. Although Bérenger’s poem talks about a French soldier who took part in Napoleon’s campaigns, many Russian soldiers had the same fate. The text of the romance is an appeal from an old soldier to his comrades leading him to execution. How vividly the inner world of this simple, courageous man is revealed in music. He insulted an officer, for which he was sentenced to death penalty. But this was not just an insult, but a response to the insult inflicted on the old soldier. This romance is an angry indictment of a social system that allows human violence against human beings.

Let's summarize. What new did Dargomyzhsky contribute to the development of chamber vocal music?

Firstly, we should note the emergence of new genres in his vocal work and the filling of traditional genres with new content. Among his romances there are lyrical, dramatic, humorous and satirical monologues - portraits, musical scenes, everyday sketches, dialogues.

Secondly, in his vocal compositions Dargomyzhsky relied on the intonations of human speech, and very diverse speech, allowing him to create contrasting images within one romance.

Thirdly, the composer in his romances does not simply depict phenomena of reality. He analyzes it deeply and reveals its contradictory sides. Therefore, Dargomyzhsky’s romances turn into serious philosophical monologues and reflections.

Another important feature of Dargomyzhsky’s vocal creativity was his attitude to poetic text. If Glinka in his romances sought to convey the general mood of the poem through a broad song melody, then Dargomyzhsky sought to follow the subtlest shades of human speech, giving the melody a free declamatory character. In his romances, the composer followed his main principle: “I want the sound to directly express the word.”

Listening to music:

A. Dargomyzhsky “I loved you”, “I’m sad”, “Night marshmallow”, “I have passed 16 years”, “Old Corporal”, “Titular Councilor”.

Related information.

Dargomyzhsky worked on the genres of chamber vocal music throughout his entire career. musical life. He created over a hundred romances and songs, as well as a large number of vocal ensembles.

If Glinka’s chamber vocal work, in general, is distinguished by its unity of style (that’s why they said and wrote down the features of the style). There is diversity in Dargomyzhsky’s work. creative experiences, even some stylistic diversity. This can be explained by the fact that Dargomyzhsky’s work occurred at a time when new views on the role of art in society were being formed. Dargomyzhsky’s best works were written in the 40s – 60s of the 19th century. It was at this time that the principles of so-called critical realism in art, especially in literature, were formed. The impetus for this was the release of Gogol’s “Dead Souls”. Belinsky called this new work by Gogol “a purely Russian, national creation... mercilessly pulling back the veil from reality...; a creation immensely artistic in concept and execution, in character characters and details of Russian life, and at the same time deep in thought, social, public and historical...” These realistic foundations of creativity were also developed in the works of Nekrasov, Herzen, Turgenev, and Grigorovich. The artist Fedotov was also close to these principles.

These realistic aspirations were reflected in Glinka’s work - his last romances. However, Dargomyzhsky was a conscious and convinced exponent of these ideas. In a letter to his student Karmalina, the composer expressed the basic principle of his work - “I do not intend to reduce ... music to fun. I want the sound to directly express the word, I want the truth.”

However, Dargomyzhsky did not immediately come to new themes, a new musical language. His chamber vocal work developed; several stages can be distinguished in it: 1. these are simple salon songs of the early and mid-30s; 2. gradual formation of style - late 30s and early 40s; 3. The second half of the 40s - the originality of creativity is fully revealed - in the disclosure of “reduced reality”, social injustice, psychologism; This period is associated with the formation of new means of expression, new genres. Last years(50s to mid-60s) - the last stage in which the social-critical principle, a response to the ideological and artistic trends of the 60s, is clearly manifested. Covers a variety of topics and genres.

Throughout Dargomyzhsky’s entire creative career, several figurative and stylistic lines develop in his vocal music. It is interesting to see the evolution of the development of the composer’s creativity using the example of each of them.

Lyrical romances. This line originates in miniatures of the first period (30s - 40s). They are characterized by a serene mood, a flexible melody, and a harmonious composition. Close in style to Glinka's romances. It seems that Glinka was directly inspired by the passionate romance-confession "I'm in love, beauty maiden" to the words of N. Yazykov. The main theme is close to the melodic pattern “I remember a wonderful moment” - the singing of a hexachord; expressive and graceful chromaticisms in the cadences of phrases and constructions, already embedded in the fabric of the opening two-beat, sound like Glinka. But the syncopated rhythm in the vocal part conveys speech choked with excitement; it is a characteristic feature of Dargomyzhsky’s melody, based on a connection with expressive live speech.

A young man and a maiden. Poem Pushkin belongs to the number of “plastic” poems in the ancient genre. It poetic means recreates a visual “sculptural” image. There is action here, but it is only outlined. The poem itself does not evoke an idea of ​​action, but rather of a sculptural group: a sleeping young man leaning on his girlfriend's shoulder. This feeling of staticity in the poem is facilitated by a special antique meter - hexameter (sexameter dactyl).

Dargomyzhsky's music is in full accordance with the plastic nature of the poetic image. It is deliberately static. The form is static, containing no contrasts between parts - two-part. The static quality is also manifested in the melody, which is unusually soft, devoid of pronounced climaxes and rhythmic sharpness (the uniform movement of eighth notes is maintained all the time). The same is true in harmony: throughout the entire romance there is only one short-term deviation from A minor to C major. This deviation occurs at the beginning of the second couplet - “the maiden immediately fell silent.” The features of Pushkin's hexameter are accurately reflected in music. Thus, deviations from the uniformly scanned dactyl, “truncations” in each hemistich of the second and fourth verses in music are marked by a change in meter 6 8 - 3 8.

The desire for continuity and gradual variation in the development of the musical image manifested in this romance is as typical for Dargomyzhsky as the desire for contrasting compositions is for Glinka. IN in this case it fits perfectly poetic image. (V. A. Vasina-Grossman).

I loved you. Pushkin's words. A harbinger of the mature romance style. Deep in content and concise in means. The most remarkable thing about it is the organic combination of a smooth melodic cantilena with speech intonations dissolved in it. Textbook pp. 235-237. He gave the romance the features of an elegy. A noble song melody slowly flows against the background of a calm arpeggiated accompaniment (typical of elegy). The melody of the entire verse represents a single, gradually developing line. Starting from the lowest sound, it gradually captures an increasingly wider range and, before the end of the verse, reaches the highest sound “up to 2”, highlighted by a rhythmic stop and the tenuto designation. harmony. The melody also has a declamatory beginning. A single line grows from a combination of short phrases-chants, different in structure and length. The design of each song is flexible and plastic. The first of them seems to have grown out of speech intonation. Singing phrases are separated from each other by pauses, according to the meaning of the words. The rhythm of the melody is thus distinguished by purely verbal freedom. This gives the music a special depth and restraint.

Taken as a whole, these early lyrical romances by Dargomyzhsky seem to form a “wreath” in honor of Glinka.

At the next stage of creativity (mid-40s), the lyrical line becomes more and more original, individual in style. The composer deepens psychological basis romance, creates a special variety of it - vocal monologue.

Both boring and sad. Words by Lermontov. (read poetry. What about?) Lermontov's poem sounds like a confession of a suffering soul, like a confession of a person tormented by a thirst for happiness, love, friendship, but devastated by fruitless melancholy and who has lost faith in the possibility of finding sympathy from others. Deep sorrow for lost hopes is mixed with contempt for the crowd (soulless, empty and hypocritical dolls) with whom his life passes. The poem is accusatory in nature. What? – the empty life of society, the emptiness in people’s souls. I would like to note precisely in connection with this topic the choice of this poem by Dargomyzhsky.

Let's listen. The main means of expression? - melody. What makes it special is the combination of songfulness and declamation. Declamation is manifested in the fact that Dargomyzhsky strives to emphasize in music the significance and weight of each phrase, sometimes of an individual word. Conveying the unique speech structure of Lermontov's poem, Dargomyzhsky finds extremely expressive musical intonations that directly grow from the intonations of speech. So we find here a growing interrogative intonation - “To love... but who? It’s not worth the trouble for a while”; and comparative intonation, where the semantic opposition is emphasized by the difference in pitch level: “Both joy and torment.” The expressiveness of intonations is aggravated by pauses in the vocal part, subtly conveying the peculiarity of speech addressed to oneself, the peculiarity of “thinking out loud.” At the same time, the flexibility and mobility of the tonal plane create a feeling of unartificial human speech. The emphasis on the expressiveness of individual phrases, and not the melody as a whole, is completely obvious here.

The songfulness is manifested in repeated melodic phrases, close to everyday romance - “In a moment of spiritual adversity”; plastic outlines of the melody; traditional texture of accompaniment from arranged chords.

The form is through. The musical composition is distinguished by its particular fluidity and blurring of the edges of its form. What unites the work into a single whole is the accompaniment - a constant rhythmic movement (triple figures), with smooth modulations and sliding changes of harmonies, even with declamatory intermittency of the vocal line, creates a feeling of fluidity and unity (expressive means of elegy). There is a deformed reprise - “what passions” only vaguely reminds of the main theme. The melody sounds in E flat minor, includes an intonation-pointed course on the sounds UmVII 7 - bitter underlined conclusion (summary) - marcato and accents. Only in the last bars (the second construction in the reprise) does the main melodic pattern return, closing the entire composition of the work: “And life, as you look around with cold attention, is such an empty and stupid joke!”

Alexander Sergeevich Dargomyzhsky was born on February 2, 1813 in a small estate in the Tula province. The future composer's early childhood years were spent on his parents' estate in the Smolensk province. In 1817 the family moved to St. Petersburg. Despite their modest income, the parents gave their children a good home upbringing and education. In addition to general education subjects, children played various musical instruments and learned to sing. In addition, they composed poems and dramatic plays, which they themselves performed in front of the guests.

This cultural family was often visited by well-known writers and musicians of that time, and children took an active part in literary and musical evenings. Young Dargomyzhsky began playing the piano at the age of 6. And at the age of 10-11 I already tried to compose music. But his first creative attempts were suppressed by his teacher.

After 1825, his father’s position began to shake and Dargomyzhsky had to start serving in one of the departments of St. Petersburg. But official duties could not interfere with his main hobby - music. His studies with the outstanding musician F. Schoberlechner date back to this time. Since the early 30s, the young man has been visiting the best literary and art salons in St. Petersburg. And everywhere young Dargomyzhsky is a welcome guest. He plays the violin and piano a lot, participates in various ensembles, and performs his romances, the number of which is rapidly increasing. He is surrounded by interesting people of that time, he is accepted into their circle as an equal.

In 1834, Dargomyzhsky met with Glinka, who was working on his first opera. This acquaintance turned out to be decisive for Dargomyzhsky. If earlier he had not given serious importance to his musical hobbies, now in the person of Glinka he saw a living example of artistic achievement. Before him was a man not only talented, but also dedicated to his work. And the young composer reached out to him with all his soul. He gratefully accepted everything that his senior comrade could give him: his knowledge of composition, notes on music theory. Communication between friends also consisted of playing music together. They lost and dismantled best works musical classics.

In the mid-30s, Dargomyzhsky was already a famous composer, the author of many romances, songs, piano pieces, and the symphonic work “Bolero”. Early romances it is still close to the type of salon lyrics or city songs that existed in the democratic strata of Russian society. Glinka's influence is also noticeable in them. But gradually Dargomyzhsky realizes the increasing need for a different self-expression. He has a special interest in the obvious contrasts of reality, the clash of its various sides. This was most clearly manifested in the romances “Night Marshmallow” and “I Loved You.”

At the end of the 30s, Dargomyzhsky decided to write an opera based on the plot of V. Hugo’s novel “The Cathedral Notre Dame of Paris" Work on the opera lasted 3 years and was completed in 1841. At the same time, the composer composed the cantata “The Triumph of Bacchus” based on Pushkin’s poems, which he soon converted into an opera.

Gradually, Dargomyzhsky became increasingly famous as a major, original musician. In the early 40s, he headed the St. Petersburg Society of Fans of Instrumental and Vocal Music.

In 1844, Alexander Sergeevich went abroad, to major musical centers - Berlin, Brussels, Vienna, Paris. The main goal of the trip was Paris - a recognized center of European culture, where the young composer could satisfy his thirst for new artistic experiences. There he introduces his works to the European public. One of the best works of that time is the lyrical confession “Both Bored and Sad” based on Lermontov’s poems. This romance conveys a deep sad feeling. The trip abroad played a big role in the formation of Dargomyzhsky as an artist and citizen. Upon returning from abroad, Dargomyzhsky conceived the opera “Rusalka”. At the end of the 40s, the composer's work reached its greatest artistic maturity, especially in the field of romance.

At the end of the 50s, great social changes were brewing in Russia. And Dargomyzhsky did not remain aloof from public life, which had a noticeable influence on his work. His art intensifies elements of satire. They appear in the songs: “Worm”, “Old Corporal”, “Titular Councilor”. Their heroes are humiliated and insulted people.

In the mid-60s, the composer undertook a new trip abroad - it brought him great creative satisfaction. There, in European capitals, he heard his works, which were a great success. His music, as critics noted, contained “a lot of originality, great energy of thought, melody, sharp harmony...”. Some concerts, composed entirely of Dargomyzhsky's works, caused real triumph. It was a joy to return to his homeland - now, in his declining years, Dargomyzhsky was recognized by a wide mass of music lovers. These were new, democratic strata of the Russian intelligentsia, whose tastes were determined by their love for everything Russian and national. Interest in the composer's work instilled new hopes in him and awakened new ideas. The best of these plans turned out to be the opera “The Stone Guest”. Written to the text of one of Pushkin’s “little tragedies,” this opera represented an unusually bold creative search. It is all written in recitative, there is not a single aria and only two songs - like islands among recitative monologues and ensembles. Dargomyzhsky did not finish the opera “The Stone Guest”. Anticipating his imminent death, the composer instructed his young friends Ts.A. Cui and N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov to finish it. They completed it and then staged it in 1872, after the composer’s death.

The role of Dargomyzhsky in the history of Russian music is very great. Continuing the establishment of the ideas of nationality and realism in Russian music, begun by Glinka, with his creativity he anticipated the achievement of subsequent generations of Russians. composers of the 19th century century - members of the “Mighty Handful” and P.I. Tchaikovsky.

The main works of A.S. Dargomyzhsky:

Operas:

- "Esmeralda". Opera in four acts to its own libretto based on Victor Hugo's novel Notre-Dame de Paris. Written in 1838-1841. First production: Moscow, Bolshoi Theater, December 5 (17), 1847;

- “The Triumph of Bacchus.” Opera-ballet based on Pushkin's poem of the same name. Written in 1843-1848. First production: Moscow, Bolshoi Theater, January 11 (23), 1867;

- “Mermaid”. Opera in four acts to its own libretto based on Pushkin's unfinished play of the same name. Written in 1848-1855. First production: St. Petersburg, May 4(16), 1856;

- “The Stone Guest.” An opera in three acts based on the text of Pushkin’s “Little Tragedy” of the same name. Written in 1866-1869, completed by C. A. Cui, orchestrated by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov. First production: St. Petersburg, Mariinsky Theater, February 16 (28), 1872;

- “Mazeppa”. Sketches, 1860;

- “Rogdana”. Fragments, 1860-1867.

Works for orchestra:

- “Bolero”. Late 1830s;

- “Baba Yaga” (“From the Volga to Riga”). Completed in 1862, first performed in 1870;

- “Cossack”. Fantasy. 1864;

- “Chukhon fantasy.” Written in 1863-1867, first performed in 1869.

Chamber vocal works:

Songs and romances for one voice and piano to poems by Russian and foreign poets: “Old Corporal” (words by V. Kurochkin), “Paladin” (words by L. Uland translated by V. Zhukovsky), “Worm” (words by P. Beranger in translation by V. Kurochkin), “Titular Advisor” (words by P. Weinberg), “I loved you...” (words by A. S. Pushkin), “I’m sad” (words by M. Yu. Lermontov), ​​“I have passed sixteen years "(words by A. Delvig) and others based on words by Koltsov, Kurochkin, Pushkin, Lermontov and other poets, including two insert romances by Laura from the opera “The Stone Guest”.

Works for piano:

Five plays (1820s): March, Contrance, “Melancholic Waltz”, Waltz, “Cossack”;

- “Brilliant Waltz.” Around 1830;

Variations on a Russian theme. Early 1830s;

- “Esmeralda's Dreams.” Fantasy. 1838;

Two mazurkas. Late 1830s;

Polka. 1844;

Scherzo. 1844;

- “Tobacco Waltz.” 1845;

- "Fierceness and composure." Scherzo. 1847;

Fantasia on themes from Glinka’s opera “A Life for the Tsar” (mid-1850s);

Slavic tarantella (four hands, 1865);

Arrangements of symphonic fragments of the opera “Esmeralda” and others.

Opera "Rusalka"

Characters:

Melnik (bass);

Natasha (soprano);

Prince (tenor);

Princess (mezzo-soprano);

Olga (soprano);

Swat (baritone);

Hunter (baritone);

Lead singer (tenor);

The Little Mermaid (without singing).

History of creation:

The idea for “Rusalka” based on the plot of Pushkin’s poem (1829-1832) arose from Dargomyzhsky in the late 1840s. The first musical sketches date back to 1848. In the spring of 1855 the opera was completed. A year later, on May 4 (16), 1856, the premiere took place in St. Petersburg on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater.

“Rusalka” was staged carelessly, with large bills, which was reflected in the hostile attitude of the theater management towards the new, democratic direction in operatic creativity. He ignored Dargomyzhsky’s opera and the “high society”. Nevertheless, “Rusalka” endured many performances, gaining recognition among the general public. Advanced musical criticism in the person of A. N. Serov and Ts. A. Cui welcomed its appearance. But real recognition came in 1865. When it was resumed on the St. Petersburg stage, the opera met with an enthusiastic reception from a new audience - the democratically minded intelligentsia.

Dargomyzhsky left most of Pushkin's text untouched. They only contributed final scene death of the Prince. Changes also affected the interpretation of images. The composer freed the image of the Prince from the features of hypocrisy that he was endowed with in the literary source. Developed in opera emotional drama Princesses, barely outlined by the poet. The image of the Miller was somewhat ennobled, in which the composer sought to emphasize not only selfishness, but also the power of love for his daughter. Following Pushkin, Dargomyzhsky shows profound changes in Natasha’s character. He consistently displays her feelings: hidden sadness, thoughtfulness, violent joy, vague anxiety, a premonition of impending disaster, mental shock and, finally, protest, anger, the decision to take revenge. An affectionate, loving girl turns into a formidable and vengeful Mermaid.

Characteristics of the opera:

The drama underlying “The Mermaid” was recreated by the composer with great life truth and deep insight into the spiritual world of the characters. Dargomyzhsky shows characters in development, conveys the subtlest shades of experiences. The images of the main characters and their relationships are revealed in intense dialogic scenes. Because of this, ensembles occupy a significant place in opera, along with arias. The events of the opera unfold against a simple and artless everyday background.

The opera opens with a dramatic overture. The music of the main (fast) section conveys the passion, impetuosity, determination of the heroine and, at the same time, her tenderness, femininity, and purity of feelings.

A significant part of the first act consists of extended ensemble scenes. Melnik’s comedic aria “Oh, all of you young girls” is at times warmed by a warm feeling of caring love. Terzetto music vividly conveys Natasha’s joyful excitement and sadness, the Prince’s soft, soothing speech, and the Miller’s grumpy remarks. In the duet of Natasha and the Prince, bright feelings gradually give way to anxiety and growing excitement. The music reaches a high level of drama with Natasha’s words “You’re getting married!” The next episode of the duet is psychologically subtly resolved: short, as if unspoken melodic phrases in the orchestra depict the heroine’s confusion. In the duet of Natasha and Melnik, confusion gives way to bitterness and determination: Natasha’s speech becomes more and more abrupt and agitated. The act ends with a dramatic choral finale.

The second act is colorful everyday scene; Choirs and dances occupy a large place here. The first half of the act has a festive flavor; the second is filled with worry and anxiety. The majestic chorus “As in an upper room, at an honest feast” sounds solemnly and widely. The Princess’s soulful aria “Childhood Friend” is marked with sadness. The aria turns into a bright, joyful duet of the Prince and Princess. Dances follow: “Slavic”, combining light elegance with scope and prowess, and “Gypsy”, agile and temperamental. Natasha’s melancholy song “Over the pebbles, over the yellow sand” is close to peasant lingering songs.

The third act contains two scenes. In the first, the Princess’s aria “Days of Past Pleasures,” creating the image of a lonely, deeply suffering woman, is imbued with sorrow and mental pain.

The opening of the second picture of the Prince’s cavatina, “Involuntarily to these sad shores,” is distinguished by the beauty and plasticity of the melodious melody. The duet of the Prince and the Miller is one of the most dramatic pages of the opera; sadness and prayer, rage and despair, caustic irony and causeless gaiety - in the comparison of these contrasting states it is revealed tragic image Mad Miller.

In the fourth act, fantastic and real scenes alternate. The first scene is preceded by a short, colorfully graphic orchestral introduction. Natasha’s aria “The long-desired hour has come!” sounds majestic and menacing.

The Princess’s aria in the second scene, “For many years already in grave suffering,” is full of ardent, sincere feeling. A charmingly magical tone is given to the melody of the Mermaid’s call “My Prince”. Terzet is imbued with anxiety, a premonition of approaching disaster. In the quartet, the tension reaches its highest limit. The opera ends with the enlightened sound of the melody of the Mermaid's call.

Women's choir "Svatushka" »

In it, the composer very colorfully conveyed the comic-everyday scene of a wedding ceremony. The girls sing a song in which they ridicule the unlucky matchmaker.

Libretto by A. Dargomyzhsky based on the drama by A. Pushkin

Matchmaker, matchmaker, stupid matchmaker;

We were on our way to pick up the bride, we stopped in the garden,

They spilled a barrel of beer and watered all the cabbage.

They bowed to Tyn and prayed to faith;

Is there any faith, show me the path,

Show the bride the path to follow.

Matchmaker, guess what, get to the scrotum

The money is moving in the purse, the red girls are striving,

The money is moving in the purse, the red girls are striving,

Strive, red girls strive, strive, red

girls, strives.

The choir “Svatushka” is of a humorous nature. This wedding song is heard in Act 2.

Genre of the work: comic wedding song accompanied by accompaniment. The “Svatushka” choir is close to folk songs, as there are chants here.

Vladimir - Jul 20th, 2014

Lesson #11. Romances and songs of Dargomyzhsky.

Target: To introduce students to the vocal works of Dargomyzhsky.

Tasks: To cultivate students' interest in the romances and songs of A. S. Dargomyzhsky. Organize the educational process of your work efficiently and achieve your goal at the lowest cost.

Equipment: textbook for middle classes of children's music school M. Shornikova, 3rd year of study.

Teaching methods and techniques: consolidate new material, assign homework.

During the classes.

1. Organizing time.

1. Homework survey:

1. What did M.P. call Dargomyzhsky? Mussorgsky?

2. Name the years of Dargomyzhsky’s life.

3. At what age did the future composer enter the service?

4. In what year did Dargomyzhsky’s meeting with Glinka take place? What role did she play in Dargomyzhsky’s life?

5. Name the composer’s first work in opera genre. When was it written?

6. List the genres that Dargomyzhsky addressed in his work.

7. Which opera by Dargomyzhsky laid the foundation for the genre of Russian psychological drama from folk life?

1. Explanation of new material.

Dargomyzhsky's vocal heritage includes more than a hundred romances and songs, as well as great amount vocal ensembles. This genre, which the composer turned to throughout his life, has become a unique creative laboratory. It formed the characteristic features of the composer's style and his musical language.

Dargomyzhsky was greatly influenced by vocal creativity Glinka. But nevertheless, the basis for the composer was the everyday urban music of his era. In his vocal works he relied on the intonations of the music of the urban lower classes. He turned to popular genres from the simple “Russian song” to the most complex ballads and fantasies.

At the beginning of his career, Dargomyzhsky wrote works in the spirit of everyday romance, using the intonations of folk songs. But already at this time works appeared that were among the composer’s best achievements.

Pushkin's poetry occupies a large place in the romances of this period, attracting the composer with the depth of its content and the beauty of its images. These poems spoke of sublime and at the same time such understandable and close feelings. Of course, Pushkin’s poetry left its mark on Dargomyzhsky’s style, making it more sublime and noble.

Among Pushkin's romances of this time, “Night Zephyr” stands out. Remember, Glinka also has a romance for this text. But if Glinka’s romance is a poetic picture in which the image of a young Spanish woman is static, Dargomyzhsky’s “Night Zephyr” is a real scene filled with action. Listening to it, one can imagine a picture of a night landscape, as if cut through by intermittent guitar chords, clearly defined images of a Spanish woman and her gentleman.

The features of Dargomyzhsky’s style appeared even more clearly in the romance “I Loved You.” For Pushkin, this is not just a love confession. It expresses love, great human friendship, and respect for a woman who was once dearly loved. Dargomyzhsky very subtly conveyed this in music. His romance is like an elegy.

Among Dargomyzhsky’s favorite poets, the name of M. Yu. Lermontov must be mentioned.

The song “Sixteen Years” based on the verses of A. Delvig is a vivid musical portrait. He somewhat rethought the image of a naive girl - a shepherdess, created by Delvig. Using the music of a simple waltz, which were very popular at that time in home music-making, he gave the main character of the romance the real features of a modern, simple-minded bourgeois woman.

Already in Dargomyzhsky’s early romances, the characteristic features of his vocal style appeared. First of all, this is the desire to show a wide variety of human characters in romances. In addition, the heroes of his vocal works are shown in motion, in action. The lyrical romances revealed the composer’s desire to look deeply into the soul of the hero and reflect with him on the complex contradictions of life.

Dargomyzhsky's innovation was especially evident in the romances and songs of his mature period. Although the circle of poets to whom the composer turned at this time is quite wide, Pushkin’s poetry occupies an important place here too. Moreover, Dargomyzhsky turned to that side of the great poet’s legacy that had not been touched upon by composers before.

The song “Melnik” cannot simply be called a romance. This is a real comedy scene from the life of Russian people. It is based on words from Pushkin’s “Scenes from Knightly Times”. Here the author's ability to show such diverse human characters was demonstrated.

Listening to her, the unlucky miller very clearly appears, extremely surprised by the presence of someone else's boots in the house. His lively, grumpy wife, who understands that the best defense is an attack, and reproaches her spree husband.

Dargomyzhsky’s teaching to show contrasting images within the framework of one romance was clearly manifested in his song “Titular Advisor” to the poems of the poet P. Weinberg. This song is a satirical story from the author's perspective. Although it is based on a very laconic text without any descriptions, the composer very figuratively talks about the unsuccessful love of a modest titular adviser (as one of the lowest ranks was called in Russia) for the general’s daughter, who pushed him away with contempt. How timid and humble the titular adviser is depicted here. And how powerful and decisive the melody is, depicting the general’s daughter.

Dargomyzhsky’s art of drawing portraits of people with his music reached its peak in the romance “The Old Corporal” to the words of Kurochkin from Beranger. The composer defined the genre of romance as a “dramatic song.” This is both a monologue and a dramatic scene at the same time. Although Bérenger’s poem talks about a French soldier who took part in Napoleon’s campaigns, many Russian soldiers had the same fate. The text of the romance is an appeal from an old soldier to his comrades leading him to execution. How vividly the inner world of this simple, courageous man is revealed in music. He insulted an officer, for which he was sentenced to death. But this was not just an insult, but a response to the insult inflicted on the old soldier. This romance is an angry accusation social order which allows human violence against human beings.

Let's summarize. What new did Dargomyzhsky contribute to the development of chamber vocal music?

Firstly, we should note the emergence of new genres in his vocal work and the saturation of traditional genres with new content.

Among his romances there are lyrical, dramatic, humorous and satirical monologues - portraits, musical scenes, everyday sketches, and dialogues.

Secondly, in his vocal compositions Dargomyzhsky relied on the intonations of human speech, and very diverse speech, allowing him to create contrasting images within one romance.

Thirdly, the composer in his romances does not simply depict phenomena of reality. He analyzes it deeply and reveals its contradictory sides. Therefore, Dargomyzhsky’s romances turn into serious philosophical monologues and reflections.

Another important feature of Dargomyzhsky’s vocal creativity was his attitude to the poetic. If Glinka in his romances sought to convey the general mood of the poem through a broad song melody, then Dargomyzhsky sought to follow the subtlest shades of human speech, giving the melody a free declamatory character. In his romances, the composer followed his main principle: “I want the sound to directly express the word.”

1. Listening to music fragments: Romances by A. S. Dargomyzhsky: “Night Zephyr”, “I Loved You”, “Miller”, “Old Corporal”.
2. Lesson summary:

1. How many romances did Dargomyzhsky write? What place did this genre occupy in his work?

2. What financial genres did the composer use in his work?

3. Name the names of the poets whose texts Dargomyzhsky wrote.

4. Explain what is special about Dargomyzhsky’s attitude towards poetic text.

5. Formulate the basic principle of Dargomyzhsky’s work.

6. Name the composer’s satirical romances and analyze them.

7. The composer’s best lyrical romances were based on the poems of which poets?

1. D/z:. Shornikova, pp. 107-117.