“Music for Strings” by Revol Bunin: Style, Timbral Poetics and Interpretation
Abstract
The article examines the timbral poetics of “Music for Strings” by Revol Samuilovich Bunin
(1924–1976). This score captures the most important features of the composer’s instrumental style. There feels a lack in serious systematic research of Bunin’s life and legacy. Thus
it is required the coordination of historical and biographical information. For the first time,
the memoirs and analytical opinions of famous contemporaries who closely communicated
with the composer are introduced into scientific circulation. This largely clarifies his personality in life and music. The detailed analysis of textural plasticity, timbral dramaturgy, “tonal-light”, coloristic, articulatory-agogic, spatial-perspective properties of “Music for Strings”
reflects an attempt of the first morphological study of the score. But which is more important – the practical results of its concert “revival” and premiere digital recording. An extraordinary type of timbral continuation is considered as a defining phenomenological
aspect distinguishing Bunin’s orchestral style. In “Music for Strings” this orchestral feature
is embodying the image of a peculiarly condensed chronos of the composition. A detailed
examination of the most important elements of timbral poetics and stylistic means of expression allowed us to determine the basic principles of studying and conducting interpretation
of “Music for Strings” and other works of the artist.
Keywords
R. Bunin, R. Barshai, timbral poetics, Music for Strings, International Creative Workshop
“Terra Musica”, “Academy of Russian Music”, I. Nikiforchin.
For citation
Abdokov Y. B. “Music for Strings” by Revol Bunin: Style, Timbral poetics and Interpretation. In: Theatre. Fine Arts. Cinema. Music. 2022, no. 1, pp. 91–108.
DOI: 10.35852/2588-0144-2022-1-91-108
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Received: 30.11.2021
Revised: 25.01.2022
Accepted: 01.02.2022