I. Skvortsova

The genre of symphonic poem in the context of iconography of the art of modern

The article is devoted to the iconography of musical modernism. The concept of iconography is presented in a broader sense, as a substantial layer of any (not only visual) art direction or style, including themes, plots and motifs in art works. Not all kinds of art are able to develop its own iconography. The art of music in this context, being focused on the iconography of the picturesque art of modern, has apprehended and used the most popular plots and motives which are widespread in paintings. Among them are: the motifs of waves, spiral, island, spring, as well as the ideas of growth-motion-aspiration-development, dance-bacchanalia, erotic motifs, fabulous ones, motives of all kinds of fantastic birds, flowers, etc., However, an iconographic sign may be understood as the genre structure of modern art works, that is the type of genre. For example, in architecture it is the type of building of a modern style, including apartment houses, private ones, railway stations, restaurants and banks with extensive decoration. Music iconography borrowed not only popular subjects and motifs, but also the features of the genre structure. Some genres of musical modernism appear as an iconographic sign. As such it is considered the genre of symphonic poem at the turn of the XIX–XX centuries, which is characterized by mystical themes, dark and thickened colors. In this series are: «The Isle of the Dead» by Rachmaninoff, «Garden of Death» and «Flight of the Witches» Vasilenko, «Silence» and «Alastor» by Myaskovsky, etc. The features of modern art are considered within the article with the example of a symphonic poem «Isle of the Dead» by Sergei Rachmaninoff.

Key words

modern style, music modern, iconography, music iconography of modernism, symphonic poem, «The Isle of the Dead» by S. V. Rachmaninoff.

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