Female characters of the operas of M. Mussorgsky and N. Rimsky-Korsakov in the context of Orthodox anthropology

Abstract

Purpose of the article. The article is devoted to the disclosure of the features of the embodiment of the leading female images in the operatic works of M. Mussorgsky and N. Rimsky-Korsakov, which are revealed in the context of Orthodox anthropology and are related to the problem embodiment of spiritual evolution and involution in Russian music of the second half of the XIX century. The methodology of the study is to apply comparative, historical-cultural, musical-semantic methods, intonation concept of music in the light of the theory of B. Asafiev and his followers. This methodological approach allows us to reveal and analyze the psychological qualities of the main opera heroines of the operas «Khovanshchina» and «Tsar's Bride», recorded in their vocal part in a comparative description. The scientific novelty of the research consists in revealing the spiritual path of the heroines of the operatic compositions of Russian composers in a comparative description of the moral choice of Marfa and Lyubasha in their evolutionary/involuntary movement, which was reflected in the vocal party of the vivid female characters of the Russian opera tradition of the second half of the XIX century. Conclusions. The specific character of the musical embodiment of this moral choice of opera heroines is revealed at the level of the characteristic of the harmonic, intonational-rhythmic side of the vocal parts of Marfa (Khovanshchina) and Lyubasha (Tsar's Bride).