NATIONAL DIMENSIONS OF IGOR MARKEVITCH’S CREATIVE PERSONALITY

Abstract

In the proposed article, the figure of outstanding Franco-Italian composer Igor Markevitch is grasped in the context of his national identity. It is noted, that in Ukrainian musicology, despite the Ukrainian origin of the artist, his creativity is poorly studied. Therefore, the goal of this publication is to form an informational thesaurus of the Ukrainian musical culture about the figure of I.Markevitch. For the first time, the materials of I.Markevitch’s memoirs «Etre et avoir ete» in translation from French by the author of this article are used and introduced into the domestic musicological circulation. Through the reflecting of his own creativity, I.Markevitch tries to understand his self more deeply. At the same time, he points to the inseparable connection with his homeland, Ukraine and its people, noting that he is a descendant of some prominent Cossack generals and hetmans. The composer writes with great respect about his ancestors, among whom he singles out the figure of his great-grandfather Mykola Andriyovitch Markevitch, the author of five-volume work «The Story of Little Russia», and emphasizes his deep connection with him. His memoirs demonstrate genetic family ties, which are a kind of cultural mix of Ukrainian, French, Russian, Swedish and German cultures. At the same time, preference is given to the Ukrainian national code. It is emphasized, that having formed as a personality and a professional in a multicultural Western European environment (Switzerland, France, Italy) I.Markevitch maintained clode creative contacts with people who were connected with Ukraine, in particular with I.Stravinsky, S.Lifar and V.Nizhynsky. It is noted that (as a composer and conductor) I.Markevitch is considered one of the brightest figures of French musical culture of the twentieth century, and his students were such extraordinary personalities as Pierre Boulez and Daniel Barenboim.