Contrapuntal Compositions in the Form of Historical Dances in the Conditions of Ensemble Music-Making

Abstract

The musical culture of the baroque period in distinguished for its interest in dances and in ensemble performance, which found its reflection in works for clavier in various genres. The dances presumed a manifold repeated expounding of the initial musical idea initially for clavier by various instrumental ensembles corresponding to two “storylines”: the dancing and presenting the scenes of musical performance. The revival of the ensemble forms of vernacular musical performance intrinsic to the baroque period has become topical in the present-day instruction of piano ensemble. This kind of practice adequately reflects the performing tradition of the culture of musical ensembles. The article provides examples of adaptation of the technology of unfolding the musical text written for clavier into a quasi-orchestral score on the basis of the repertoire of beginning pianists from the section of the program titled Contrapuntal Compositions in the Forms of Early Dances. The musical score features are realized in the forms of unfolding for four-, six- and eight-hand piano, or for two pianos, including those in which the keyboard synthesizer is used. During the process of fulfilling the assignments a number of unique skills of mastering the creative forms of work with the initial authorial text useful for beginning musicians.

Keywords: elementary musical education, piano ensemble, historical dances, clavier music of the baroque period, keyboard synthesizer