«Досвід ґрунтовної скрипкової школи» Леопольда Моцарта у дзеркалі епохи Просвітництва

Abstract

У статті досліджено працю Леопольда Моцарта «Досвід ґрунтовної скрипкової школи» крізь призму епохи Просвітництва. Розглянуто естетичні засади просвітницького руху в різних європейських країнах. Охарактеризовано вплив методичної праці Л. Моцарта на розвиток музичної педагогіки та інструментознавства того часу.

В статье исследовано труд Леопольда Моцарта «Опыт обстоятельной скрипичной школы» сквозь призму эпохи Просвещения. Рассмотрены эстетичные принципы просветительского движения в разных европейских странах. Охарактеризовано влияние методического труда Л. Моцарта на развитие музыкальной педагогики и инструментоведения того времени.

Famous Austrian composer, conductor, teacher, and violinist Leopold Mozart is best known today as the father and teacher of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and for his violin textbook «A Treatise on the Fundamental Principles of Violin Playing». It is a textbook for instruction in the violin, published by Leopold Mozart in 1756. The article examines this methodical work in the mirror of epoch of Enlightenment. The Age of Enlightenment was a cultural movement of intellectuals beginning in late 17thcentury Europe emphasizing reason and individualism rather than tradition. Its purpose was to reform society using reason, to challenge ideas grounded in tradition and faith, and to advance knowledge through the scientific method. The ideas of the Enlightenment continue to exert significant influence on the culture. In France Enlightenment culminated in the great Encyclopédie (1751–1772) edited by Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d’Alembert with contributions by hundreds of leading intellectuals who were called philosophes, notably Voltaire, Rousseau and Montesquieu. These new intellectual strains would spread to urban centres across Europe, notably England, Scotland and German. Leopold Mozart’s «A Treatise on the Fundamental Principles of Violin Playing» was successful in its day and went through two further German editions (1769, 1787), as well as being translated into Dutch (1766) and French (1770). At the level of practical comments on improving aspects of violin technique, L. Mozart showed himself to be full of common sense, and to be capable of expressing his explanations in robust and clear language. The work, together with L. Mozart’s correspondence about it, shows that he knew exactly what he wanted to do, that he had strong opinions on how pupils should be taught to play the violin, that he had thought out how to present his material in the clearest possible way, that he wanted even impoverished pupils to be able to afford his book, and that he was prepared to put in all the necessary work to get the details just right. L. Mozart thought that technical instruction would not produce fine violinists. For instance, concerning a particular aspect of bowing, L. Mozart insisted that the performer pay attention to the Affekt (approximately, emotion) intended by the composer, so that the most appropriate bowing could be chosen. L. Mozart envisaged that the performer should be capable of studying a piece for clues about the intended Affekt. One element necessary to this was an education broad enough to encompass the study of literature and especially poetry, for a cantabile style should be the aim of every instrumentalist, and poetry was the key to good phrasing in music. Leopold Mozart’s «A Treatise on the Fundamental Principles of Violin Playing» had great influence on the creative personality of Leopold Mozart’s son Wolfgang Amadeus and on Austrian violin school in general. This work was influential in its day, and continues to serve as a scholarly source concerning 18-th century performance practice.