Paired female images in the art of opera: before posing the question
Authors: Pei YongTing 
Published: September 2023

Statement of the problem. Paired female images in opera form their own little universe in which they develop and compare. The problem of paired female images in opera art has not yet been sufficiently studied, although it deserves the attention of both musicologists and performers. The relevance of the proposed topic is due to the lack of research specifically devoted to paired female images in opera. It is proposed to consider the female images in the opera «Lohengrin» by R. Wagner in order to identify distinctive features in their musical language and determine the nature of their interaction. Analysis of recent research and publications. Among the modern scientific investigations devoted to the creative personality of R. Wagner are the works of B. Kotyuk (2013), S. Oliynyk (2018), O. Kobzar (2013), L. Gavrylchyk (2015), O. Shapoval (2019), O. Kobzar (2010), I. Yagodzynska (2012). Researchers pay attention to symbolism and mytho-poetic tendencies in the composer’s opera work. Of special interest for our topic are scientific developments devoted to the study of the opera «Lohengrin». In particular, the study of the musical dramaturgy of the work is contained in the article by O. Roschenko (2019). The study of female images in opera is presented in scientific articles by V. Antoniuk (2012), C. Wang (2012), C. Iven (2018). Main objective of the study. The purpose of the study is to determine the nature of the interaction of two female characters – Elsa and Ortrude – in the opera «Lohengrin» by R. Wagner. The scientific novelty. The novelty of the research lies in the fact that for the first time: 1) the relationship of paired female images is investigated as a musicological problem; 2) the semantic elements of the musical language and dramaturgical features of the formation of paired female images are singled out using the example of the opera «Lohengrin» by R. Wagner. Methodology. The following research methods are used: systemic, structuralfunctional, comparative, intonation analysis method. Results. R. Wagner’s opera «Lohengrin» features two female characters – Elsa and Ortrud. Each of them has its own line of development, but at the same time, at the level of the dramatic whole, they form a certain unity. These female images are defined thanks to the dramatic action, the plot; are characterized by intonation-melodic composition, expressive features of rhythm, tempo, mode and harmony. With the help of paired female images, the composer reveals his attitude to the behaviour of people in different circumstances and tries to evoke the same feeling in the listener. For the conditional association of two such characters, the author of the work proposed the term «paired images». A characteristic feature is that, on the one hand, they are built in opposition, and on the other hand, they are closely interconnected. These images are perceived through their ambivalence, contrast and, at the same time, through complementarity. The contrast between the images of Elsa and Ortrud is obvious – it is manifested in the contrast of mental purity, sincerity and cruelty and treachery. The common thing is that both characters, through different female archetypes, reveal the essence of a single multifaceted female nature from different angles. Conclusions. The contrast of the heroines is reflected by the composer at the level of musical language. Elsa, in general, is characterized by cantilena melodies, measured tempos, tessitura and dynamic balance, the predominance of the major scale, i.e. enlightened lyrics prevail. Ortrud, on the contrary, is characterized by melodies of a recitative nature, full of drama, with sharp accents, wide jumps, tessitura and dynamic contrasts, relying on unstable harmonies. During the dramaturgical development, these two spheres penetrate into each other. Thus, in the process of compositional development, two female characters contrast and, at the same time, interact with each other, and at the level of musical embodiment, they are presented as a single dramatic line.