Abstract: The subject of this research is the musical language of jazz and allied styles of pop music. The basic material of the article consists of the analysis of jazz elements that most extensively reflect the performance specificity: rhythm, harmony, texture, intonation and articulation features. However, any analytical examination of jazz will not be complete if viewed strictly within the framework of music system, not taking into account its position within the overall musical space. The specificity of jazz harmony is revealed through the peculiarities of compound the European harmonious system and modal principles of blues intonations. Methods applied in this work suggest the system, genre, and hermeneutic approaches that allow most adequately reflect the theme, because jazz is not subjected to full comprehension within the boundaries of categorical grid of academic science, which conclusions are mostly based on the score. The article determines the key specificities of the musical language of jazz and allied styles of pop music. The main peculiarity implies its rhythmic specificity that manifests in any jazz period through the interpretation of the eighths within beat or the eights with the dot and sixteenth, as well as correlation in using of these metrical figures between the instruments during performance. Alongside the rhythmic peculiarities, the author underlines the harmonious component, expressed in the phonic aspect – in overall dissonance of jazz sounding, and in technical, as resulting from the previous, in specificities of the texture, structure, and interaction of the sounds of chords.

Keywords: articulation, intonation, jazz texture, music art, jazz harmony, rhythm, pop music, jazz, swing, musical language

Abstract: The subject of this research is the peculiarities of manifestation of ontologization of musical thinking of Sofia Gubaidulina, through which mythology, religiosity, and “bivalence” in unity of the alternative worlds allow experiencing the logics of sensemaking of the composer within the paradigm of cosmogenic myths and natural beginning. It justified the authors’ attention to the examination of differentiation of sonoristic fabric of the choral oeuvres of the composer and two methods of vocal intoning – pure and with a savor of inhale – through amounting them to the categories of Cosmos and Chaos, characteristic to the artistic credo of Sofia Gubaidulina. The religious component of musical content of the composer substantiated the perception of dramaturgy of S. Gubaidulina’s works from the perspective of eschatological myths. However, the “bivalence” of S. Gubaidulina’s allows tracing the result of combining the diverse mythological models: “translucency” through the structural basis of the plot that requires determination of the own ontological status and system of myths of the cosmogenic type. Examination of S. Gubaidulina’s within the paradigm of cosmogenic myths enables adjusting the global opposition of the immanent and the transcendent, opposition of Chaos and Cosmos that is the basic ground for the structural logics of cosmogenic myths. Clarification of the ontological status of structural model of mythological thinking of S. Gubaidulina allows correcting the analytical parameters of interpretation of her musical compositions (on the example of the choral cycle “Dedication to Marina Tsvetaeva”) from the standpoint of the ancient cosmogenic models, manifesting in their sounding matter and structural methods of its organization the system of oppositions, within the foundation of which underlies the mytheme of natural-artificial (or natural-cultural).

Keywords: synergy, ontology, ambivalence, cultural, natural, myth, Chaos, Cosmos, intonation, breathe

Abstract: The subject of this research is the evolution of target orientations of the cultural-educational activity of the All-Union Society “Knowledge”, transformation of the conceptual approaches towards integration of the Soviet intelligentsia into nonprofit organization that was called to raise the general cultural level of population, distribute the political and scientific knowledge in Soviet Union. Special attention is given to the question of the impact of target orientations upon the functions realized by the indicated nonprofit organization in Soviet society, as well as upon the organizational foundations and structure of the All-Union Society “Knowledge” itself. Leaning on the analysis of transformation of the goals and tasks, organizational foundations and structure of the All-Union Society “Knowledge”, established in various editions of the Charter of the organization, the author defines the key periods in the history of one or another cultural-educational organization. The author developed the theoretical concept of analysis of the activity of All-Union Society “Knowledge”, having suggested the original periodization of its history divided into three periods: 1947-1954; 1954-1982; 1982-1991. In accordance with the highlighted periods, took place the changes in conceptual approaches towards the educational and organizational activity of the All-Union Society “Knowledge”, understanding of its goals and tasks, which leads to transformation of the organizational foundations and structure of this Society.

Keywords: communist education, the Marxist-Leninist worldview, agitation and propaganda, cultural activity, CPSU, Society Znanie, adult education, mass public organization, functions of the educational organization, lecturers

Abstract: The subject of this article is the picturesque portrait of Natalia Frantsevna Auber by Konstantin Andreevich Somov that refers to the early period of his works – mid of 1890’s. The portrait is viewed in the context of the scenic pursuits of the painter of the prior to “World of Art” stage. The scenic manner alongside the portrait concept are also analyzed with consideration of the impact upon the works of K. A. Somov of the relevant trends of Russian and European portrait paining of the turn of the XIX-XX centuries: traditions of the Russian realistic portrait, European and Scandinavian lines of impressionism and salon. The author applies the method of comparative art analysis, viewing the portrait of N. F. Auber made by K. A. Somov in contrast with other works of the painter and his contemporaries. A particularly valuable contribution into the research of Somov’s portrait concept is defined by the analysis of the new trends emerging in the portrait of N. F. Auber: compositional structure, decorativeness of painting, specificity of spatial structure, and color specificities. All of the listed features are emphasized by the author of the article as the key for establishment of iconography of Somov’s portrait of the “mature” period.

Keywords: Natalia Auber, period, painting, concept, World of Art, portrait, Konstantin Somov, Valentin Serov, Anders Zorn, Ilya Repin

Abstract: The object of this research is the style issue in the works of British architect of the late Victorian era Richard Norman Shaw. The subject of this research is the area that holds an especially important place in Shaw’s works – the suburban homes, because namely the suburban architecture becomes a so-called litmus paper that allows determining the processes that take place in British architecture over the last decades of the XIX century. The article also analyzes the projects of his contemporary and colleague George Devey. The elements of volume-spatial composition, façade composition, and architectural décor of the suburban homes of British architect are subjected to a comprehensive art analysis. The following conclusion was made: in the end of the Victorian Era, the suburban architecture in England experiences a crisis associated with the loss of value of the land property for social status of its owner. Thus, property sized become smaller and suburban homes turn into the new role model. A modest farm cottage rather that a manor house inspires the new-generation architects, particularly R. N. Shaw, which inevitably leads to the substantial transformation of the stylistics of suburban homes.

Keywords: Old English style, George Devey, Richard Norman Shaw, Late Victorian epoch, stylistic tendencies, English estate, country house, British architecture, vernacular style, Cragside

Abstract:  The subject of this research is the art of Aleksandr Deyneka that manifests as a fundamental ethical and aesthetical idea – the idea of beauty, labor, and peace; the idea meant for reflecting not only ideological and social ideals, but also the contemporary to it creative ideals. It becomes a guide of his ideas in the grasped and luminous as a “daylight” images alike his creative-methodological reasoning or the ordinary daily observations and thoughts. The core of examination of the works of the most remarkable representative of social realism lies in the concept of the “ideal” as a certain dialectical relation of the ideas and reality applicable to the link of art – life. The scientific novelty consists in interpretation of the existing approaches towards visual art of Aleksandr Deyneka from the perspective of a direct impression of the artist-practitioner (the author of this article). Most of the art material is dedicated to analysis of the works of Aleksandr Deyneka from the standpoint of supremacy of the ideological over the creative. A conclusion is made on the distinct, equal interweaving of the truth of art and life in his works that allows speaking of the latter not only in the context of his ideology, but also the perspective of the moral-ethical and aesthetical influence on the audience. Such interweavement greatly contributes into the life-affirming reflection of the establishing new, socialist life.  

Keywords: social significance, painting, artistic truth, the truth of life, socialist realism, life-affirming art, Deineka, life, idea, ideal