Precentor repertoire policy in the modern church choir practice
Background. Balancing of the contemporary Orthodox church choral culture on the brink of spiritual and secular is not new for domestic science. However, comprehensive coverage of Orthodox culture of the world shows that the situation actually exists only in the culture of the eastern Slavs. However, the repertoire status of church choirs of other states is stable and this difference enables an attempt to specify determinacy of the processes that take place. The purpose of the article is to characterize the specificity and principles of modern Orthodox church and choral repertoire forming. Research methodology is based mainly on scientific analytical tools. The existing literature on the researched subject is analyzed, the basic factors of contemporary repertoire forming are determined by method of structural analysis. Empirical research base, such as audio and video recordings of contemporary church choirs, the results of communication with precentors, the study of modern Orthodox choral festivals programs, also demanded analysis and systematization. When comparing repertoire policies of choirs in different countries the comparative method has been used. Results. The repertoire of the modern church choirs is determined by functional categories as a concert and liturgical. The concert repertoire in this sense is a category almost free from significant limitations while the liturgical repertoire is regulated. An important condition for the repertoire forming is systemic instability of any church choral collective, which affects the range of works performed. At the same time the precentor’s commitment to the ancient chants substantially eliminates this factor of repertoire. In collectives of that perform multi-voice works the instability is predictable, therefore is not conducive to the spontaneous formation of the repertoire, but in general terms it has a significant impact that requires certain compromises. Among the main criteria for modern repertoire choosing by precentors are compliance with choir capabilities; blessing of a priesthood that serve in this church; chants tempo matching to a religious rite (in cases where it is important); precentor’s personal stylistic propensity; singers’ wishes. The unity of emotional and sensual spheres proposed by some researchers is rather doubtful criterion for repertoire choosing, instead of which majority of precentors uses a different one - the criterion of text-musical unity in each chant. But the “amplitude” of musical and emotional expression of text content really should be compared with the atmosphere of divine service, not to be too expressive and comply with the overall artistic restraint. In the scientific literature and in practice, there is a controversial issue of chants stylistic unity within one divine service. It really is a criterion for choosing the repertoire of a particular divine service, but only partially, in general terms. Typically, contrasts well perceived when the following ones are different: • the origin of works (ancient chant melodies, monastery usage tradition, author’s creative work); • works texture type (monody, heterophony, harmonious texture, polyphony); • national melodics; • stylistic direction to which the composer belongs (great stylistic directions - baroque, classicism, romanticism, sentimentalism, etc. are meant), including intonational and tune-harmonic specifics of musical material. However, carefully thought-out use of works of different styles within the same service can not cause controversy. Changing the style can focus on specific texts, emphasize their character. Today, church choirs repertoire is characterized by a large amplitude of author’s music involvement - from masters of the eighteenth century to contemporary composers, but in recent years the trend to gradually reduce the number of purely author’s chants in favor of harmonization and arrangements of traditional chants and stylization is determined. This testifies to the change of repertoire paradigm that on East Slavic territory that has long been aimed at massive involvement of compositional heritage of the “Italia” origin. In other countries, the situation is somewhat different. In Greece, Lebanon, Georgia, Bulgaria, Romania long traditions are used with author’s minor treatments. In Serbia there are three main traditions - Byzantine, Russian XVIII - early. XX century and Stephen Mokranyats’ usage (obihod). Western European countries - such as Poland, France, Sweden, Germany, Austria mostly inherited traditions of Russian immigrants with composers’ repertoire of XIX-XX centuries and Russian everyday usage chants. In Canada and United States the most advanced choirs sing the Russian-Ukrainian spiritual classics, the medium level choirs - three- or four-voiced everyday usage chants, sometimes one-voiced chants are used. Conclusions. The presences of certain factors require careful precentor work on repertoire forming in general, and its situational “directing” at a particular worship. So precentor should know what effect can have style, tone, tempo-rhythmic, intonational and other differences of works within the divine service and be able to determine the desirability of such effect. But the main criterion should be text-musical matching with restraint and nobility of emotional expression of divine service content. Some positive changes in the process are recently identified that should lead to the establishment of the “royal road” in liturgical repertoire that will best contribute to the spiritual growth of the Orthodox flock. Novelty. The study first defined the specificity of liturgical repertoire of Orthodox church choirs of different countries, and clarified theoretical and methodological provisions concerning the principles its formation. The practical significance. The research materials can be used in educational disciplines of conductor-choral direction, as well as for training of Orthodox precentors.