The history of the keyboard instrument MNP I 49 from the Museum of Musical Instruments in Poznań. the state of research

The keyboard instrument MNP I 49 from the Museum of Musical Instruments in Poznań has not been a subject of detailed academic studies yet, but there have been mentions of it in various types of publications throughout the years. The item is currently placed in the exhibition hall devoted to the art of the Baroque era in the Museum of Applied Arts in Poznań. It is a unique historical item in the Polish collection due to a very scarce number of harpsichords preserved in Poland. This situation is mainly a result of two world wars in the 20th century. Due to not enough available sources, the exact time of the creation of the instrument and the name of its builder were impossible to determine. The aim of the present article was to compile and arrange previous knowledge about the historical item MNP I 49. The work lists source materials and publications in which the instrument was mentioned, such as documents from the National Archive in Poznań, Raczyński Library in Poznań and National Museum Archive in Poznań. Based on the available source materials, the author was able to determine that the harpsichord appeared at the Skórzewski family’s palace in Czerniejewo before 1855.

Vocal vibrato in the interpretation of vocal music of the baroque epoch

The purpose of the article. The article examines an important component of the performance of baroque works – vocal vibrato, which often becomes an obstacle to the historically informed performance. A scholarly work that draws on a historical context outlines guidelines regarding the appropriateness of the use of vibrato. The methodology is based on the application of observation, generalization, modeling, and analysis using the historical and logical method. The indicated approach allows us to consider, generalize and summarize information about vocal vibrato, which can be useful both for students and teachers of academic singing and for performers who are looking for answers to questions regarding mastering baroque vocal forms and techniques. The scientific novelty consists in the fact that the data on the vocal vibrato is systematized and analyzed based on historical sources, research by leading foreign art historians, as well as on recordings of ancient works. Highlighted important questions concerning the appropriateness of using vibrato in baroque music. Conclusions. When mastering the vocal techniques for performing musical works of the Baroque era, vibrato issues occupy one of the main places. The use or limitation of this characteristic of the voice must be considered from the point of view of the historical context of the works performed, as well as their content. In addition to high-level technical training, the intellectual qualities, the ability to think analytically, erudition, and musical taste of the performer play an important role. Keywords: vibrato, baroque music, historically informed performance, ornamentation.

THE TRADITION OF ALCHEMICAL AND ASTROLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE WITHIN AND AROUND THEOPHAN PROKOPOVYCH’S LIBRARY

The important role of the alchemical and astrological tradition in the formation and trans-formation of science as a social institution in the Early Modern period is researched in detail in Western historiography of science. At the same time, the Ukrainian aspect of this pan-European phenomenon needs further intensive study.The article deals with the alchemical and astrological component of Ukrainian science of the High Baroque era on an example of Theophan Prokopovych (1677 – 1736). The analysis of the ca¬talog of Prokopovych’s library confirmed that the alchemical-astrological and magical-physical knowledge belonged to the sphere of interests of the scholar. His activity, in addi-tion to cosmogonic reasoning and mathematical calculations, also had a practical compo-nent. Books from the library’s holdings included works of late alchemy, which allowed Pro-kopovych to be aware of the latest ideas, trends, and achievements in this and related fields of knowledge. This is reflected in the formation of the worldview and creative work of the scholar.A comparison of the facts of biographies, the essence and direction of creativity, and the relationship of the authors mentioned in Prokopovych’s treatise “Natural Philosophy or Physics”, testified to the existence of the united pan-European scientific and information space, within which the tradition of late alchemy was formed and transformed during the 16th-18th centuries. Theophan Prokopovych also belonged to this tradition, and his works reflected the state and essence of Ukrainian alchemical knowledge of the High Baroque era. Prokopovych’s own views on problems of alchemy and astrology are a topic of special re-search.

The Evaluation of Music Department Students of Institut Seni Indonesia Yogyakarta in Modes Identification

Modes in Modality concept is a musical thinking that was used before 1600s. After 1600s (Baroque Era), the concept of modes changed into a contrast concept called Tonality (major-minor) and still exist today, in our era. Musical knowledge will evolve along with technological advances, but in fact there are so many composers today using the concept of modes to give another nuance and interpretation in their musical works. As academic musicians, surely the students of Music Department of ISI Yogyakarta got the concept of modes in several subject such as music theory, music structure and style, music analysis, and etc. However, the tonality concept that always used by common academic musicians today makes the concept of Modality become so hard to identify if they are heard a musical work that contains modes. This research will show us how many students of Music Department of ISI Yogyakarta who can’t identify a musical work that contains modes.

Compositional Strategies for Large-Scale Works Around 1600

Giovanni Gabrieli’s posthumously published motets In ecclesiis and Benedictus es, Dominus ( Sacrae symphoniae ... liber secundus , 1615) show obvious characteristics of self-quotation and reworking. An analysis of the works focuses on a characteristic ascending-fifths sequence which has been called “Monte Romanesca” by Robert Gjerdingen who introduced the term for the eighteenth century. In this study, the term is expanded to include music from the end of the sixteenth century for the first time. Further analysis concentrates on motivic and modal connections as well as special harmonic features such as chromatic-third relationships. Additionally, several other works of the composer are considered, showing that Gabrieli built on highly sophisticated harmonic, motivic, and formal compositional strategies in his large-scale oeuvre. Also, apparent processes of imitation in the Missa sine nomine of Gabrieli’s pupil Alessandro Tadei suggest that the younger composer used either or both of his teacher's motets as a model. A comparative analysis of all three works provides further insight into compositional methods at the “dawn of the Baroque” era and sheds new light on what must have been a special teacher-student relationship.

Genre System of Multi-choral Partes Music: Stages of the Delelopment

В статье обобщены результаты работы над каталогом русской духовной музыки эпохи барокко, написанной в партесном стиле. Материалом исследования стали свыше 1800 многохорных сочинений (от восьми до 48 голосов). Выявлены четыре стадии развития жанровой системы партеса на протяжении более чем 100 лет. В частности, рассмотрена избирательность восприятия наследия конца XVII - начала XVIII века новыми поколениями музыкантов. Показана прямая преемственность системы духовных жанров эпохи классицизма по отношению к позднепартесной. The article summarizes the results of work on the catalogue of Russian sacred music of the Baroque era, composed in the partes style. The study is based on the more than 1800 multi-choral compositions (from 8 to 48 voices). Four stages of the development of the genre system of the partes during about 100 years have been identified. In particular, the selectivity of the perception of the heritage of the late 17-early 18 century by new generations of musicians is considered. The direct relationship of the genre system of Russian sacred music of the classical era in relation to the late partes one is discovered.

The specificity of improvisation parts in Italian baroque aria da capo

Purpose of the Article. The main attention in the article is focused on the peculiarities of improvisation methods that were used in the third part and in the Cadenzas of aria da capo in baroque Italy. The characteristic features of vocal improvisation space in opera atr of Italian baroque have been explored and defined. In particular, the specificity of baroque ornamental improvisation in the aria's third part has been defined; the differences between baroque and renaissance improvisation have been clarified; the essence of the theory of affects (feelings, emotions) as an aesthetic and philosophical context of vocal art's existence in the baroque era has been defined; the peculiarities of an existing connection between the theory of effects and the main principles of the rhetoric of that time have been clarified; we have also found out how the rhetoric of the baroque era affected the disposition of Cadenzas in the context of musical structure's dramaturgy; the historical circumstances in which the genre discussed (that is, aria da capo) was formed have been described. Мethodology. We have used in our study as research tools the following methods: a comparative method (for comparing of improvisation stylistics of the renaissance and of the baroque era; of the Venice and Neapolitan operatic schools); a historical and stylistic method (for featuring of the historical context of the emergence and performing of arias da capo and of their Cadenzas and for characterizing of the essencial features of the epoch analyzed); an analytical and descriptive method (for the analysis of particular elements of improvisation in arias da capo, of the key principles of the theory of effects and their connection to baroque improvisation). Scientific novelty. The topic of the article is connected to the largely unexplored nowadays realm of music artists that, however, needs careful analysis and a systematic approach. The up-to-date research results in the sphere of vocal improvisation of the baroque era are presented and analyzed in the article. Conclusions. Improvisation in the space of aria da capo is a multidimentional, controversial, and ambiguous sphere of baroque vocal art. It cannot confine itself only by the sphere of performance but also deserves music scholars' regard.

Uniate Sacral Architecture in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania: A Synthesis of Confessional Architecture

Summary The architectural legacy of the Unitarians in the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania has received little attention from researchers to this day. This article presents an architectural synthesis of the Uniate and Order of Basilians that reflected the old succession of Orthodox architectural heritage, but at the same time was increasingly influenced by the architectural traditions formed in Catholic churches. This article presents the tendencies of the development of Uniate architecture, paying attention to the brick and wooden sacral buildings belonging to the Uniate and Order of Basilians in the territory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The early Uniate sacral examples reflected the still striking features of the synthesis, which were particularly marked in the formation of the Greek cross plan and apses in the different axes of the building. All this marked the architectural influences of Ukraine, Moldova and other areas of Central and South-Eastern Europe, which were also clearly visible in Orthodox architecture. Wooden Uniate architecture, as in the case of masonry buildings, had distinctly inherited features of Orthodox architecture, and in the late period, as early as the 18th century, there was a tendency to adopt the principles of Catholic church architecture, which resulted in complete convergence of most Uniate buildings with examples of Catholic church buildings. Vilnius Baroque School, formed in the late Baroque era, formed general tendencies in the construction of Uniate and Catholic sacral buildings, among which the clearer divisions of the larger structural and artistic principles are no longer noticeable in the second half of 18th century. The article also presents the image of baroque St. Nicholas Church, the only Uniate parish church in Vilnius city, which was lost after the reconstruction in the second half of the 19th century.

Illusionism in sacred monumental painting of the baroque era, optics of perception

The investigation of the mechanisms of dual influence in a pair “work of art – viewer” opens up important opportunities for the worldview, cultural, aesthetic intentions laid down by the author(s), outlines the ways of transmitting the message to the recipient and assesses the effectiveness. The authors of this article analyse the practices of applying the mechanisms and principles of neuroaesthetics in the perception of baroque monumental paintings and the effects caused by the conscious use of illusory techniques in the duality of relationships. The authors of the article aim to find out the principles of the formation of cognitive and aesthetic connections expressed in specific formal principles-approaches, in the processes of perception of illusionistic baroque painting by the primary addressee-a person of the Baroque era – from the point of view of neuroaesthetics. The methodology refers to the implementing a multidisciplinary approach, based on the synthesis of cultural, anthropological and art research methods. To solve research problems and achieve results, we turn to the functional method and the modelling method, thanks to which defining effective models of interaction in the pair “work of art – recipient” and modes of functioning of consciousness when generating a pictorial image.

ICONOGRAPHY: ON BAROQUE MENTALITY OF UKRAINIANS

Based upon the empirical background of professional and folk baroque icons represented in the Radomysl Castle Museum’s exhibitions, this article reveals the compositional, artistic and ideological characteristics of the Ukrainian baroque icon painting. The coincidence of its images and ideals with the national character and public aspirations of Ukrainians is also described. It is due to this that the Ukrainian baroque icon painting (both professional and folk) in the time of long statelessness and cultural decentralization became the main means of rendering collective reminiscences that are basic for the preservation of ethnic and cultural identity, and social ideals with them. The latter transformed over time into mental models that unconsciously determined the ideological and value priorities of Ukrainians. They, as evidenced by the compositional specification of the baroque icons presented in the Radomysl Castle Museum’s collection, were much influenced by the ideas of the world’s transformation and achieving the Kingdom of Heaven on earth through the ascetic activity of heroes, which was basic for the baroque worldview. For a man of the “Baroque era,” such heroes were not only Orthodox saints, but also religious and political figures. Moreover, it was assumed that they could even ignore the demands of Christian moralists for the sake of promoting the specific vital interests of the people. Their ascetic activity was considered one of the main prerequisites for the transformation of the world, the prototype of which was the Mother of God. For Ukrainians, she was not only a tireless patron for disadvantaged and suffering ones, but also a prototype of the selfless love that would rule the world (“the holy Ukrainian land”), as the result of its transformation. The sincere hope of Ukrainians for the protection of saints, combined with an unshakable faith in the divine “omnipresence” and the fullness of the whole world with God’s wisdom led to the establishment of ontological optimism in the Ukrainian consciousness. This means the belief in the ultimate overcoming of all life obstacles without personal efforts. Ideas and mental models formed and transmitted by Ukrainian baroque icon painting, due to the spiritual leaders of the 19th century’s national revival (with the absolute primacy of Taras Shevchenko and his both literature and art heritage) acquired secular features. They continued to determine the way of thinking and behavior of Ukrainians. Even today, they sincerely believe that the renewal of the world and the formation of new and just order does not require any personal effort and is to be achieved by the forces of some heroes they would call.