Genre-style priorities for the development of composer’s work for the balalaika in Slobozhanska Ukraine
Authors: Kostohryz S.О. 
Published: June 2019

The article proposes analyze of the balalaika art and technical potential. The complex of texture- and register and timbreand phonic methods of suites performing, which represent the Ukrainian interpretation tradition of the genre, is determined. Instrumentalism principles and impacts in balalaika performance in the composer’s works of the twentieth century are revealed. Texture features of the works for balalaika suite genre are considered, the characteristics on the genesis stage of balalaika are marked: simplifi ed chord texture with narrow range, predominant two and three-voice texture in cantilena, minute passage technique with a small set of traditional rotations. Texture types of musical thematic presentment and the level of virtuosity of the stringed instruments in the sound formation are determined. The object of research is the professional performance on the balalaika. The subject of research is performing on balalaikas of Kharkiv as a component of Ukrainian musical art. In terms of instrumentalism as a type of thinking the method of sound production on the balalaika, dependent by the direct contact of the right hand fi ngers with a string, which is basic, creating countless bar, dynamic and timbral combinations, is revealed. In for balalaika M. Stetsun “With Balalaika in Spain” analyzed genre prototypes of the, that the impacts of the new romantic suite, characterized by a compound of stable (required) and free-variable cycle parts, based on the experience of the other genre forms of music-making, are immediately traced. Attention is paid to the unplugged (where violin takes the leading position), dynamic (where piano owns leading positions) and texture capabilities. Balalaika qualities are analyzed: limitation of natural acoustic properties requires texture mobility and frequent use of the tremolo; dynamic capabilities are also limited, as the result the “step” dynamics development is applied; texture possibilities are largely constrained by the range and technology. The principle of genre and stylistic synthesis, in which song and dance origins of national folklore and shaping structural logic borrowed from the experience of the Ukraine tradition are organically combined, is formulated. Multiple ties with folk traditions, which include: reliance on folklore themes and quotes; development techniques of the song thematic (inner thematic variation, imitation roll, undervoice polyphony, hidden two-voice texture); metro-rhythmic formula, coming from the dance genre; irregular accent, intended to the saturation of images with internal dynamics are revealed in the Concerto for balalaika and orchestra by A. Gaidenko. The use of styling techniques of playing folk music instruments in the balalaika party, which was used for the creation of a bright and deep national painted images typing, is specially emphasized. Overbalance of the lyrical narrative thematic invention, where folk type of the thematic invention makes to rearrange semantic accents in the genre interpretation, is identifi ed in “Variations on the Ukrainian Theme” by Gregory Tsitsalyuk. Improvisation, interpreted by the composer as a fi xed freedom, numerous brilliant colored soloist’s ritornels together with the main themes performing at the piano, broken chords, scale-wise passages – all marked methods indicate a high level of both externally-demonstrative and deep-semantic level of the music content. The arsenal of technical complexity methods of performing (articulation, strokes, complex elements), running on the disclosure of the musical work style; diversity of the texture design of musical thematic invention; genre and semantic specifi city (landscapes, personal experiences, household sketches, dance and song images), which is also connected with the balalaika specifi cs; and the dynamic profi le of musical drama cycle is detected. The idea of the historically formed specifi cs of textured and tonal articulation intoning on the balalaika in its academic status is adopted. Such levels of analysis like detection of existing texture and melodic formulas and connected with it fi ngering and articulation complex; timbre and texture and register variance confi rmed the instrumentalism genre specifi city. Articulation, timbre and texture technological formulas of balalaika performance, in terms of suite genre, which are universal from the point of view of the instrumental thinking specifi city, are found; their role in other genre and stylistic creativity conditions for balalaika are justifi ed. There are identifi ed such outlooks of research as the Concerto for balalaika and orchestra by P. Haydamakа, A. Gaidenko and the creation of a special “dictionary” as a system of typical historically selected texture and genre formulas. Piece, which reveal the balalaika evolution in the musical performing culture, served the basis for research. Current stylistic processes and their transformation in modern concert- and pedagogical practice were depicted in f piece for balalaika by G. Tsitsalyuk, P. Haydamakа, A. Gaidenko like in the mirror. Analyzed examples demonstrate the individual stylistic interpretation of genre, typical for the development of academic instrumentalism in the XX century. It was found, that art of balalaika performing infl uences the instrumental style of composing and keeps a memory of genre of composing and performing art in this sphere (methods of instrumental phonation and timbre- and phonic development).