TRANSFORMATION OF THE SYMPHONY GENRE UNDER EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES: THE CASE OF KARMELLA TSEPKOLENKO’S FUNERAL SYMPHONY

The article pays particular attention to the development of the Ukrainian symphony. In the twentieth century, transformative processes within the symphonic genre intensified, driven by changes in composers’ musical thinking and a general tendency to-ward decentralization in matters of style and form, as well as the rejection of stereotyped structural principles. This opened up previously unexplored possibilities for a radical re-thinking of the genre’s semantic foundations. The evolution of the symphony moved toward the creation of a synthetic spectacle composed of sounds, colors, and even scents; the symphony sought to expand its bounda-ries to encompass not only the earthly realm but also the Cosmos and the Universe. This led to the enlargement of orchestral forces, the inclusion of massive choral ensembles, and the addition of non-orchestral instruments. Drama and epic merged within the symphonic form, while the tragic-dramatic type of symphonism became one of the defining features of the twentieth century. With each new mutation, the symphony strengthened its position as a genre aspiring to reflect an artistic vision of the World, including a philosophical conception of the Hu-man within it. The genre of the symphony addresses not only the most acute issues of its time but also the psychological processes of the individual. The development of the Ukrainian symphony follows two main directions: (a) as a non-programmatic symphony, or a symphony with implicit programmatic content, in which composers embody their ideas without verbal definition, expressed solely through generalized aesthetic imagery; and (b) as a programmatic symphony, built upon a general-ized or sequential narrative. One of the key forms of transformation of the symphonic genre in Ukrainian music is the tendency to intensify the dramatic dimension of symphonic works. This tendency is particularly evident in the work of Karmella Tsepkolenko, whose Funeral Symphony is analyzed in the article.