Symbols, metaphors and irrationalities in the twentieth-century music
Alexander Ivashkin
Music of the twentieth century is both very rational and extremely irrational. On one hand, very strict rational compositional techniques have been established, especially in the serial way of composition and in the post-serial works by Boulez, Messiaen and Xenakis. On the other hand, many ideas by the twentieth-century composers have been influenced by a chance theory, indeterminacy (Cage) and have symbolic context, hidden meanings or use metaphoric language.
Symbolism has always been a typical feature of Russian culture, starting with early Orthodox icons and music by old believers. The paper will focus on the symbols and hidden meanings in the music by Alexander Scriabin, Dmitri Shostakovich, Alfred Schnittke. Sofia Gubaidulina, Vladimir Martynov and their relations to the symbolism in music by J.S. Bach and religious traditions.
