Performing aspects of V. Gavrilin’s “Russian Notebook”: dramaturgy, theatricalization, peasant song, folklore genres

The article is devoted to one of the most important Russian chamber vocal cycles of the second half of the twentieth century – “Russian Notebook” by V. Gavrilin. Its appearance in 1965 made a strong impression on both the musical community and listeners. Everything about her was unusual, fresh, sincere. The stylistic unity of the “Russian Notebook” is due to its reliance on folk sources – literary texts and musical material. Gavrilin interpreted folk music in a deeply personal way, refracted it through the prism of a powerful spiritual and moral concept, outlined new directions for its research and comprehension, and proposed multi-valued interpretations and unexpected syntheses. “Russian Notebook” became the most important component of the significant artistic movement “new folk wave” that appeared in Russian music at the turn of the 1960s. Its brightest representatives were the “sixties” composers R. Shchedrin, E. Denisov, B. Tishchenko, S. Slonimsky. The main conclusion of the study is the idea that V. Gavrilin’s “Russian Notebook” is a genuine encyclopedia of folk genres. The composer penetrates deeply into the folk song tradition, organically refracts folklore, passes it through his amazing artistic world, thereby making the folklore language accessible to the general public. The author of the article focuses on the performing aspects of V. Gavrilin’s cycle, on the variety of interpretive possibilities coming from the diversity of folk (primarily peasant) song. The vocalist and accompanist-pianist need to seriously study the folk traditions before taking on the “Russian Notebook”. The intense dramaturgy of the cycle and the theatricalization of vocal music should also be the focus of the performers’ attention. V. Gavrilin’s composition opens up new interpretive paths and possibilities, new vocal techniques, and creates a multi-tasking performing world.

Valery Gavrilin, Vocal cycle, Russian music, New folk wave, Folk art, Folklore genres, Peasant song, Mezzo-soprano, Vanguard, Piano