Light of view (on the example of Prelude and Fugue in G-flat major No. 13 from the cycle “24 preludes and fugues” by V. Zaderatsky)

Abstract

The article presents a comprehensive interdisciplinary analysis of the diptych “Prelude and Fugue in G-flat major” No. 13 from the cycle “24 preludes and fugues” by Vsevolod Petrovich Zaderatsky as a separate symbolic page of the composer’s musical mystical-psychological diary. The relevance of the study is due to the need to rethink the creative heritage of artists destroyed or displaced from cultural memory by the totalitarian regime, as well as the need for an in-depth analysis of Ukrainian polyphonic art of the 20th century in the light of modern humanitarian approaches. The aim of the article is to identify the musicological, psychological, cultural and theological meanings of the diptych No. 13, centered around the phenomenon of light, contemplation, inner integrity and spiritual self-preservation of the individual in existentially limiting conditions. The research methodology combines musicological analysis of form, texture, thematism and polyphonic technique with a psychological approach (music as a mechanism for preserving inner freedom), historical and cultural understanding (the context of Soviet-era repressions) and theological and theological reading of the symbolism of numbers, tonalities and musical images. Scientific novelty: for the first time in Ukrainian musicology and international scientific discourse, an attempt was made to conduct a holistic interdisciplinary analysis of Prelude and Fugue No. 13 as a symbolic node of the cycle, where the tonality of G-flat major, the numbers thirteen and seven, the features of rhythmic organization and register space become carriers of deep existential and spiritual meanings. It is proven that the prelude represents the phenomenon of “pure contemplation” and a special model of time as eternity, while the fugue embodies the dynamics of internal movement, splitting and subsequent restoration of the integrity of the “I”. The results of the study show that diptych No. 13 is not only an example of high polyphonic mastery, but also a spiritual and philosophical testimony to the ability of music to transform the experience of suffering into a space of light, hope, and inner freedom. The proposed approach opens up prospects for further interdisciplinary studies of the cycle “24 Preludes and Fugues” as a holistic musical mystical and psychological diary and an important phenomenon of Ukrainian cultural memory of the 20th century.