«The score of emotions» as a component of the interpretative strategy in an ensemble performance
Authors: Obolenska Mariia 
Published: April 2024

Statement of the problem. The article examines the principles of functioning the emotional component in ensemble performance. The ability to feel emotions is a natural property of a person, so discussion on this topic store its urgent. In the music performance process, emotions “materialize” through the articulation, the techniques of which fixe firmly in muscle memory. Since in the field of ensemble performance a necessary condition is the synchronization of the interpretation strategies of the partners, as an auxiliary tool on this path it is proposed to implement a kind of “score of emotions”. It will regulate, thanks to the appropriate text remarks, the general emotional state (thence, the techniques of articulation too) of all performers in certain time periods, which will contribute to the unification of intentions members of the ensemble. Recent research and publications. A number of scientific works were analyzed in the following areas: the specificity of the expression of emotions in musical art (Woody, 2000, 2003, 2010; Juslin, Laukka, 2004; Phelps, 2004; Frantz, 2023); the Geneva Emotional Music Scale and their followers (Zentner, 2008; Lykartsis, 2013; Coutinho, 2017; Che&#322;kowska-Zacharewicz, 2021); the field of acting (Konijn, 2000; Desiatnik, 2020; Yakubovskaya, 2014); the emotional component in ensemble performance (Palamar, 2013; Efremova., 2022); the theory of communication in art (Juslin, 1997; Zlotnyk, 2019; Nikolaievska, 2021). The analyzed works provide convincing results of research experiments related to the manifestation of emotions in music; despite this, the questions of managing the performer’s emotional scale, especially in ensemble music, remains open. Objectives, methods, and novelty of the research. The purpose of the study is to substantiate the concept of “score of emotions” as one of the new tools of the interpretive strategy in the performance of ensemble music. The article is the first attempt to introduce this concept into the rehearsal process of ensemble performers. Based of analyzed studies, a list of special terms was developed, adapted for the performer as a translator of emotional states lied in music. The study uses such methods as thematic analysis of scientific sources, qualitative analysis and generalization of experimental data; performance, interpretive, communicative types of analysis to consider the coordination of the ensemble partners’ actions at the rehearsal process and their communication with listeners; selection and modelling for adapting the results of previous scientific experiments; a systematic method determining the place of the “score of emotions” in the interpretive strategy of a work as a holistic system. Research results and conclusion. Verbalization of emotional nuances in a piece of music gives the performer a certain understanding of how to adjust his own body to interact with the instrument in order to get the necessary coloring of the sound. А list of emotions, that adapted specifically to the needs of the performer, is offered. 1. Tenderness (kindness, softness, dreaminess, love, delicacy, yearning, caressing, seductiveness). 2. Nostalgia (melancholy, sentimentality, emotionality, sensuality).3. Sadness (sorrow, tearfulness, upset, depression, mourning). 4. Transcendence (reverence, mysticism, sense of spirituality, enchantment, inspiration). 5. Tranquility (relaxation, calmness, meditativeness, serenity, reassurance, boredom, indifference). 6. Joy (radiance, triumph, satisfaction, liveliness, excitement, danceability). 7. Energy (exaltation, ardor, heroism, pride, determination, strength, passion, enthusiasm, aggressiveness). 8. Tension (anxiety, excitement, impatience, irritability, nervousness, rebelliousness). 9. Intellectualism (absence of emotions, pure logic). The score of emotions is a sequentially (phrase-by-phrase) written plan for the translation of emotions and emotional states in a musical piece. The pros and cons of introducing the “score of emotions” into practice are presented. Pros: 1. Mastery of the basics of emotional intelligence, which includes the ability to recognize emotions, the ability to manage them, at the right moment to cause the necessary or get rid of a negative emotion, transforming it to one’s advantage. 2. Stage excitement is significantly reduced due to a change in attitude towards the performance process. When thinking about specific emotional tasks, there is no time left to reflect and react emotionally to external stimuli. 3. A higher level of ensemble unity is achieved, which improves the quality of performance. 4. Since emotions in the process of their repeated repetition during the rehearsal stage of work on the piece are well remembered precisely at the physical level, then, having studied the piece qualitatively once, in the future these feelings are firmly preserved for many years. Cons: 1. The need to spend a lot of time getting to know yourself and understanding the structure of emotions. 2. To write an emotional score in each specific piece is a resource-consuming activity, and the human brain tends to view this type of work as additional and optional. 3. A high-quality result in work on a piece using a score of emotions is possible only if all members of the ensemble are involved. The “score of emotions” is not a closed system sufficient for the construction of an interpretive strategy. This is only an auxiliary tool capable of influencing the improvement of the quality of performance. It is obvious that for full-fledged work on the artistic image and its dramaturgy, the score of emotions must be supported by analogies, associations, references, etc.