Constants and Innovations in the Orchestral Writing of I. Stravinsky’s Ballet “Agon”
Authors: Savchenko G. S. 
Published: May 2021

The aim of this paper is to identify the specifics of orchestral writing in the later works of I. Stravinsky on the example of the ballet “Agon” (1953–1957).

Significance of the topic. From 1953 begins the late (serial) period of I. Stravinsky’s work. Due to stylistic “modulation”, the study of orchestral writing in later works at the intersection of constant principles (multifigure, combinativity and plasticity) and innovations found out by us is relevant.

Research methodology. I. Stravinsky’s late style is studied in various aspects. A topical issue is the composer’s interpretation of serial technique (Glivinsky, 1995; Rogers, 2004; Straus, 1999; Smyth, 2000). N. Kardash (2010) offers a multidisciplinary textological approach in the studying of recent opera and ballet. Renaissance dance forms are studied in “Agon” by M. Richardson (2003). Characteristics of later works are contained in the section of the monograph of M. Druskin (2009). V. Zaderatsky’s monograph (1980) is devoted to the polyphonic thinking of the composer.

Historical, comparative, functional, systematic research methods are used in the work.

Results. I. Stravinsky’s original orchestral writing was formed in his early works (1908–1910). They gradually formed the principles of multifigure, combinativity (Savchenko, 2019; Savchenko, 2020) and plasticity, found out by us, as universal principles of the composer’s orchestral writing.

In the ballet “Agon” the composer applied a serial technique that determines the key role of polyphonic techniques of work with thematic invention, respectively, the dominance of horizontal thinking. At the same time in the creative comprehension and elaboration of techniques of serial technique the composer relies on the methods developed in his works (“formular” thematic invention, motives rotation technique, counterpoint combination of them) (Druskin, 2009, p. 226–227), motive-variant work (Savenko, 2001). Accordingly, ballet acts can be divided into two groups: with horizontal or horizontal/vertical priority in the organization of the orchestral texture.

Where the priority is horizontal, we highlight the following variants of the composition of the orchestral texture: 1) monophony (unison) or splitting of unison 2) texture based on the counterpoint interaction of short lines (sometimes — sound points); 3) on the basis of contrasting polyphony; 4) on the basis of imitation polyphony.

Conclusions. 1) In the orchestral writing of acts with horizontal/vertical priority, the constant principles of multifigure, combinativity and plasticity remain dominant; 2) Where the horizontal is a priority, innovative principles of organization of the orchestral texture prevail; constant principles are revealed covertly or in a modified form; 3) At the level of a ballet composition as a whole, the alternation of different types of organization of the orchestral texture is formed, in which different ideas about time and space are embodied; thoughtful timbre strategy and handling of different types of orchestral texture give rise to the original timbre-texture structure of the work.