Figurative-Semantic Connections of the Poetic and Musical Content of the Sticheron “Most Blessed Father Saint Peter” by Tsar Ivan the Terrible from the Singing Cycle Devoted to Saint Peter the Metropolitan of All Russia

Abstract

The authors reveal artistic methods of reflecting the figurative and semantic content of the liturgical text in znamenny chanting art on the example of the first sticheron from the singing cycle “Most Blessed Father Saint Peter” devoted to Metropolitan of All Russia Peter. This sticheron attracts attention, first of all, by its attribution to the artwork of Ivan the Terrible. The scientific analysis of this work was carried out on the basis of a unique source — handwritten Book of Sticheron, made by the outstanding master of church singing art, monk of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, Login Shishelov in 1619–1624. It was he who designated the first chant of the cycle as the “creation” of the tsar. The study of this sticheron in the perspective of the stated purpose is based on a textual method of structural formulae analysis, worked out by authors of the paper. It provides the opportunity to decipher the chant and identify the structure of its musical and poetic content. An interdisciplinary approach is also important in the problematic field of history, art history, source studies, and theology. As a result, the researches revealed artistic methods of reflecting the semantics of poetic text in the “znamenny chant” music created by Tsar Ivan the Terrible.

Keywords

• hymnography
• znamenny chant
• the cycle of sticherons “most blessed father”
• saint metropolitan peter
• tsar ivan the terrible
• author’s creativity