D. Akhmetbekova

Kazakh Mass Song by E. G. Brusilovsky

The article gives an overview of the mass songs by E. Brusilovsky, who is one of the founders of Kazakhstan’s modern professional music. The author analyzes the song heritage by the composer in the context of the events of his life, defines the features of his vocal works in the aspect of traditional and the innovative components being manifested in the genre of popular Kazakh songs. It is considered as a musical genre formed in modern Kazakh culture, and its genesis, history and typology are of scientific interest. The author divides songs by E. Brusilovsky into lyrical and heroic ones, giving examples from his works of various years. The problematic issue is the question of stylistic and genre peculiarities of the songs that belong to the war and postwar periods. According to the author, the best achievements by the composer include songs of lyrical nature, combining lyrical-epic and lyrical-love songs. The works by Russian researchers on the Soviet mass song are used as the methodological basis for the classification of the songs. The breadth of the thematic fields of E. Brusilovsky’s songs is noticeable, as well as composer’s priorities in the selection of figurative areas of vocal compositions. Dominant artistic images are those associated with glorification of the Motherland, heroic labor, development of virgin lands, victory in the war, etc. The author defines the general nature of the songs to be bright and romantic. Since the composer prefers high poetry while choosing texts, the author focuses on some E. Brusilovsky’s methods to work with the lyrics. Among the poets whose poems made the poetry basis of mass songs, there are mentioned such names as: A. Tazhibayeva, K. Amanzholova, N. Shakenova, I. Esenberlina, K. Bekhozhin, A. Sarsenbayev, and others. The author believes that all mass song by E. Brusilovsky demonstrate an organic assimilation of the elements of musical folklore. Among the main characteristics of the composer’s mass songs there are such ones as: homophonic-harmonic musical texture, couplet form, diatonic harmony as the basis, and mainly variant-sequent type of melodic development. The description of the choruses points out the narrative, declamatory style of melody, elements of recitative songs such as terme, galderma and tolgau (cogitation), and a flexible rhythmic pattern.

Key words

E. Brusilovsky, mass song, Kazakh song, terme, tolgau, lyrical song.

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