Musical dialogue between Ukraine and Europe: analysis of common features in the genre of sacred music

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to identify the features of the development of sacred music genres in Ukraine and Europe in the historical perspective and determine the areas of their interaction. The research was based on the use of a historical and comparative method, which allowed tracing the evolution of genre forms in different historical periods, and structural and functional analysis aimed at identifying common features and differences in the musical tradition. The method of stylistic analysis was used for the analysis of musical works, which determined the key features of harmonic, fret, and performance specifics of Ukrainian and European sacred music. It was found that the medieval spiritual music of Ukraine and Europe had common features, in particular, a monodic character, a textocentric melodic structure, and neume notation. Differences related to the liturgical tradition, language basis, and performance features were identified. During the period of classicism, there was a significant mutual influence between Ukrainian and European spiritual music: the European tradition is represented by masses, requiems, and motets, while Ukraine was dominated by the genre of spiritual concerto, which developed under the influence of Western European polyphonic techniques. In the 21st century, the expansion of interaction between Ukrainian and European sacred music was established, which was manifested in the integration of Orthodox choral traditions into European sacred music and the borrowing of neoclassical and minimalistic techniques by Ukrainian composers.