K. Zhabinsky

Metamorphoses of «L’homme armé»: mass «The Armed Man» by K. Jenkins in the historical-cultural context of the XX–XXIst centuries

One of remarkable instances of contemporary ecclesiastical music of the West gravitating towards a new perception of traditions and reflections upon actual problems of our days is examined in the article. Mass «The Armed Man» by K. Jenkins that was composing on the boundary of the third millennium is characterized an active denial of all militarist displays. Hence conventional interpretation of the famous chanson «L’homme armé» (the XVth century) as symbol of the «spiritually arming» Christian civilization is re-comprehended in this work. The author of the article elucidates the Evangelical sources of the mentioned conception, its parallels with creative work by B. Britten («War Requiem») and P. M. Davis («Missa super L’homme armé»), peculiarities of the influence upon grouping of the verbal texts, dramaturgical and composition processes in cyclic vocal-orchestral work.

Key words

K. Jenkins, mass «The Armed Man», B. Britten, P. M. Davis, «popular tendency» in ecclesiastical music, «tradition of L’homme armé».

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