Символизм Андрея Белого в эпоху джаза – контрапункты двух философий (на примере «Котика Летаева»)

Abstract

ABSTRACT The connection between jazz philosophy, pre-jazz genres and Belyj’s creational method is analyzed in this paper through cultural-historical, comparative and mythopoetic methods. The tunes of jazz predecessors (spirituals, blues, ragtime, working songs) had started to spread in Russian since the beginning of the 20th century. Andrej Belyj also could have become acquainted with jazz culture in Europe during his frequent journeys. The most prominent features of jazz are difficult rhythms originated in African drums playing style, the influence of European musical harmony, but at the same time dedication to dissonances, accents on weak beats, “blue mood,” “call-and-response pattern,” scat, falsetto break from working songs and many others. The novel Kotik Letaev could be called the most jazz-inspiring work of the author. Despite the fact that this novel has been created at the dawn of “jazz era,” there are a lot of features that connect this work to jazz philosophy. Belyj sensed the mood of his time, the jazz pulsation of the century. Returning to the ancient African drums rhythm in jazz has its reflection in Belyj’s novel through the resurrection of the myth, remembering the “inner form” of words which was used by the first speaking man on the Earth, rebirth of the word through the child speech. Kotik Letaev is rhythmically complex text decorated with alliteration – the scat analogy. Every character in Kotik Letaev has their own melody and musical voice. “Blue mood” is also a prominent feature in this novel: fear and anxiety (“blue tonality”) govern the text. It could be attributed to Kotik Letaev’s feeling of dread after the escape from the chaotic pre-existence and his attempts to find his place in new cosmos. The main elements of the novel’s inner structure are dissonance and ambivalence. Improvisation in word, sound and symbol creation is used in the novel, which also reminds us about jazz intention to overcome any previous boundaries in music in order to express inexpressible.