Traditional Music of Kazakhstan in the Second Half of the 20th Century: Using the Example of Folk Song Art in the Northern Region of Kazakhstan

Abstract

The historical development of folk music lays the foundations for modern compositions, the study of previous experience can help to qualitatively develop the modern musical sphere, emphasizing the uniqueness of traditional art. The main purpose of this study is to identify and analyse the characteristic features of the music of Kazakhstan, as well as to generalize the available knowledge. In the presented work, archive materials of several ethnographic expeditions of the folklore laboratory Kurmangazy Kazakh National Conservatory in the Torgai-Kostanay region, made from 1975 to 1989, are considered. It is taken into account that many widespread traditional musical cultures, representing a single integral, within themselves will have several ramifications. In this regard, Kazakh traditional music is not an isolated case, as it is currently divided into the following folk-professional schools: Sary-Arka, Jetysu, Kyzylorda and Western Kazakhstan. The name of each listed tradition is associated with territorial identification. For several years in Kazakhstani musicology, up to the present day, many researchers have been engaged in the study of the above-mentioned regional traditions. The works of the second half of the XX century were analysed, as well as the main differences and aspects of music writing. The paper identifies the influence of the main factors that contributed to the creation of the works, as well as a generalized analysis of the composers’ stylization. The study will provide a better understanding of the features and aspects of musical folklore, which helps to popularize and raise awareness of the subject.