Revealing female images in Vitaliy Kyreyko's operas "Forest Song" and "Boyarynya"

Abstract

The article is devoted to revealing the musical characteristics of the main heroines of the two most famous operas by Vitaliy Kyreyko based on the dramas of Lesya Ukrainka – Mavka from the opera-extravaganza “Forest Song” (1957) and Oksana from the opera-drama “Boyarynia” (2003).

The purpose of the article is to understand the evolution of the characteristics of female images in two operas by Vitaliy Kyreyko, as well as the dichotomy of good and evil in the contemporary artistic space.

In the opera "Forest Song," the composer lovingly reveals Mavka's inner feelings, conveying the evolution of her character from a fantastic forest creature through bright love and suffering to the immortality of a pure human soul.

1. Kyreyko contrasts the characters of Kylina and Lukash’s Mother with the image of Mavka, showing the dichotomy of good and evil. Their musical characteristics, conveyed by folk-everyday musical intonations with primitive harmonies and simple rhythm, remain unchanged in the opera.Contrasting in music the world of goodness, spirituality, nobility of feelings, optimistic faith in the triumph of love, which is stronger than death, and the world of evil, cruelty, heartlessness, and dull everyday thinking, V. Kyreyko in the opera, like Lesya Ukrainka in the drama-extravaganza, glorifies the victory of the forces of light over evil.

The opera "Boyaryna" reflects the philosophical essence of human freedom, a conflicting vision of reality with the ultimate affirmation of the revival of the spiritual forces of the nation. V. Kyreyko showed the evolution of Oksana's character from tenderly lyrical through dramatic-pathetic and tragic to enlightened catharsis.

The disclosure of female images in the operas of Vitaliy Dmytrovych Kyreyko based on the primary sources of Lesya Ukrainka's dramas made it possible to establish that the composer found individual means of expression, musical style, and orchestral timbres to depict the characters and feelings of his heroines, their experiences, and actions. It has been found that the internal musical-intonational conflict further enhances the hidden deep subtext of the poetic content, heightens the tragedy and drama of the collisions associated with the struggle between good and evil, conveying the philosophical "words of the author."