Origins of the "Suite Bergamasque" by C. Debussy: history of the creation and general characteristics

Abstract

Purpose of work. The research deals with the origins of the name and peculiarities of the "Suite Bergamasque" by Claude Debussy: with the history of Bergamo city and its culture; with dance bergamasque – its formation and spreading. Methodology of the research involves application of the systematic, historical, dialectical and comparative methods. The mentioned methodological method allows us to consider the dance bergamasque, which is used in the works of composers from different epochs and countries, as well to analyze origins of the creation of the "Suite Bergamasque" by C. Debussy and to compare it with a symphonic suite "Masques Bergamasques" by G. Fore. Scientific novelty of the work involves expansion of the apprehension of the polycemy of the suite genre; of the suite as a cyclic musical form having different imaginative interpretation and specific peculiarities of the program suite. Conclusions. Bergamasque as a music work of different genres and a bergamasque theme can be found in works of many composers. Consideration of historical variants of the suite testifies its considerable evolution. We have noticed new interpretation of the suite as a genre in the works of C. Debussy and G. Fore. The comprehensive name of the piano work "Suite Bergamasque" shows its dance-genre features: the composer recreated image of a bergamasque dance, having developed it in a small cyclic suite composition from four parts, timing of which create a concentrated form. The composer spreads genre and intonation binding threads throughout the whole work and thus pieces of the cycle are thematically correlating with each other