Postovoitova S. A large polyphonic cycle as a composition and dramatic integrity (based on piano works of ukrainian composers of ХХ — early ХХІ centuries)

The relevance of the chosen thesis topic is related to the need to comprehend the processes of revival of the genre of the large polyphonic cycle in the musical art of ХХ and early ХХІ centuries, where it acquires a high conceptual capacity. Its main direction of development, while preserving the compositional framework and semantic invariant of the structure, is defined as individualisation through innovation, which finds expression in individual author's concepts of cycles. The research is aimed at studying the specifics of the compositional and dramatic integrity of a large polyphonic cycle on the material of piano works by Ukrainian composers of ХХ and early ХХІ centuries, which allows us to maximally cover and comprehend the internal processes of integrity formation at different levels. That is why the concept of a large polyphonic cycle was chosen as the object of the study, and the subject — the compositional and dramatic integrity of the large polyphonic cycle in the works of Ukrainian composers of ХХ and early ХХІ centuries. The purpose of the study is to substantiate the concept of a large polyphonic cycle as a compositional and dramatic integrity in the music of ХХ and early ХХІ centuries. In order to achieve this goal, the following tasks were formulated: to study the degree of research on the polyphonic cycle in historical and theoretical aspects in scientific sources; to consider the processes of forming the prelude, fugue, small and large polyphonic cycles; to propose a definition of a large polyphonic cycle and definitions of concepts and terms related to various aspects of its formation; to determine the parameters of the integrity of a large polyphonic cycle; to substantiate an analytical algorithm that allows tracing the internal processes. The dissertation is the first in Ukrainian musicology to propose the author's concept of a large polyphonic cycle as a compositional and dramatic integrity; an algorithm for analysing the structure of cycles is formed; the significance of the fugue as a conceptual centre of small and large cycles is revealed; the compositional and dramatic processes of forming integrity in a large polyphonic cycle are revealed; the cycles of V. Zaderatsky, A. Karamanov, V. Bibik, I. Pyaskovsky and B. Stronko; the results of the analysis of fugues of all cycles are formalised in schemes. The theoretical concepts of polyphonic thematicism and the process of fugue formation were further developed; the theoretical idea that the theme is the intonational and structural initio of the fugue, which was extrapolated to the material of works of ХХ and early ХХІ centuries; issues of composition, form and drama in contemporary polyphonic music. The definitions of concepts and terms covering the process of forming a large polyphonic cycle are clarified; the issues of forming the genre of a large polyphonic cycle in historical and theoretical aspects are discussed. The material of the study is five large polyphonic piano cycles by Ukrainian composers of ХХ and early ХХІ centuries: «24 Preludes and Fugues» by V. Zaderatsky (1937–1939), «15 Concert Fugues» by A. Karamanov (1964), «34 Preludes and Fugues» by V. Bibik (1973–1978), «Modal Preludes and Fugues in C» by B. Stronko (2003 – ...) and «Two Polyphonic Cycles» by I. Pyaskovsky (published in 2016).