Genre of variations for piano in the context of stylish plurality of F. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy's creativity

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to determine the genre and stylefeatures of the piano cycle „Serious Variations” by F. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy. The round of specific methods is due to the use of empiricalscientific approaches of observation and generalization. The methodsidentified form a pronounced practical component of the proposedscientific intelligence. The structural and analytical approach allows you toform a sequence of presentation of scientific material, and draw theappropriate conclusions on the features of „Serious Variations”. Using thehistorical-typological approach, the sequence of the development processof the variation genre as a whole is revealed. The novelty of the proposedtopic is determined by the fact that the first analysis of the piano cycle„Serious Variations” by F. Mendelssohn was carried out in the context ofthe historical development of the genre of variations and its stylisticdetermination. Conclusions. Variations for piano occupy a rather modestplace in Mendelssohn’s music compared to the work of other composers.The piano series „Serious Variations” was created by Mendelssohn inaccordance with romantic trends in contemporary composer in a dialoguewith the stylistic features of the Baroque and classical era. The styleguidelines for creating the cycle was the work of L. Beethoven andI.S. Bach. The texture of the work is very “pianistic”, although itinfluences both the orchestral writing and Mendelssohn’s organ music.The dramaturgy of „Serious Variations” is organized in such a way that itclearly senses the movement from Baroque to classical stylistics,manifesting the essence of style modulation within the cycle. The mainfeature of „Serious Variations” on the implementation of which thepianist’s efforts should be aimed at working on this cycle is the stylemultiplicity, which is the main characteristic of musical material and theways of its presentation.