ON FORMING CULTURAL AND ARTISTIC FEATURES OF THE ART NOUNEAU IN NATIONAL INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC OF THE 20TH CENTURY

The given article analyses the historiography of national musical aesthetics from the beginning of the 20 century to the 1940s in the cultural and historical context of the Age of Art Nouveau. The period under discussion is important for research because creative achievements of that time have defined the development of arts in the 20 century. During this time the world saw Russia's masterpieces in various fields: science, philosophy, public thought, literature, painting, music. The first half of the century is one of the most important stages of formation and development of musical aesthetics. Art historians and critics characterize artworks of that period in their connection with historical events. Aesthetical criteria, which later became associated with the term Art Nouveau, are specified. Traditions of this style, as it is known, began to form in the Age of Enlightenment and are defined more exactly at present. The author states that the origin of modernist tendencies is connected with cultural and historical events that took place in Russia. The analysis of works of researchers V.G. Karatygin and B.V. Asafiev is based on symphonic artworks of the prominent composers: A. Scriabin, I. Stravinsky, S. Prokofiev, D. Shostakovich. The author notes a specific dialogue: the opinions of the two critics correlate with the ideas and artistic principles of artworks under analysis. A. Scriabin, I. Stravinsky, S. Prokofiev, and D. Shostakovich are considered as trendsetters in the area of musical art nouveau, they were able to sense changes in social life and national culture more acutely than the others. The article examines the traditional art nouveau problem of arts synthesis not in the context of academism opposing avant-gardism, but from the standpoint of formation of public taste with the help of the musical critical thought. The author proves that in the conditions of a profound crisis in culture, intellectual and creative ferment, only national musical criticism could give objective and adequate appraisal of the most original events in music and support innovative aspirations, thus shaping the newest tendencies in the sphere of style, image-bearing content, means of musical expressiveness. Artistic ideas of composers and opinions of critics are aligned in the consistent counterpoint. Similarities and distinctive features in the critics' research works are elicited by comparative analysis. The author compares some aspects of their research, argues the influence of creative achievements of the prominent composers on aesthetics of the Age of Art Nouveau during the whole 20 century.

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