Ru
EnA. Tsuker
Glinka in the twenty-first century musicology
In the twentieth century musicology, M. Glinka is one of the most studied figures. Russian literature about him includes monographs, solid collections of articles, studies, materials, memoirs, detailed commentary on the literary heritage of the composer himself, musical theoretical works, and popular science literature. Glinkiana of the 21st century, naturally, is not so extensive and diverse, and the century has not yet passed its first quarter. But it has its own specifics, its own general theme, a kind of leitmotif. It can be described in one word – de-mythologization. There are serious reasons for the current process of liberation from the mythological patina. The 20th century accumulated many myths about the composer, and some of them began to take shape even earlier, in the 19th century. All of them, one way or another, distort the image of the Russian classic, influence the perception of his music, and not for the better. The author of this article, starting from modern works about the composer, combines the already textbook myths that arose under the influence of various sociocultural factors into a single “catalog”, the purpose of which is to bring the reader closer to the real, non-fictional Glinka. Among such widely circulated myths are the “plots” that have become axiomatic about Glinka as a realist, a progressive anti-monarchist thinker, a populist, about his place in the world musical culture, about the anticipatory impact on the entire domestic symphony... Refusal of far-fetched historical and aesthetic concepts in no way diminishes Glinka’s genius, does not downplay the significance of his legacy, but, on the contrary, highlights the real, genuine merits of his music, not imposed by various kinds of circumstances.
Key words
Glinka, musicology, myth, demythologization, realist, romantic, nationality, world significance, “Life for the Tsar”, “Kamarinskaya”.
For citation
Tsuker A. Glinka in the twenty-first century musicology. In: South-Russian Musical Anthology. 2024. No. 2. Pp. 10–20.
