Ru
EnI. Vorobyov
The Second and the Third symphonies by Gennady Tolstenko: in the search of a new genre model
This article presents research observations on the symphonic work by Don composer Gennady Tolstenko (b. 1959); it characterized in aspect of the author’s individual interpretation of the symphony genre. The Second and Third symphonies offer an innovative approach to reframing the genre model; in doing so, they prominently showcase the fusion of cultural and historical codes, as well as the reflection of ideas about the “universality” of Russian culture. The stylistic diversity outlined in the First (“Lugansk”) symphony acquires distinctive features in Tolstenko’s later symphonic works, only indirectly related to the model of the classical symphonic cycle. The Second (“Nine Meditations”) and Third (“Sarmatians”) symphonies are single-movement compositions based on the principle of strophic variation of the initial thematic complex (quasi-pattern). This principle, on the one hand, creates a concentric form, and on the other, a contrasting composite form (taking into account the stylistic contrast of the sections). At the same time, the secondary dramaturgy (concert-like quality in the Second and pictorial sound imagery in the Third symphonies) allows not only to influence the content and development of the thematic elements but also to unite the composer’s symphonies into a single narrative. Gennady Tolstenko’s three symphonies form a megacycle, in which the First serves as the exposition, the Second as the developmental section, and the Third as the finale. The genre dominants of the symphonies also vary, yet they are equally related to the overall artistic concept (the First symphony is a poem, the Second is a concerto, and the Third is a symphonic tableau). The corresponding content of the megacycle serves as the visible basis for author’s model of the genre. Each movement of the latter is independent and, at the same time, is an element of the overall structure. The unity of the megacycle is also facilitated by the composer’s method of working with thematic material, which is common to all symphonies and relies on the intonation plot (quasi-pattern).
Key words
symphonic work by Gennady Tolstenko, author’s genre model, universality, stylistic diversity, quasi-pattern, megacycle.
For citation
Vorobyov I. The Second and the Third symphonies by Gennady Tolstenko: in the search of a new genre model. In: South-Russian Musical Anthology. 2025. No. 3. Pp. 23–34.
