THE MIRROR SUITE BY ANDREI VOLKONSKY: THE SYMBOLISM OF THE MUSICAL LANGUAGE

The article considers the role of the mirror symbolism and its influence on the semantic and structural patterns of The Mirror Suite by Andrei Volkonsky (1933–2008), a composer and harpsichordist, representative of the “sixties” generation, leader of the early music ensemble Madrigal. The Mirror Suite was unusually resonant for the musical art of the second half of the XXth century. It influenced the works of Volkonsky’s contemporaries (S. Slonimsky, N. Sidelnikov) and of the composers of The Moscow Troika (A. Schnittke, E. Denisov, S. Gubaidulina), as well as later works, including those by contemporary authors (A. Knaifel, E. Firsova and others). The Mirror Suite is a work that can’t be classified as “avant-garde for avant-garde’s sake”. The article proves that the mirror image in the composition is concentrated on the axes of musical-figurative symmetry. Initially presented in the literary text, they are reinforced by musical means and are exhibited in each of the parts. The axes can be arranged vertically (in No. 1), horizontally (in No. 2), diagonally (in No. 3). In the soloist’s part, an internal dialogue is developed through the alternation of melodic phrases with spoken, unnotated remarks. This creates an equality of word and music, which leads to musical-poetic syncretism. Volkonsky, as a composer of the XXth century, carried this out within the framework of a special, symbolic type of theatricality.