DEDICATED TO THE BELYAYEVS: ORIENTAL ECHOES IN THE CREATIVE WORKS OF JĀZEPS VĪTOLS (CONSIDERING MANUSCRIPTS IN THE ST. PETERSBURG CONSERVATORY)

Abstract

This paper provides a detailed examination of the Jāzeps Vītols compositions Trīs čigānu dziesmas jauktam korim (Three Gypsy Songs for Mixed Choir) op. 47 and Iz Naurēnu Elzas Prelūdijām (Naurēnu Elza’s Preludes) op. 48 – Five songs for voice with piano accompaniment, considering them as dedications to the members of the Belyayev circle. These works reveal Vītols as an inheritor of the traditions of the Orientalism in Russian music (Russian Music with Eastern themes). Other representatives of this tradition are composers close to Vītols – Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Glazunov. During the preparation of this paper, of particular importance was the review of the manuscripts in the Vītols’ sheet music archive that is stored at the St. Petersburg Conservatory Manuscript Division (OP NMB SPBGK), a text-based study of these and comparison with the published versions.