Problems of interpretation in modern piano music (discussing Fifth and Seventh sonatas by V. Bibik).
Background. The actual task of modern musical pedagogy is the education of performers who not only own their craft, but are able to hear and embody the modern in-tonation, whether it is a legacy of past times or the latter-day works. One of the reasons that prevents the education of such a new type of performer in universities is the insuf-ficient attention of pedagogues to the works of the 20th and early 21th centuries, espe-cially to the opuses of Ukrainian authors. The lack of students interest in modern music is often due to their narrow outlook, as well as one-sidedness of their professional and common development. In this case, graduates often demonstrate a weak development of modern hearing, disinterest to the phenomena and processes of current musical life, inability to understand it. A replenishment of existing gaps, that stated in the proposed article, determines the relevanceof the selected topic.The objectivesof this study are the attracting music teachers, their pupils, and con-cert performers attention to heritage of Valentin Bibik (1940 – 2003), the largest Ukrai-nian composer in the second half of the 20th century. During the long years of forming an individual style V. Bibik was in constant contact with the teaching and student audi-ence of the Kharkov Institute of Arts (nowadays Kharkov National Kotlyarevsky Uni-versity of Arts). The author of this article has personal experience, both performing and pedagogical, which demonstrates the usefulness of creative contacts with the composer. It is interesting to note the creative growth of students during their exploring of new and somewhat unusual V. Bibik’s music. The direct contact with the author helped them to understand the composer’s conception and to discover features of his works. If there are no performing traditions, then music can be difficult to decipher. Therefore, the author’s performance is of great importance for the future interpreter. During the conversations with V. Bibik and joint study of his just created works, students may have thought for the first time over the main features of performance and the essence of composing. Perhaps, they understood that composing music and its performance are dialectically interconnected processes. In this context, Fifth and Seventh Piano Sonatas by V. Bibik are considered. A long cooperation of teachers and students-pianists with the composer during his creative development has contributed to their comprehension of artistic com-ponents in author’s works. In his works of various genres, V. Bibik appears primarily a delicate lyrical artist. The musical texture develops like a kind of internal monologue that reflects the course of emotionally colored thought. The composer has a tendency to cogitation. Therefore, his interest for polyphony is natural, both in absolut form (“34 Preludes and Fugues”), and in a more veiled one (Sonatas Nos. 5 & 7). The national background is felt in every work of V. Bibik. The composer’s musical language is a fusion and re-interpretating implementation of folklore (Ukrainian and Russian). A direct citations are extremely rare, and, for example, in the piano composi-tions they are completely absent. V. Bibik is indisputably the patrial artist. It is confirmed by the modal structure of melody, the role of svirel and bell sounds, the passion for polyphony (in particular, for the polyphony with supporting voices). A sonoristic aspect of piano writing, a special understanding of caesuras, the realiza-tion of intonational substance are one of the main objectives of modern music, including V. Bibik. In the Fifth and Seventh sonatas there is no outward showy virtuosity. How-ever, this requires an affluence of touch, a mastery of pedal owning, understanding the various goals of pedaling. The performer should, through performing intonation, reflect a “life” of the musical process. Results.Performing these sonatas requires soulful sincerity and nobility of interpre-tation. Very important is a lot of exquisiteness, sounds skill and thoroughness of the trim. The technique is only a means to convey the inner vision of music. A careful attitude to text opens up a wide range of interpretations for theshape pianist, in that the composer skillfully uses the register and timbre features of the instrument. Phrasing of sonatas is simple, logical and corresponds to the artistic image and intonational order of music. Carefully written out the dynamics, tempo and touches designations. A wide multiplicity of strokes helps to create live musical declamation, performing variance, improvisation. Studying V. Bibik’s Piano sonatas in aspect of performance opens a way for further researches in the field problematic interpretation issues of contemporary musical works.