TIMBRAL ALTERNATIONS IN TCHAIKOVSKY’S VIOLIN CONCERTO AS A MULTIFUNCTIONAL SYSTEM
TIMBRAL ALTERNATIONS IN TCHAIKOVSKY’S VIOLIN CONCERTO AS A MULTIFUNCTIONAL SYSTEM

Summary/Abstract: The purpose of the article is to consider the alternations in Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto as a multifunctional system. The methodology includes score analysis as a way to determine the functions of different instruments in the Concerto and variants of their interaction; stylistic analysis is applied in order to highlight the specific features of the presentation in the orchestra of Tchaikovsky; comparative method allows us to compare the features of the orchestra in different concertos of other composers. The scientific novelty lies in the interpretation of the alternations in the Violin Concerto as an interconnected system with multifaceted influence. This paper aims to examine timbral alternations in the Concerto. On the first layer, there are alternations as a means to expose musical material: the change of timbre becomes an impetus to deploy the theme. On the second layer, there are alternations as a means of expression: a lyrical mood receives a touch of joy, a dramatic component strength, the foreground/background comparisons give a three-dimensional effect. On the third level, the alternations have form-defining function. They mark the end of a section when thematically different but emotionally identical material appears; recall the ‘remote alternations’ (tutti – tutti frame the development in the first movement). On the fourth layer, the alternations reflect Tchaikovsky’s style: his reliance on the strings’ timbers, particular attention to woodwind instruments and the horn, and a number of ‘in-the orchestra soloists. Conclusions. The alternations enhance the concertizing effect, enforce the timbre and texture contrasts, add particular dynamization, and contribute to the active involvement of the orchestra in a development process by making the interaction between the soloist and the orchestra, and within the orchestra itself, much more expressive. Such a diversity of alternations creates a multifunctional system that became a distinctive feature of the Concerto.

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