Role of Trumpet in Oeuvre by Yevhen Stankovych (based on interview materials with the composer)

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to reveal the semantic, genre-stylistic, and philosophical aspects of the trumpet’s functioning in Yevhen Stankovych’s oeuvre. The basis for the analysis is the composer’s personal statements, which were recorded during an interview on 19 August 2025. The research focuses on identifying the individual peculiarities of the composer’s timbre thinking, specifically regarding the interpretation of the trumpet as one of the most expressive instruments in the symphony orchestra. The methodological foundation of the study is a systematic combination of key approaches necessary for a comprehensive analysis of the composer’s worldview: analytical (for dismembering and classifying the trumpet’s functions), interpretive (for uncovering the semantic layers of its use), and hermeneutical (for a profound understanding of the author’s intent). The unity of the theoretical and empirical levels of analysis includes: summarising the key tenets of contemporary musicological thought concerning instrumental semantics and Yevhen Stankovych’s oeuvre, combined with the composer’s exclusive comments. This dichotomous approach makes it possible to reconstruct the individual logic of his creative vision with maximum accuracy, and to clarify the internal motives behind his timbre decisions and instrumental preferences. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the fact that, for the first time in Ukrainian musicology, the composer’s views on the semantics of the trumpet have been systematically and thoroughly revealed based on a primary source – personal, previously unpublished statements by Yevhen Stankovych, recorded during a specialised interview. Conclusions. The role of the trumpet in Yevhen Stankovych’s oeuvre proves to be multifaceted: ranging from dramaturgical structure-building to its symbolic interpretation as the voice of inner impulse and spiritual energy. The composer’s attitude toward the instrument is based on creative intuition, philosophical depth, and trust in the ‘inner voice’.