N. Beketova

Rachmaninov’s Oeuvre in the Light of the Tradition of Russian Historiosophy

The author examines Rachmaninov`s oeuvre in the light of the Russian historiosophical tradition, which is turned to the knowledge of the laws of history, measured by correspondence (or inconsistency) with the value system of Orthodox culture. Since the time of the Russian chronicles, this trend has developed in Russian literary and artistic practice, historically confirming the loyalty of the prophetic insights of Russian thought at the beginning of the twentieth century, constantly turning to the problem of the national and historical memory of Russia. The author thinks that the problem of Memory as a problem of national identity helps to reveal important regularities of the processes of formation and development of the Russian musical art of the 19th-20th centuries. Having appeared at this turn of the centuries, Rachmaninov’s work concentrated the main principles and directions of domestic musical discoveries in an unprecedented capacity of the musical concept of national Memory, which determines the main mission of Rachmaninov’s music, which is so much in demand today. The discoveries of the geniuses of the nineteenth century are enriched in it by the modern sound of historical prophetic insights along the line of Rachmaninov-Shostakovich, with its characteristic symbolic phenomenon of volunteering – the romantic heritage socially transcended by the 20th century. The symptomatic parallel of Rachmaninov-Mussorgsky presents to our modern time a unique musical revelation: the Russian existential tragedy of national selfconsciousness. Using the mythological and symbolic approach, the author denotes the logic of the historiosophical concept of Memory, which has developed in the landmark work of Rachmaninov.

Key words

Russian national self-consciousness, historical memory, prophecy, existential tragedy, landmark genius.

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