First Piano Concerto by Ivan Karabyts in terms of the renewal of concertо genre in Ukraine
Authors: Kopeliuk O.O. 
Published: August 2020

Background. The political and cultural movement of the “Sixtiers” in XX century opened wide horizons for Ukrainian composers to search for a new artistic and imaginative sphere, for new means of expressiveness, stylistics, form etc. The aspirations of young Ukrainian composers for concert genre renewal are realized through a rethinking of reality, intellectual and philosophical searching and psychologism in creativity. One of the brightest creative assets of this time is the First Piano Concerto by Ivan Karabyts, the talented Ukrainian composer, the outstanding representative of Ukrainian musical art of the last third of the 20th century. Among the studies of the last five years, and also of all the scientific research of the 21st century, we, unfortunately, cannot find any scientific study devoted to one of the largest conceptual works of the early period of creativity by I. Karabyts, which is the First Piano Concerto, and, therefore, this research can be called a unique one in modern musicology. In 1983, H. Yermakova provided only the general description of the Concerto in her small monograph. The author says about emotional tension and explosiveness that are the main features of the Concerto. The objectives of this article is to identify the model of the First Piano Concerto as a typological structure in terms of the renewal of the concert genre in Ukraine in the 1960s, through the analysis of embodiment of stylistic patterns and intonational dramaturgy of the work. Research methodology is focused on the interrelation of specific ways of analysis: functional, structural, intonational, genre, stylistic. Results. The First Piano Concerto was created by the 23-year-old composer in 1968 and was dedicated to B.Liatoshynskyi, reflecting the Teacher’s professional pedagogical credo. The First Piano Concerto based on emotional and imaginative contrasts and becomes a clear expression of dramaturgy development. The work’s concept carries the traces of experiments used by the young composer, which is reflected on the use of serial writing, cinematic editing (kaleidoscopic change of the thematic material “on the dramatic circles” of the two-part cycle), dissonance harmony. One of the basic principle of thinking is polyphonic development: imitations, canons, counterpoints, fugato, the principle of “countermovements” of voices, chorals are widely used. The two-part Concerto vividly presents the early work of I. Karabyts, highlights his distinctly individual style. The monumental purpose of this cyclical composition and its conceptualism strikes with its depth reflecting the collision of good and evil, sublime and earthly The First Movement exposition represents the main themes alternation, which extends from the theme-epigraph and the main soloist part in the beginning; bridge and its episode of fugato, second theme and closing area are highlighted also. The compositional features analysis of developing part shows the composer’s desire for a certain emotional quality of the thematic material, the main figurative lines are revealed from the very beginning. Each of themes gets the development of its material and its progressive dynamization, which process being often interrupted at its peak. Meaningful is the Coda of the First Movement, which fully implements the idea of “black-and-white palette” of the cluster chords, which can be interpreted as the idea of dualism of the world picture, embodying, for example, in Eastern philosophy as the sacred symbol of “Yin-Yang”. It can be said that the main meaning of the Code is to identify and understand the fundamental model of being, which is constantly changing and complementary. The Interlude, as a link between the first and second movements of the Concerto is fully consistent with the idea of continuation of the process and justifies smooth transition from one state to another. The Finale of the Concerto after the impromptu Interlude perceives as a vivid sketch in folk spirit connected with the traditions of folk genre principles reproduction and emerges as proof of life extension. The texture of the basic material is presented in a toccata manner, due to the alternation of weak and strong micro- and macrobeats in both parts of pianist’s hands. The middle part of the Finale is created in three-part format. The main section sets a certain rhythmic pulse. The introduction of quintuple (5/8) is innovative. The middle section of the middle part represents the choral is bringing us back to medieval music origins. Conclusions. The composer’s style of early I. Karabyts is distinguished by the scale and integrity of the artistic concepts of works that is typical of the entire Ukrainian national school, the use of variant and polyphonic techniques for the development of thematism, the timbre-orchestral and texture diversity. The First Piano Concerto of the composer is endowed with rich thematicism and vivid contrast of images, marked by the activity of the dramatic process based on dialogicity, due to the general philosophical concept of the work – the confrontation of the spiritual and anti-spiritual. Along with the conflict line, the Concerto presents the sphere of contemplatively dreamy, sensual lyrics. The First Movement in the dramaturgy of the cycle reveals the philosophy of life, its deep spirituality in coexistence with the forces of evil that bring destruction, accompanying the hero’s life path from birth to death, with all its collisions and intentions. The Finale is the continuation of being, movement (it represents the toccata material). The composer creates a concertо of a conflict-dramatic type, the dramaturgy of which is realized as an interaction of dramatic, lyrical and epic-dramatic principles. Conceptuality is revealed through the interaction of objective and subjective plans, where genre allusions acquire a certain semantic meaning (the introduction of a waltz and choral episodes, the toccata manner in “perpetuum mobile” image). The impulsive rhythmic development, the richness of harmonious sound, the wide timbre palette of the piano and orchestra make the Concert emotionally intense, romantic. The Concert uses a full register spectrum of pianos and a wide arsenal of its techniques, which allows the soloist to embody his performing abilities and recreate the concept of composer’s concept. The First Concerto embodies the philosophical theme, which is revealed through the procedural model of the endless circle “life-death-life”, continuing the line of the symphonic instrumental concerto, vividly presented in Ukrainian music of the 20 century by B. Liatoshinskyi, with allusions to Baroque genres (toccata, chorale) and with active use of polyphonic methods of development (in particular, the introduction of the episode of fugato).