Abstract: This article studies the music novations in Aristotle’s philosophy. This research focuses on Aristotle’s philosophical and aesthetical views, with a particular emphasis on the musical novations in his philosophical works. It also aims to detect music novations in Aristotle’s philosophy. To achieve this purpose, the author performs the following tasks: studying Aristotle’s essays and defining his philosophic and aesthetic attitude to music resulting in music novations that appeared in his philosophy while also paying attention to Aristotle’s theoretical views on music. The main research methods are analytical and hermeneutical. The article analyzes the main ideas about music in Aristotle’s essays and characterizes musical innovations typical of his aesthetics. The author concludes that Aristotle’s philosophy and aesthetics contain the following novations: a music composition is the key jewel of a tragedy and is one of its components; music is divided into practical and theoretical (music art and music science); the “composer-performer” system appears in which a composer is the writer of the music, and a performer is the one who plays or teaches the music; the formation of a comprehensive concept of a piece of music; music is a melodic and harmonic reflection of life and an expression of spiritual and moral values and properties of humanity.  

Keywords: theoretical music, antiquity, performer, composer, musical composition, aesthetics, philosophy, musical innovation, Aristotle, practical music

Abstract: This article focuses on a separate branch of music theatre: the English Savoy operas, which are predominantly comic operas by William Schwenk Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan. Having the traits of ballad operas, operettas, and musicals, they combine music and performing techniques typical for these forms of performance. These plays were immensely popular both abroad and in Russia, where 177 performances were put on from 1877 to 1998. Consequently, Gilbert and Sullivan’s theatrical works incorporated the achievements of their predecessors while also introducing original elements that furthered the evolution of musical theatre; it raised operetta to a much higher level and became a starting point for new genres. The composers placed specific and rigorous requirements on the artists and performers. This research aims to study the peculiarities of the performing style seen in Gilbert and Sullivans’ operettas. The scientific value of this article lies in the accentuation of an original aspect of the research: the Savoy opera performing style, the generalization of incomplete data on this problem, and the introduction of new sources. The conceptual elements of compositions, which are at the core of the musical theatre image, take on special value. It is a dramaturgic component that determines vocal delivery, influences the approach to diction and phrasing, and determines the physical embodiment of the role. In addition, the article’s materials have methodical importance for modern performers in operettas and popular musicals.

Keywords: acting, musical theater, mass art, performing style, Savoy Opera, Gilbert and Sullivan, operetta, stage image, vocal technique, English music

Abstract: The research object of this article is the music embellishment of a dramatic play as one of the key elements in creating a theatrical piece of work's single text. The author is the first to consider the formation of musical space as a director’s method of creating a stage performance. The need to study it is determined by the movement of the modern theatre towards musicalization—the formation of the stage as a single sound space and the shifting of the functions of a background music writer to the director. The research subject is the use of background music and the interpretations of the main musical themes, the detection of the peculiarities of their functions, and an attempt to define the operating name of a director’s method. To achieve this goal, the author uses the observation method and studies the production of the play Krechinsky’s Wedding at Penza Drama Theatre as a director, a choreographer, and an author of the background music. The analysis of the use of background music, which is undertaken for the first time within the framework of theatre drama, shows that music, applied in this algorithm, performs various functions. It creates the atmosphere of action, becomes a play’s full-fledged “text,” and an instrument of the author’s “translation” of a literary work into a theatre-stage language. At the same time, it allows the music space to become integral, thus following the trend of drama theatre moving towards its musicalization. The author suggests naming the director’s method the “transformation of a musical theme.”  

Keywords: transforming a musical theme, timbre, interpretation, musical arrangement, artistic director's method, music in drama theater, drama theatre, musicalization, modern theatrical art, the method of participant observation

Abstract: This article studies the issue of preserving Cyprus' choreographic culture as a crucial factor in reviving national pride. UNESCO's involvement in cultural, educational, and scientific initiatives has played a pivotal role in preserving and developing the island’s intangible cultural heritage. The authors of the study highlight the government’s financial support of folk music groups and dance projects. Special attention is given to motion capture technology and its various forms. The variety of marker technologies is presented as a system in which the groups differ in dance movement delivery. Based on the field research materials over many years, the authors emphasize the possibility of combining digital technologies with folk tradition. This research is the first in the Russian language to cover the results of the work the University of Cyprus' virtual reality laboratory has done over eight years, which is described by the head of the laboratory during an interview. The 3D video game designed at the University of Cyprus is a mediator for studying and practicing Cyprian folk dances and developing an individual performance manner using the feedback from the program. The authors conclude that motion capture technology holds significant potential in capturing choreographic sequences, digitizing traditional folk dances, and popularizing them among diverse Cypriot age groups.  

Keywords: motion capture technology, digital dance database, folk dancing, dancing culture, digital technology, Cyprus, cultural heritage, digitization, choreographic text, choreographic lexicon

Abstract: The subject of this article's research is the importance of sound recordings as an evolutionary source in the historiography of jazz. The importance of sound recording in the evolution and the study of jazz cannot be overestimated. It is much more significant than in the case of any other kind of music art. Sound recording is of great scientific value and jazz heritage's leading resource, which is an opinion held by most jazz researchers. The development of jazzology has led to scientific viewpoints that raise questions about the reevaluation of the role of sound recording. The research method used is the analysis of various scientific views on this problem, which helps readers understand the specificity of jazz sound recording. The author considers the opinions of researchers G. Schuller, J. Rasula, E. Clarke, M. Butterfield, and A. Batashev. This list of names shows that there’s only one Russian researcher who is studying this problem. The scientific novelty of this research lies in the author’s exploration of a relatively unexplored topic. The research has revealed the presence of contradictory scientific views that should be further studied.  

Keywords: Matthew Butterfield, Eric Clarke, Jed Rasula, phonogram, sound recording, pop music, jazz, Evan Eisenberg, Gunter Schuller, Alexey Batashev