THE NATIONAL MELODIC IDIOM IN VASYL BARVINSKY’S PIANO WORKS

Abstract

Vasyl Barvinsky’s work stands as one of the most striking examples of Ukrainian national-operatic music from the first half of the 20th century. This article is devoted to a comprehensive study of the composer’s piano legacy through the prism of Ukrainian folk melody. The relevance of this work stems from the need for a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of creative reinterpretation of folklore in V. Barvinsky’s professional compositional practice, as well as the necessity of popularising lesser-known aspects of Ukrainian piano literature. The article examines how the Ukrainian folk song forms the intonational basis of V. Barvinsky’s piano works. An analysis is conducted of various methods of compositional treatment of folk material – from direct quotation to the profound transformation of folk intonations, in which the folk source becomes an organic part of the composer’s musical language. Particular attention is paid to Western Ukrainian musical dialects, specifically the Lemko dialect. The focus is on the artist’s piano works such as: the cycle ‘Six Miniatures on Ukrainian Folk Themes’, ‘Ukrainian Rhapsody’, ‘Suite on Ukrainian Folk Themes’, ‘Miniatures on Lemko Folk Songs’ (in particular ‘Song Without Words’ and ‘Lullaby’), the collection ‘Ukrainian Folk Songs for Piano’, and arrangements of carols and New Year’s songs. This paper explores the specific features of the incorporation of the Lemko musical dialect into piano texture, using the piece ‘Song Without Words’ as an example. In addition to an artistic and stylistic analysis, the paper highlights the pedagogical orientation of V. Barvinsky’s piano works and their significant role in the national-conscious upbringing of young people. The study demonstrates that the composer’s active engagement with folk sources was not accidental, but constituted an integral part of the pan-Ukrainian cultural revival of the first third of the 20th century, which was characteristic of various art forms. The conclusions emphasise that Vasyl Barvinsky’s piano legacy is a significant contribution to the development of the Ukrainian national school of composition, a striking example of the successful synthesis of folk tradition and European professionalism, and a valuable source for contemporary performance and pedagogical practice.