Ru
EnE. Andrushchenko
“Rock opera tendency” in the polystylistic artistic space of the opera “Master and Margarita” by S. Slonimsky
The article characterizes the chamber opera “Master and Margarita” – a musical and theatrical opus to be composed by S. Slonimsky during 1970–1972. This opera based on the novel by M. Bulgakov is representing a pronounced poly-stylistic artistic concept. One of its components is rock style, the priority of which can be seen in the scene of Judas’s seduction. This scene, ending with an episode of murder, summarizes the 2nd part of the opera and in a peculiar way precedes the beginning of the 3rd (“Great Ball at Satan’s”). Some musicological works devoted to opera draw a hypothetical parallel between “Master and Margarita” by S. Slonimsky and a slightly earlier work, the rock opera “Jesus Christ Superstar” by A. Lloyd-Webber (1970). This parallel can be considered quite justified, since discussions of the Leningrad musical society about “Superstar” actually preceded the concert premiere of “Bulgakov’s” opera, and the author of the latter did not subsequently deny his acquaintance with “Gospel in Rock Style”. The researcher identifies features of stylistic kinship between the mentioned scene of seduction and the episode “Everything’s Alright” from the rock opera by A. Lloyd-Webber, and fixes the figurative and semantic similarity of the correlated fragments. Very indicative artistic prospects for this “experiment” in the field of academic musical culture are outlined. On the one hand, it refers to a series of works composed by S. Slonimsky throughout the 1970s (primarily the “Exotic Suite” and the Guitar Concerto); on the other hand, the creative searches for the “third direction” in Soviet music of the last quarter of the 20th century, directly inspired by A. Lloyd-Webber’s “Superstar” and implemented in various genres of Russian musical theatre (opera, musical, rock opera, etc.).
Key words
S. Slonimsky, opera “Master and Margarita”, polystylistics, rock opera, “Jesus Christ Superstar” by A. Lloyd-Webber.
For citation
Andrushchenko E. “Rock opera tendency” in the polystylistic artistic space of the opera “Master and Margarita” by S. Slonimsky // South-Russian Musical Anthology. 2024. No. 1. Pp. 77-82.
