‘24 Pieces for Piano’ by Mykola Silvansky: Methodological and Performing Principles, Individual and Creative Transformation of the Genre

Abstract

The article is devoted to studying the peculiarities of musical works by M. Silvansky, which were written for children and aimed at their aesthetic and musical development. The article aims to analyse the performance, genre-stylistic, and conceptual aspects of the piano cycle ‘24 Pieces for Piano’ by M. Silvansky. The study’s objectives are to examine the common features of the works of the cycle ‘24 Pieces for Piano’, to describe their imagery and musical characteristics, and to explain the peculiarities of their use in the educational process. The methods of musictextual, genre and hermeneutical analysis were used to achieve the scientific goal. The article proves that the piano cycle ‘24 Pieces for Piano’ by M. Silvansky is one of the iconic works written for older children. The author analyses the classical-romantic features of the plays that constitute their style. The genre content representing the imaginative world of childhood is also studied. It is proved that the cycle covers all tonalities, while folk motifs are used in the works. It is found that an important characteristic of the cycle is its child-centredness. The tempo and technique of performing M. Silvansky’s plays by young musicians are analysed. The article indicates that M. Silvansky paid special attention to creating material aimed at developing the musical abilities of music education students and forming their aesthetic perception and artistic taste. It is noted that the cycle was created considering children’s age capabilities, making it one of the most popular materials in piano pedagogy. It is revealed that the composition considers the specifics of children’s performance, and the pieces contribute to the development of students’ musical thinking. Particular attention is paid to the study of the difficulties that students of music education may face when playing the piano.