Ru
EnE. Loban
Actualization of folklore in the Ritual Tale “Kutya” by Larisa Simakovich for soprano and chamber orchestra
This article examines the original methods of interpreting and actualizing folklore elements in the ritual tale Kutya by Larisa Simakovich. It highlights the role of folklore in Belarusian artistic culture and identifies the features of its actualization in national musical-theatrical and choreographic art of the 1990s–2000s. During this period, the folk theater “Gostitsa” was established and led by L. Simakovich, who carried out a number of significant projects. In these productions, which synthesize new plastic systems with elements of Belarusian folklore, L. Simakovich emerges as a universal artist, combining the roles of director, choreographer, and composer. The main theme that attracts the creator of “Kutya” is the national perception of reality and contemporary issues. This theme is realized within genres related to musical theater and involves the use of a wide range of techniques and approaches to working with folklore material. The study of “Kutya” reveals that L. Simakovich actively employs objects and symbols associated with authentic folklore ritual that involves kutya (boiled rice with raisins and honey) as a performative component. The dramaturgy, verbal, and musical structures of the composition are also based on folklore sources, which are artistically reinterpreted to embody an original concept – depicting the unity of the individual and the Universe, the earthly and the otherworldly. The compositional uniqueness of the production is defined by the alternation of colorful orchestral episodes, with the theatricalized solo part serving as the connecting element. The soloist realizes the ritualistic aspect of the work through variant repetitions of borrowed material. The article concludes that folklore plays a significant role in L. Simakovich’s creative work as a primary source of narratives, artistic symbolism, and imagery, as well as musical and choreographic techniques that convey conceptual ideas related to the ideas and issues of our time.
Key words
musical theatre of Belarus, national folklore, folklorism of the late 20th – early 21st century, folk-modern dance, Larisa Simakovich, folk theatre “Gostitsa”.
For citation
Loban E. Actualization of folklore in the Ritual Tale “Kutya” by Larisa Simakovich for soprano and chamber orchestra. In: South-Russian Musical Anthology. 2025. No. 1. Pp. 131–140.
