Ru
EnE. Kiseyeva, E. Korotkiyeva
Interpretation of the opera genre in Kaija Saariaho’s dilogy “Only the Sound Remains”
This article examines the interpretation of the opera genre in Kaia Saariaho’s “Only Sound Remains” dilogy. Noting a number of features atypical for drama in the libretto, the authors discover the influence of traditional Japanese Noh theater principles related to the dramatic structure of the works in the poetic and musical texts. These principles alter the original genre foundation of chamber opera. The principles of drama are disrupted, and its main stages are weakly expressed or even blurred. The article also notes the influence of Buddhist rituals on the operatic genre, elements of which permeate the composition. The works are dominated by slow tempos and static stage situations necessary to convey a meditative and contemplative atmosphere, allusions are created to the offering of gifts and the recitation of prayers. The dramaturgy symbolically depicts the ritual, which involves the summoning of a spirit, interaction with it, and its subsequent exorcism. This allows the operas under study to be perceived as a unified, imagi-nary ritual action aimed at achieving spiritual enlightenment.
As a result of their study, the authors conclude that the techniques of constructing musical dramaturgy and composition, as well as the principles of organizing vocal, choral, and orchestral parts in the “Only Sound Remains” dilogy, are linked to the use of genre fusion, which facilitates the creation of a favorable environment for the recipients to construct the semantic field of the works. The indicated feature becomes relevant in the context of semantic uncertainty, since the identified technique of enucleation of the drama, embedded in the libretto and implying the ut-most laconicism, polysemy and symbolism of the text, as well as the compression of musical and dramatic processes to the micro level, together do not contribute to an unambiguous understand-ing of the embedded meanings.
Key words
contemporary opera, genre synthesis, post-dramatic theater, opera works by Kaija Saariaho, the dilogy “Only Sound Remains”.
For citation
Kiseyeva E., Korotkiyeva E. Interpretation of the opera genre in Kaija Saariaho’s dilogy “Only the Sound Remains”. In: South-Russian Musical Antology. 2025. No. 4. Pp. 132–142.
