Metaphorical Terminology in the Russian Methodology of Holistic Analysis

Abstract

The article substantiates the necessity of preserving in the methodology of musical analysis the achievements of the national analytical school, in particular, the method of holistic analysis of V. A. Tsukkerman, based on the system of metaphorical terms. Their role in revealing the semantic content of music, the concept of the work is emphasized. A term “semantics of farewell”, which refers to the processes emphasizing the function of termination in musical structures, aimed at “explaining the form” and having a rich arsenal of expressive means, is among them. Another important metaphorical term is “the final change” (“change for the last time”), coined by V. A. Tsukkerman in his theory of syntactic structures. An applicability of these metaphorical terms is considered on different scale levels — in the codas (Beethoven, finale of the Piano sonata op. 53, I. Stravinsky, “Agon”), in the finals of the cycles (A. Schnittke, Piano quintet, G. Mahler, “The song of the earth”, F. Karayev, Violin concerto).

Keywords

V. A. Tsukkerman, method of holistic analysis, “semantics of farewell”, “final change”, the principle of “explanation of form”, classical-romantic music, music of the twentieth century