The role of vocal timbre in Georgy Sviridov's cycle "Songs of a Time of No Time"

The present study investigates the role of vocal timbre within Georgy Sviridov's song cycle, "Songs of a Time of No Time." The article examines theoretical perspectives on timbre in vocal art and elucidates the specific application of the solo mezzo-soprano timbre within the context of this cycle. The research offers a novel contribution through its focused analysis of timbre characteristics, factors affecting vocal timbre quality, and the expressive function of the mezzo-soprano voice in Sviridov's under-explored vocal-choral cycle. The study results in the systematization of contemporary musicological concepts concerning vocal timbre and its expressive potential; a definition of the composer's creative principles in his utilization of timbral palettes; the elucidation of the significant role played by the solo mezzo-soprano in the cycle; and the highlighting of the expressive, form-generating, semantic, and sound-illustrative functions of this particular timbre within the piece.