The problems of organizational and practical activities of the composer of drama theatre in the comprehension of Oleksandr Radchenko

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to outline the range of issues connected with composer’s work in
drama theatre, carried out by O. Radchenko, direct participant of the theatrical process. The
methodology of the research is based on a combination of historical, biographical and analytical
methods. The scientific novelty in the discourse is represented with letters, reports and other texts by
O. Radchenko dedicated to issues of work on the musical part of drama performance in the unity of
creative and organizational aspects. Conclusions. The analysis of utterances by O. Radchenko in their different forms about the role and place of composer in work on performance and generally in
theatre allows us to estimate the completeness and profoundness of artist’s awareness of specificity of
this work that combines creativity (music creation and its orchestration or selection of material for
musical arrangement) and organizational part (writing “abstracts on music” and comments for
clavier with descriptions of duration of each element, duties of conductor, choirmaster, concertmaster,
teaching actors solfeggio). Apart form this composer had to overcome difficulties conditioned by thattime theatre process (short timing, unprofessional vocalist-actors, often understaffed orchestras, etc.).
Radchenko’s ideas haven’t lost their topicality for modern artists and scientists.
Key words: music in drama theatre, administrator of the musical part in theatre, theatrical
composer, creative work of Oleksandr Radchenko, Maria Zan’kovetska theatre