O. Kubkina

History and Myth in “The Capulets and the Montagues” by V. Bellini

For the first time in musicology Bellini`s Opera “The Capulets and the Montagues” is considered in the article from the point of view of the interrelation of historical and mythological aspects. The author notes that the spatial-temporal organization is distinguished by multidimensionality and polychronicity, and the temporal coordinates combine the events of the 13th century with the times of the Italian novels of the 14th – 15th centuries and Shakespeare`s tragedy (late 16th century). The historical conflict between the parties of Guelphs and Gibbelins in the mass scenes of the Capulets and Romeo is relevant for Italy of the 19th century Risorgimento era and is projected onto the psychological conflicts of Juliet, Tebaldo. Spatial organization is represented by the symbolism of the circle, the multi-layered symbolism of the castle, the plastic image-symbol of the staircase, combining the past – the level of the afterlife, the present – the level of the earthly world and the future – entering the sphere of the heavenly kingdom. The philosophical conflict of Chaos and Cosmos is reflected in the musical-thematic process in the confrontation of the sphere of Fate and feud, the sphere of sorrow and the infernal, ideal sphere of harmony. The presence of the concept of religious and philosophical tragedy with the zone of Enlightenment at the end of the work is revealed.

Key words

opera, myth, symbol, history, simultaneity, synthesis, concept.

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